Children's Home run by Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 1 SC2718813 Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support 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. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for up to four children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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This monitoring visit

At the home’s first full inspection, on 19 and 20 June 2023, inspectors found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practices, the leadership and management of the home and care planning for children. The home was judged inadequate and compliance notices were issued 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 the actions taken by the provider in relation to the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

At this visit, the inspector identified shortfalls around safeguarding and personal care practices. Although children’s personal support plans now provide clear guidance for the staff to follow to develop children’s independence and day-to-day self-care skills, these are not consistently followed. The manager has failed to identify poor staff practice when a child’s dignity has not been maintained. This impacts on children’s safety and well-being and does not reflect nurturing, child-centred care. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 2 Children’s risk and behaviour support plans do not include all the strategies currently being used by staff to support children and to keep them safe. This reduces the effectiveness of plans, as staff are not aware of children’s new and emerging risks and are not consistently responding to children when they are distressed. This also limits oversight by the manager to ensure that children’s individual risks and

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This monitoring visit

vulnerabilities are known and that strategies to support them are effective and safe.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls around planning high-risk activities have left children at risk of harm. Activities have not been adequately assessed, and staff have not received relevant training. Staff have supported children in a swimming pool without water safety training and when there was no lifeguard present. The manager acknowledged the dangers of this practice. Risk plans did provide staff with clear guidance in the event of an emergency. Staff have also not received appropriate moving and handling training to enable them to safely support children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to take adequate action to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection around children’s pre-admission assessments. Children’s assessments do not accurately reflect their individual needs or how these needs will be met.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision practices have been strengthened to ensure that staff understand the impact of children’s additional vulnerabilities. The team also has more detailed discussions in team meetings that provide them with opportunities to reflect on practice and to share ideas.

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This monitoring visit

Staff now have access to specialist support services and training to develop their understanding of children’s health and communication needs. Consequently, staff are able to communicate more effectively with children who are non-verbal. This ensures that all children are able to express their wishes and feelings. The manager has also supported children to access independent advocates. However, they have failed to ensure that the advocate has experience of supporting children who are non-verbal.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, a case review took place, where it was agreed that the compliance notice under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, had been met. However, the compliance notices under regulations 12 and 14 have not been met. As a result, these have been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements raised at the last inspection were not explored as part of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b)) 15 September 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— 15 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 5 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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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

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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that children’s plans are detailed and include strategies for staff to follow to meet children’s needs and to keep them safe. 15 September 2023

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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 personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; 17 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 6 help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(iv)(vi)(ix)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that children’s bedrooms are personalised in an age- appropriate manner. The registered manager must also ensure that children are supported to develop the necessary skills to aid their day-to-day self-care.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; 17 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 7 help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that there are sufficient communication aids in place to support children who are unable to communicate their views and wishes verbally.

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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

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and 17 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 8 well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring there is clear information in children’s plans to enable staff to support children with diagnosed health conditions.

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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. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 17 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: 2718813 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorns to Oaks Children’s Care & Support Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Acorns to Oaks Childrens Care & Support Ltd, Suite 3, 125-129 Witton Street, Northwich CW9 5DY

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Inspector

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2718813 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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