Children's home run by Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 1 Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care 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 by a private company and cares for up to three children who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

 Insufficient action is taken by staff when children are missing from the home.  Risk management plans do not accurately reflect children’s risks.  Staff are not always aware of who is in the home.  Ineffective management oversight of the home.  Reports for significant incidents are inaccurate.  Staff do not receive supervision.  Staff’s poor performance is not challenged or reflected on.

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The care of children

The staff team supports children to experience different activities. This includes activities such as indoor skydiving and go-karting. Children often choose to spend time with their friends and family. Despite this, staff ensure that there are activity plans in place. This means that children have the option to take part in activities with the staff.

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The care of children

Staff support children to complete age-appropriate independent tasks. During the inspection, one child was being supported by staff to do their laundry.

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The care of children

The home is warm and welcoming, and is a nice place for children to spend time. There are some maintenance issues; however, there is a clear plan in place for these to be repaired.

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The safety of children

Staff are ineffective in their response to children going missing from the home. Staff practice is inconsistent. Staff do not have a clear plan with detailed strategies to guide staff in safeguarding children.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments fail to include essential information. For example, sexual exploitation risks are not included in the child sexual exploitation plan. Plans do not contain detailed steps or strategies. This does not support staff to reduce risk, and fails to safeguard children.

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The safety of children

When children are missing, staff have not taken adequate action. They have not been proactive in locating and returning children to the home. They have failed to search areas where children spend time. They have not visited known addresses of concern. When children leave the home late at night, staff do not follow the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 3 children. This enables children to leave without staff intervention. This poor practice and ineffective management oversight have placed children at risk of harm.

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The safety of children

Children have been able to leave and re-enter the house during the night undetected by staff. Children’s friends have been able to enter the house and remain for significant amounts of time. On several occasions, staff have failed to detect or prevent these incidents. Managers and staff have not taken effective action to address this issue. This has led to repeat incidents. This practice affects the children’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is no registered manager in post. The responsible individual supports the interim manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not have effective oversight of the home. Reports do not always include manager comments. When they do, these comments focus on the children’s behaviour rather than reflecting on staff practice. This is a missed opportunity to identify lessons learned and improve staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Reports for significant safeguarding events lack detail. They also do not contain information about the actions taken by staff. One report contained incorrect information. This means that leaders and managers do not understand events that are occurring in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff are not receiving regular supervision. This means that staff are not able to reflect on their practice. This limits their ability to improve the quality of care that is provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff do not have the opportunity to reflect on significant incidents. This means that poor practice is not challenged and places children at risk of harm. This is a missed opportunity for staff to learn from incidents and improve their practice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 5

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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

*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

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)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff take appropriate steps to locate and return children to the home when they are missing.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s risk assessments clearly identify all risks for children and contain clear strategies for staff to follow to reduce the risks to children.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, there must be a clear and detailed plan for staff to follow if the child is missing from the home, and a clear plan for staff to follow to ensure that unauthorised people are not able to enter the home undetected. 1 September 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 6 The registered person must ensure that a clear record is made of any incidents, including the action taken by the staff throughout the incident and steps taken to minimise risks to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that there is clear management oversight and evaluation of the incidents and the action taken.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that, through practice-based supervision, staff skills are being developed to ensure that improvements are made in the quality of care provided to the children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, staff must have the opportunity to reflect on their practice following significant events.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, poor practice from staff must be identified and challenged by the registered person and measures put in place to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and 1 September 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 7 knowledge to support the individual needs of the children living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must implement an effective monitoring system to ensure improved oversight and evaluation of significant events in the home.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Warren Bruce Court, Warren Bruce Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1LB

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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2680860 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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Inspectors

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