Children's Home run by Exceptional Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 1 Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately operated and provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/07/2022 Full good Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 3

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and two children have moved in. The manager has not reviewed the compatibility of the children when their needs have changed. Staff have not responded effectively to manage risks between children. In addition, leaders and managers have not had effective oversight of significant incidents. As a result, children have been at risk of harm.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children’s educational opportunities are prioritised. Two children experienced a significant gap in appropriate action being taken to enable them to enrol in a school. The registered manager did not take sufficient action to escalate this delay to ensure that the children received appropriate education and learning. Furthermore, the registered manager did not ensure that children had access to suitable alternative learning arrangements during this time. This does not support children to achieve their potential.

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inadequate

Staff help children to understand their emotions and health needs through conversations and support. This helps children to develop safe ways of managing their emotions. However, records of these conversations do not capture children’s views. This does not support staff to understand all children’s experiences.

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inadequate

Children told the inspector that they do not understand why bedroom door alarms are used, as they find them intrusive. The registered manager said that bedroom door alarms are not used. However, this is not consistent with the information in each child’s plans. The plans state that bedroom door alarms are used as daily practice in the home. This places limitations on children’s privacy.

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inadequate

Children are in good health. Staff support children to attend routine health appointments. Children access activities in the community to support them to pursue their own interests and develop confidence. Children can identify a member of staff that they trust and can get support from if they have any worries.

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inadequate

Staff support children to spend time with their family. This helps children to maintain important relationships and develop their sense of belonging.

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

Managers and staff do not understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities in protecting children. They have not routinely taken effective action when there have been serious concerns about a child’s welfare.

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

Communication between the staff working in the home is not effective. Staff are not always made aware of significant changes to a child’s risks or care plans. This does not support them to keep children safe. In addition, children’s plans contain Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 4 inaccurate information and do not provide staff with clear strategies to keep children safe. As a result, children receive inconsistent responses from staff.

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

Risks and relationships between children are not safely managed. The registered manager and staff do not respond to concerns raised by children. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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

The registered manager does not respond appropriately when children make an allegation about staff. Information is not shared with relevant safeguarding partners to enable a full investigation to be carried out. This is unsafe practice and leaves children vulnerable to abuse.

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

Staff take action to locate children when they are missing from home. This supports children to return safely. However, children are not consistently offered an independent return home interview. This means that the reasons why children go missing from home are not fully understood.

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

The inside of the home is well maintained and welcoming. However, staff smoke in the back garden. This does not promote good parenting and does not protect children from potential hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ineffective monitoring systems and a lack of professional curiosity mean that the registered manager does not have sufficient oversight of the care provided to the children. This means that shortfalls in staff practice are not addressed and children are exposed to inconsistent care. Leaders took action to address concerns for children’s safety during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s complaints are not always acted on or fully investigated. Children said ‘there is no point’ in raising complaints as they do not feel that their views are listened to or taken seriously. This means that risks to children are not fully understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are sufficient staff in the home to meet the needs of the children. The staff have regular supervision and team meetings, which support them to consider the children’s needs as a team. However, recorded actions from team meetings are vague and do not give staff clarity on what actions they need to take moving forward.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have completed mandatory training. However, the registered manager has not ensured that the training provided includes the support children need to meet their individual needs or to keep them safe. This does not support the staff team to develop the skills to identify when children may be at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 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, 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(d)) 5 November 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 5 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 6 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b)(e)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders challenging placing local authorities when children’s educational needs are not met and ensuring that when children do not have an identified school place, that staff deliver learning in accordance with the child’s agreed plans. 30 November

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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

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; 30 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 7 ensure that each child—

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff understand children’s views about the care they receive, and keeping the complaints process under review.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2644925 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exceptional Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Exceptional Care Limited, Malthouse Business Centre, Southport Road, Ormskirk L39 1QR

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Inspector

Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2644925 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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