Children's home run by After Care (NW) Limited in Sefton

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 1 SC063673

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Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home currently does not have a registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children and providing them with support when needed.  Risk assessments have not been updated with children’s current risks.  The manager has not recognised and addressed shortfalls in the steps taken to safeguard children who are missing from care during the night.  There has been a significant delay in the manager submitting a complete application to register with Ofsted.

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The care of children

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. Staff have not been able to build up positive relationships with all the children. This is having a negative impact on children living in the home and does not support good caring practices.

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The care of children

Staff do not always respond appropriately to children when they ask for help and support. For example, staff did not open the door to a child who was asking for support. This resulted in the child calling for medical assistance herself. This not only impacts on positive, trusting and nurturing relationships being developed, but places the children at risk.

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The care of children

Not all children are currently attending or engaging in education. Staff are not currently able to engage children in suitable structured daily activities to support learning when children are not in school.

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The care of children

Staff have not implemented age-appropriate routines and boundaries for some children. This is not supporting children’s progress and experiences while living in the home.

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The safety of children

Two children have been regularly going missing from care together. This has included overnight missing-from-care incidents. During these incidents, staff did not actively look or try to locate children. This does not demonstrate good safeguarding practices.

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The safety of children

Safeguarding concerns were raised by external professionals who were unable to gain access to the home or contact staff when a child was missing from the home. On this occasion, it was reported that there was insufficient staff working at the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 3 home. This prevents a coordinated multi-agency response to support children who are missing from home, and it places children at increased risk.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments have not been updated with children’s current risks. This hinders staff’s understanding of how risks are to be managed. This is poor safeguarding practice. A requirement has been issued to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There has been a significant delay in the manager submitting a completed application to register with Ofsted. This is a breach of regulations, and a requirement has been made to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Several requirements made at the last inspection have been repeated. This does not demonstrate that leaders and managers take appropriate action to address the shortfalls identified during inspection activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that the monitoring and review of systems are supporting improvements in the home. This impacts on children’s safety and reduces the quality of care provided to the children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(b)) 7 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

* The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 7 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there is effective oversight and review of the steps that staff take to safeguard children.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 7 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 7 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: After Care NW Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 45 Kensington Road, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0RT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Timothy Blundell

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063673 9 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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