Children's home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 1 SC062248 Quality Protects Children Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities. There is day school in the grounds of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were no children living in the home. Two children had recently left the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been appointed but is not registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 13 and 14 June 2023. Following the inspection, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation to prevent any further children moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the provider’s compliance with the notice restricting accommodation and to consider any progress made to improve the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

Two children who were living at the home at the time of the previous inspection have left the home. No new children have been accommodated at the home. The provider is complying with the notice restricting accommodation. The children who have left the home have moved to homes operated by other providers.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff have reflected on a number of incidents that took place in the home to identify learning and areas where practice can improve. They have Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 2 considered whether staff have the appropriate skills to meet children’s needs and what led to an increase in incidents. A comprehensive plan to reinduct staff to the home before any decisions are made to accept new children has been created. Staff will be involved in supporting the manager to make decisions around the suitability of placements.

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This monitoring visit

Policies and procedures have been revised, including risk management plans, responding to complaints or allegations and understanding whistleblowing. Changes to individual plans have been made easier to understand following an incident. The local authority designated officer (LADO) has offered to speak to staff at their induction event. This will improve understanding of the LADO’s role and safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has considered how to ensure that any new learning is validated so that staff improve their skills and use them in practice.

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This monitoring visit

As the improvements described above are not in place, any impact on staff practice is not evident. The reinduction week is due to take place from 31 July 2023.

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This monitoring visit

There are several changes being made to the home environment. All children’s bedrooms are being refurbished, together with new carpets in some of the communal areas. The home is also being considered for a new kitchen. It has been arranged for a maintenance team to carry out the work at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following a case review, the notice restricting accommodation will remain in place until the provider can demonstrate that risks have reduced because of changes being made to the home and learning from the reinduction being embedded into practice.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection have not been considered as part of this visit. Therefore, these are restated and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Inadequate 13/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/04/2021 Full Good 26/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 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, 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 16 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 5 Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments contain clear information about children’s risks and the strategies staff should follow to reduce these.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff take effective action to keep children safe, in line with the plans for their care.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that issues with damp in the home are addressed to prevent mould.

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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;

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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, leaders and managers must improve oversight of significant incidents and staff practice and the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet children’s needs. 16 July 2023

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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 16 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 6 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that they carefully consider the needs, risks and behaviours of children who are moving into the home and evaluate how they will meet these needs alongside the needs of children already living in the home. They must ensure that they identify and plan to mitigate any potential risks that could affect 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

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 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;

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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)(iii)(iv)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children are helped to develop positive routines that enable them to engage in their education timetable.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, they must encourage and support children to engage in their education plans. 16 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 7 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

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

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(xii)(xiii)(b)) 16 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 16 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 8 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(d)(i)(e))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspector

Mark Broomhead, Regulatory Inspection Manager Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC062248 10 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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