Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 1 SC022438 Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for one child who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Inadequate 20/04/2021 Full Good 17/07/2019 Full Good 17/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 3

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improvement to be good

The child has lived in the home for over a year and has made good progress during this time. The child has been supported to develop positive relationships with the staff team.

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improvement to be good

The child is in good health and is supported with their health needs. They have access to routine and specialist appointments as required.

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improvement to be good

The child is making good progress in education and has been supported to attend college open days and seek apprenticeship opportunities. On occasions when the child has refused to attend education, the staff have encouraged them to complete online training on important topics.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to see people who are important to them. The child enjoys spending time with family and has enjoyed positive experiences. The child is encouraged to engage in activities with staff. The child’s friends are also invited to enjoy this time. The child has enjoyed going go karting, a stadium tour, and a visit to a water park.

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improvement to be good

Opportunities to support the child to develop life skills in preparation for their independence have been missed. The child does not have assessments or plans to support their future. Consequently, staff are not clear on the specific support that they should be offering. This means that the child is not being fully supported in preparation for adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Incentives and rewards are promoted in the home. However, staff do not follow the plans and practice is inconsistent, meaning that, at times, the child has received their incentive despite not achieving their objectives. This does not provide a consistent message to the child about expected behaviours and limits management oversight of the progress being made by the child.

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improvement to be good

Improvements have been made to the décor and furnishings, and the home is now well maintained. The team is in the process of purchasing new bedroom furniture that the child has recently requested to ensure that their bedroom remains personalised with items of their choice.

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improvement to be good

Staff know the child well. They are able to support the child to manage their emotions. As a result, there has not been a need to hold the child to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 4 Risk plans vary in quality, and guidance for staff to follow is not always clear. It was identified during the inspection that there were a number of different plans in place, providing different strategies for staff to follow. This limits consistent practice in the home and is confusing for staff who do not know the child well.

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improvement to be good

Direct work has recently taken place to support the child with sexual health, healthy relationships, and substance misuse. Records vary in quality and there is limited evidence of important topics being followed up with the child to ascertain their understanding.

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improvement to be good

Room searches have taken place in the home following concerns around substance misuse. Some records lack detail about the search. Furthermore, items found are not always disposed of in a timely manner. The inspector identified that the team was not following the home’s policies and risk plans regarding room searches.

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improvement to be good

Accidents in the home are rare. However, when they have occurred, accident records have not been completed to evidence injuries sustained and the action that has been taken to support the child.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of the child going missing from home are not frequent. When incidents have occurred, the staff have been proactive in searching for the child. However, return-home interviews have not taken place consistently. This is a missed opportunity to seek the child’s views and promote their welfare.

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improvement to be good

Staff are recruited by the organisation using the principles of safer recruitment. However, the same principles have not been followed prior to agency staff working in the home. This compromises the child’s safety, and is something that the manager has taken swift action to address.

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good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. Improvements have been made to the frequency of supervisions, and staff say that they now feel supported.

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good

Team meetings take place monthly. However, minutes do not demonstrate reflective practice or opportunities for development through research-informed practice.

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good

Monitoring systems are not robust and do not enable the manager to have effective oversight or to identify any patterns and trends. Serious incidents and practice in the home are not routinely evaluated. This limits opportunities for reflection and learning.

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good

The statement of purpose has not been reviewed following the manager being registered with Ofsted or a staff member joining the team. A requirement under regulation 16 has been given regarding this. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 5 Independent visits take place, but there is limited evidence of consultation with the child, professionals and family members. Furthermore, although relevant actions are identified, these areas are not always explored by the manager. This means that oversight and potential improvement is limited. Reports are not shared with Ofsted in line with regulation. This limits the regulator’s oversight of practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 6

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that a request for the child to have a personal adviser and pathway plan are escalated to the child’s placing authority. 21 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the child can contribute to their support plans. 21 June 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 21 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 7 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that positive behaviour is consistently promoted by the staff team in the home.

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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— that staff—

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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)(ii)(b)) 21 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 8 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the child’s risk plans reflect the child’s current risks, and strategies for staff to follow are individualised to meet the child’s needs. Ensure that the child has the opportunity to contribute to their plans, that the home’s policies and plans are followed, and that safe recruitment practices are in place when using agency members of staff so as not to compromise the child’s safety.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the manager is present in the home to have oversight of practice and evaluate incidents to establish patterns and trends and identify areas of learning in order to make continuous improvements. In addition, ensure that research and developments are discussed in team meetings to develop practice in the home. 21 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 21 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 9 keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the child’s files are well maintained and contain details of all records for room searches, accidents and injuries. 21 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home 21 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 10 and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the independent person is supported to consult with children and stakeholders, any recommendations made are reviewed, and the independent person’s reports are shared with Ofsted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social Care Common Inspection Framework. This 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’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helen’s, Merseyside WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC022438 12 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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