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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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, five children were living in the lodges.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager is vacant.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 28 and 29 June 2023, the home was judged inadequate. Following the inspection, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. This notice was issued with immediate effect from 29 June 2023 until 20 September 2023.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted also issued three compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These notices were in relation to 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

On 10 July 2023, a monitoring visit was carried out to monitor the notice restricting accommodation at the home. Following the visit, it was determined that the provider had complied with the conditions of the notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 2 This visit was carried out following a notification by the provider of a significant safeguarding incident which took place on 13 July 2023. During the visit, inspectors confirmed that the provider had complied with the conditions of the notice restricting accommodation at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors identified that leaders and managers had taken some action to safeguard children in response to the incident. This included employing a member of staff who would remain awake throughout the night.

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This monitoring visit

The incident involved two children leaving their respective lodges in the middle of the night and without the knowledge of the staff caring for them.

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This monitoring visit

Although the provider notified children’s placing authorities, they failed to engage effectively with the wider system and challenge local authorities when their response was not adequate. This lack of action from the provider prevented an effective and timely multi-agency response to the safeguarding concerns that were identified.

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This monitoring visit

Following this incident, no reflection with staff took place. This was a missed opportunity to understand how the incident occurred and to evaluate safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, concerns were identified in respect of the home conditions in children’s individual lodges. One child’s television had not been replaced following an incident when they had damaged it. The child had spent several weeks without access to a television in their communal area. Furthermore, standards of cleanliness were not acceptable and one child did not have a door on their bathroom.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors identified further concerns in relation to children’s health and well-being. These concerns relate to children using electronic cigarettes. Inspectors identified that one child has numerous electronic cigarettes in their room, including a new disposable one. Staff have failed to remove these harmful items from the child’s room to prevent them from having access to these.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, two additional requirements have been raised. These are in respect of regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met) and regulation 6 (the quality and purpose of care standard).

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors did not consider the compliance notices or previous requirements as part of this visit. These are restated below.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will carry out further visits to monitor the notice restricting accommodation at the home and the compliance notices in respect of regulations 12, 13 and 14. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 3

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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 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 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; 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)(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 5 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 6 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 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 7 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 8 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

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

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 23 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 9 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that where there are delays in local authorities responding to safeguarding concerns, the registered provider escalates these swiftly and effectively to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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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 and supports them 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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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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)(b)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that repairs to children’s lodges are carried out without delay. This includes ensuring that children have access to a television in communal areas and that they have a door on their bathroom to afford them privacy.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered person must ensure that children’s lodges are maintained to an acceptable standard of cleanliness. 23 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 10

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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 11

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Inspectors

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Louise Redfern, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2635351 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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