Children's Home run by Trax MX Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 1 Registered provider: Trax MX 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 operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Each child has their own staffed lodge on a large site. The provision includes a school operated by the same provider. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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This monitoring visit

During a full inspection on 28 and 29 June 2023, inspectors identified serious and widespread shortfalls around safeguarding practices, risk management and leadership and management of the home. Due to the serious and widespread concerns identified, immediate enforcement action was taken and Ofsted issued a notice to restrict accommodation at the home. Following the inspection, a case review was held where the decision was made to issue compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor compliance with the restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the provider has failed to consider the complex group living dynamics between children living in the children’s home lodges and has recently moved a child from the supported accommodation area of the site into a lodge in close proximity to the children’s lodges. The has led to a further escalation in Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 2 incidents as a result of the complex group living dynamics and has negatively affected the safety and well-being of all children.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the unique layout of the children’s home, it is Ofsted’s view that the provider has not breached the restriction of accommodation notice. The restriction notice will remain in place until 20 September 2023.

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This monitoring visit

However, it was identified during the monitoring visit that the child who was moved from the supported accommodation area of the site is receiving high levels of both care and support from staff who work in the children’s home, in an unregistered placement. The child’s placing authority is aware.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices and requirements were not considered at this visit. They will remain in place and will be reviewed at either a future monitoring visit or the next full inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2023 Full Inadequate 09/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/02/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 3

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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 with 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that risks to children are clearly assessed. Staff must be provided with clear strategies to reduce risks to children and must follow children’s respective plans in response to safeguarding incidents. 19 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 4 Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that staff respond effectively to incidents of aggressive and bullying behaviours.

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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;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and experience to meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this they must have effective oversight of the children’s records and significant incidents. 19 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

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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— 19 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 5 that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the relevant plans for children are followed.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children’s health needs and diagnoses are understood and that children have access to primary healthcare services as soon as this is required. 23 August 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 23 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 6 that staff—

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 23 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 7 The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(e)) 23 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2635351 8

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Inspectors

Caroline Bertram, Regulatory Inspection Manager Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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