Children's Home run by St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in St Helens

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 1 SC063550

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Registered provider: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 17 August 2022. Following this inspection, a compliance notice was issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. This related to regulation 27 (appointment of manager).

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 14 October 2022 to monitor the provider’s compliance with the notice. It was determined that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 2 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: SC063550 3

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Findings from the inspection

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

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Findings from the inspection

 Children are at risk of harm. Staff are unaware of the risks to children, including substance misuse, county lines and weapons.  Staff have not received appropriate training and are not guided by specific risk management plans on the strategies to use to reduce risks to children.  One child has not stayed overnight at the home for several weeks. Staff have not taken sufficient action to ensure their safety and welfare.  Managers have not ensured that essential information is shared with other relevant agencies, including the allocated social worker and the police.  Leaders, managers and staff fail to minimise risks to the children’s safety and well-being. Several known risks have not yet been assessed. In addition, one child does not yet have a care plan or risk assessment.  Staff are unaware of children’s specific needs or how to support them to make progress.

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The care of children

Ineffective oversight of the quality of care provided to children has limited their progress and had a detrimental effect on their safety and well-being. Shortfalls in care planning for children have not been addressed or escalated sufficiently. These weaknesses have compromised children’s safety and welfare.

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The care of children

Staff do not understand children’s individual needs because they are not provided with clear plans which are reflective of their needs.

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The care of children

One child is not attending education. When the child is at home, there is not a clear plan in place for staff to support their home learning. Children’s educational needs are not understood by staff because they do not have access to relevant information or children’s education, health and care plans (EHC plans).

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The care of children

Children say that they like their home and their bedrooms. One child’s room has been personalised to reflect their tastes and interests. However, locks on internal doors, numbers on children’s bedroom doors and unnecessary signage detract from the homeliness of the environment.

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The care of children

Staff encourage children to take part in activities outside the home. One child has attended a local youth club since moving to the home. Therefore, the child is taking part in activities with other children and has opportunities to make friends and develop their social skills. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 4

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The safety of children

Managers and staff have not followed safeguarding procedures. This, together with poor communication, has compromised the safety and well-being of one child. Risks of criminal exploitation and risks due to persistent unauthorised absence have not been escalated or shared. This has prevented a robust multidisciplinary safeguarding response.

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The safety of children

Staff do not take effective action in response to safeguarding incidents. For example, concerns were raised that a child had taken substances when they were missing from home. When the child returned home, staff did not demonstrate professional curiosity to determine whether the child was safe and well. The child was later taken to hospital as they had brought harmful substances into the home and ingested these in their bedroom.

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The safety of children

Managers and staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Managers and staff failed to take effective action when a member of the public raised concerns that a child living in the home was carrying a knife. Managers and staff did not report these concerns to the allocated social worker. This failed to safeguard the child.

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The safety of children

Risk management plans are ineffective as they do not contain relevant and current information about children’s known risks. Some identified risks, such as risks of criminal exploitation, are not clearly assessed. Further to this, despite one child moving to the home eight days prior to the visit, there was not a risk management plan in place for staff to follow.

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The safety of children

Risk management plans do not contain the detailed steps or strategies that staff should take to manage and reduce risks. For example, there was not a robust plan in place to safeguard one child who has not been spending time in the home. Staff spoken to were not clear about the risks to the child in relation to county lines and substance misuse. This lack of knowledge compromised the staff’s ability to keep the child safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of this home compromise children’s experiences and progress. These shortfalls hinder the staff’s ability to care for the children effectively and protect them from the risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is no reflection with staff or robust evaluation of safeguarding incidents to promote children’s welfare and improve staff practice. As a result, incidents of missing from home, substance misuse and unauthorised absence are not appropriately responded to reduce risks. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 5 There has been poor oversight and evaluation of the plans for children’s care. One child did not have a care plan in place and one child’s care plan was not reflective of their current needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers have failed to ensure that staff have received training in matters that are relevant to the needs of the children who live in the home. This includes training on substance misuse, knife crime, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and county lines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Further to this, ineffective oversight of training records for staff results in managers not being aware of the identified gaps in staff’s training and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers have failed to respond to the shortfalls identified at the last inspection, and requirements set previously have not been addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Due to the safeguarding concerns, Ofsted is of the view that any further children moving into the home would compromise the safety of the children already living in the home as well as any new children moving in. Based on the information outlined above, Ofsted has issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 6

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/11/2019 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 7

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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, 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training in county lines, knife crime and substance misuse.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that staff take effective action in line with the plans for children’s care and safeguarding procedures. 2 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— 2 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training in matters relevant to children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must improve monitoring and oversight of the quality of care that is provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; 2 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 9 the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s relevant plans, such as EHC plans, health plans and local authority plans, are used to inform the home’s care plan.

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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.

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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

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 understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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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; 2 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 10 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix))

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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

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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children who do not attend school are supported to get back into education as soon as possible and are encouraged to complete any home learning to support their learning.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that they have relevant plans in place to support staff’s understanding of children’s educational needs. 2 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; 2 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 11 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. This relates specifically to the use of locks on internal doors, room numbers on children’s bedrooms and unnecessary signs throughout the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Children and Young People Services, Atlas House, 2 Corporation Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA9 1LD

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Inspectors

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Kayleigh Treanor, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC063550 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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