Children's Home run by A-Triangle Care Limited in Blackpool

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 1 Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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 inspectors 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: 2557064 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

There are two children living at the home. Since the previous inspection, one child has moved in. The move was well planned, and the child has settled well into the home.

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The care of children

The home is suitable for the children’s needs. However, parts of the home environment require redecoration and cleaning. The children do not have access to a suitable outdoor environment. Staff use the garden area to smoke and leave cigarette ends on the ground. Staff do not adhere to the company policy around smoking, and nor do they promote positive health and well-being role models for the children.

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The care of children

The staff know the children well, and children say that they feel listened to and respected. Children spend time out of the home with friends and family. Staff manage this appropriately to ensure that children are safe.

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The care of children

Both children attend school and are making good progress. The manager advocates for children when areas of concern arise. This supports children to remain in their education settings.

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The care of children

The children have care plans. However, the language used in some plans is not helpful to the children. Furthermore, the manager does not challenge placing local authorities in a timely manner to ensure that children have relevant and updated documents. This means that staff do not always have access to plans that provide sufficient, up-to-date information.

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The safety of children

Staff understand risks and vulnerabilities for the children and know how to respond to these. Children say that they feel safe. The manager communicates information to external professionals in a timely way and develops plans that identify risks for children.

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The safety of children

There has been a reduction in incidents of children going missing from home since the previous inspection. When children have been missing from home, staff respond quickly and appropriately. However, children are not offered return-home interviews with an independent person following these incidents. This is a missed opportunity to understand why children go missing from care. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 3 The manager does not ensure that the people employed to complete home or garden maintenance are suitably vetted. This places children at potential risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

A permanent and suitably experienced registered manager manages the home. The manager speaks warmly about the children and wants the best for them. The manager and staff understand children’s needs well. However, staff have not completed training in relation to the specific needs of one child. This means that staff do not have relevant knowledge or skills to support the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have received training in recording and reporting. However, children’s records are not accurate, and managers have not reviewed these regularly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is a stable and committed staff team. Staff feel supported by the manager. Staffing levels are appropriate to meet the needs of the children, and the team is balanced in terms of gender. Staff receive regular supervision and attend team meetings that allow for reflective discussions about children and their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager makes use of internal and external monitoring systems to improve practice in the home. However, the independent visitor does not routinely seek feedback from children or key stakeholders to allow for a robust and evaluative overview of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has responded to previous requirements and has made improvements since the previous inspection. However, there are several requirements and recommendations made at this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/05/2022 Full Inadequate 23/11/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 11 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 5 provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is in good decorative order, that areas that need painting are done so in a timely manner, that walls are cleaned and that the garden is cleaned from all cigarette ends. Staff should utilise designated smoking areas and not smoke on the premises, as per company policy. 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;

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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; (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that training specific to children’s needs is completed by staff. 25 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— 11 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 6 employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 7 does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)(7)(a) (b)(c)(d)(8))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure any person working in or around the home or garden has the relevant checks and supervision, this includes gardeners and maintenance workers. 14.—(1) The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 25 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 8 (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) that arrangements are in place to— (i) ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the

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Requirement Due date

home; and (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed; (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that local authority care plans are received for children living in the home. The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are accurate, reflect their current needs and are reviewed and signed. The registered person must ensure that information is recorded in a way that is helpful to children. 25 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they are aware of the responsibility of the local authority to provide children with an opportunity to have an independent return-home interview after returning from being missing from care. The responsible person should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person they appoint seeks feedback from children, staff and external professionals and evaluates this Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 9 to allow for an impartial judgement of the quality of the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.8) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Crescent East, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 3LJ

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Inspectors

Jenni Gadsby, Social Care Inspector Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2557064 11 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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