Children's Home run by Milestones Care Homes Ltd in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 1 Registered provider: Milestones Care Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant. The home has been without a registered manager since November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in this home. The children spoke with inspectors about their experiences of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 December 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

As a result of significant shortfalls identified during an assurance inspection of the home on 28 March 2023, compliance notices were served under regulation 12, protection of children; regulation 13, leadership and management; and regulation 35, behaviour management. A monitoring visit took place on 15 May 2023 to consider action taken by the provider to comply with the steps in the notices. The compliance notices had not been met and they were reissued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/06/2021 Full Good 17/07/2019 Full Good 25/02/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they are happy living in the home. They have developed secure and trusting relationships with the staff team. Children believe that staff act in their best interests. Staff know the children well and are invested in their outcomes. Therefore, children have an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are regularly consulted about the care they receive. Staff regularly seek children’s views in children’s meetings and daily discussions. Children’s views are quickly acted on. Children are involved in decision-making about their home environment. This helps children to feel valued and respected in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to enjoy school. Staff work closely with education providers and all children have good attendance and attainment. Staff participate in key meetings about children’s education and are able to support children effectively to recognise their strengths and to address any challenges they may experience in school. Children are helped to prepare for and to attend their exams. This enables children to achieve academically and to have aspirations for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel listened to, but they do not all know how to make a complaint. This means that opportunities to respond to children’s concerns and to improve practice in the home have been missed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to try new activities and to pursue their interests. Staff help children to explore local groups. This enables children to develop social networks and positive peer relationships. Consequently, children enjoy their leisure time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well understood. Their healthcare plans are clearly recorded and include details about their individual health needs. Staff respond promptly and sensitively to any presenting health concerns. However, one child has struggled to attend a health appointment. There is no structured plan in place to encourage and support their future attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff manage controlled medication well, however, there are discrepancies in the recording of non-controlled medication. When staff have administered pain relief medication, the reason is not always clear. This limits management oversight of medication practices in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children say they feel safe. They can identify safe and trusted adults who they can speak to in the home. Children say staff listen to them, take their concerns seriously and respond appropriately.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children do not go missing from the home. When children are away from the home, Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 4 risks are reduced through staff knowing who they are with and maintaining regular contact with them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The risks to children are well known by staff. Risk management plans contain information about children’s current and emerging risks. Plans contain clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe. Staff understand the risks relating to social media and support the children to keep safe online. Children have been supported to complete online safety training, to engage in direct-work sessions and to have group discussions. Staff implement consistent boundaries and help children to make safer choices.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are supported to treat each other with respect. Staff help children to understand the importance of being able to live together safely and challenge any unwanted behaviour. They implement clear and consistent boundaries that help children to feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff support children effectively to regulate and understand their emotions. There have not been any incidents of staff needing to hold children to keep them safe. However, the majority of the staff team are trained to use physical intervention safely if this is required.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safe recruitment processes are used effectively to ensure that suitable staff are employed in the home. This reduces the risk of children being cared for by people who are not able to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be

The home is operating without a registered manager. The responsible individual has made efforts to recruit a suitable manager, but the post remains vacant. The deputy manager has been supporting the team alongside the responsible individual. However, the staff team and children lack the day-to-day guidance and support from a suitably qualified and experienced manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be

Changes have been made to improve internal monitoring systems. However, these are not yet fully embedded and management oversight of practice in the home is not robust. The management team has not completed the review of the quality of care within regulatory timescales. This reduces the management oversight of practice in the home and limits opportunities to identify the home’s strengths and areas for development. The quality of care report has not been submitted to Ofsted as required by regulation. This limits independent oversight of practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be

The home has an independent visitor to provide external scrutiny of the home. The responsible individual has employed an independent consultant to review the care the children receive. However, changes following recommendations made by the consultant are in their infancy and their impact is currently limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended by staff. Staff use this Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 5 time to reflect on their day-to-day practice and discuss how they can best support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be

External stakeholders say that there is good communication about children’s progress and that they are kept updated about any incidents that have occurred. However, despite taking appropriate action, incidents have not always been notified to Ofsted in a timely manner. This reduces the regulator’s oversight of incidents in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be

Following this inspection, a case review was held on 21 July 2023, where it was agreed that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices made under regulation 12, protection of children; regulation 13, leadership and management; and regulation 35, behaviour management. Three requirements made at the last inspection remain unmet. Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 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, 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The provider must ensure they take swift action to recruit a registered manager.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 August 2023

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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

promotes their welfare. 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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 (2)(h))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that accurate records are kept of all medication, including the reasons for the administration of pain relief medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that children are aware of the complaints procedure and reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 22-23, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should ensure that there are clear plans in place for staff to support and encourage children to attend necessary primary and secondary health appointments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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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: 2483789 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Milestones Care Homes Limited

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Inspectors

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2483789 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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