Children's home run by Care Afloat Ltd in West Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 1 SC006014 Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited Full inspection 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 and provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in April 2014.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2022 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Good 25/02/2020 Full Outstanding 21/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 3

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improvement to be good

The child currently living in the home has trusting and positive relationships with staff. Staff treat the child with dignity and respect. Throughout the inspection, warm and nurturing relationships were observed between the child and staff. The child said that if they have any worries or problems, they can talk to staff and they will help.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to have time with their family. This is done in line with their individual plans. When there have been concerns around family-time arrangements, leaders and managers have worked with the placing authority to address these issues, ensuring that the child’s best interests are prioritised throughout.

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improvement to be good

Staff make sure that the child’s health and well-being needs are met. The child has access to routine medical appointments and specialist health professionals when needed, such as the sexual health clinic and child and adolescent mental health services.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to attend school each day. Achievements such as taking exams and positive school reports are celebrated and rewarded appropriately by the staff team. This encourages the child to continue with their progress in education.

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improvement to be good

Plans in place to support staff to care for the child include all necessary information. However, some of the language used within the documents can be stigmatising and is not helpful for children.

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improvement to be good

There are some shortfalls in the home environment. While the home is warm and welcoming, there is some damage to the wallpaper in the lounge. There is a maintenance schedule to address this. However, the provider should ensure that any damage is repaired in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

Staff place the well-being of the child at the centre of their practice. They understand the child’s history and how this may contribute to the way the child expresses their emotions. There are risk assessments in place, which give clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow.

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improvement to be good

There have been no safeguarding concerns since the last inspection. However, when staff have been made aware of any external concerns that may impact the child, they have made sure that the information has been shared with all relevant professionals and that the child’s welfare is a priority throughout. Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 4 Consequences for unwanted behaviour are recorded and the child’s views are added to these records. However, consequences are not always reasonable and proportionate. On one occasion, a child’s visit to family was cancelled as a consequence for behaviour. On other occasions, a child’s electricity was switched off in their bedroom to prevent them from charging a mobile phone. This strategy does not fit with the home’s overall ethos of care.

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improvement to be good

When a child has been missing from the home, staff have not taken sufficient action to locate and return them to the home. Staff are not actively searching areas where the child is known to spend time or addresses that the child is known to visit when away from the home. Missing-from-home reports have ineffective oversight from managers. This means that staff responses to a child being missing are not reflected on and are not challenged when needed.

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improvement to be good

When significant events occur, such as when children have been missing overnight, they are not always notified to Ofsted. This impacts on the external monitoring of children’s safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond appropriately when there are incidents of self-harm. They support the child emotionally and make sure that they receive medical attention when needed. However, first aid provided to the child is not always documented in the reports.

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improvement to be good

When it has been necessary, staff have conducted room searches to ensure that the child is safe and there are no risks in their room that could cause them harm. These searches are reasonable and proportionate and are suitably recorded.

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improvement to be good

Staff have regular discussions with the child about key topics. However, there is no record of discussions being carried out around relevant risks and vulnerabilities, such as exploitation, mobile phone use, internet risks and vaping. Risks are often managed by removing the risk rather than supporting the child to understand how to manage risk and keep themselves safe. An example of this is removing the child’s mobile phone and access to the internet. This does not support the child to gain the skills and knowledge to prepare them for adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is an experienced registered manager in post. However, when the manager was absent for a period of over 28 days, the provider did not notify Ofsted of this long-term absence or the actions taken to provide management oversight for this period of time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have effective oversight of the home. There are no managers’ comments or evaluations on reports of significant events. This means that there is no reflection on what went well and what could have been done differently and, as a result, poor practice is not challenged or changed. Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 5 Leaders and managers have completed a review on the quality of care. However, the report is not evaluative and does not include measurable action plans to improve or maintain the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a deputy manager who has been overseeing the day-to-day management of the home in the registered manager’s absence. However, she has not received suitable support and guidance from the registered provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a consistent and stable workforce, which means that the child is supported by staff who know them well. Staff hours are recorded on the rota and within the home logbook. However, there is no record of the hours the registered manager has been present in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are trained in mandatory subjects. However, not all staff have completed needs-led training that is specific to the individual child, such as training around attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children’s mental health and depression. In addition to this, some training is outdated, such as around e-safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have regular supervisions, and a record is kept of these. However, supervisions are not used to review staff practice and are a missed opportunity to support staff to reflect on how their behaviours can impact on the child. In addition, not all staff have had their performance appraised within the last year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. They are used to share information with the team. However, they are a missed opportunity to reflect on and identify lessons learned following significant events. Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 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 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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(a)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that they have suitable oversight of the day-to-day management of the home. 7 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 7 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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that appropriate steps are taken by staff to locate and return children to the home when they are missing. 7 December 2023

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must make sure that staff support children to understand relevant risks and how to keep themselves safe. 7 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 8 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must make sure that staff have completed training in topics relevant to children’s individual needs, such as ADHD, children’s mental health and depression and autism spectrum disorder. In addition to this training, refresher training should take place when needed. 28 December

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that loss of time with family is not used as a consequence for unwanted behaviour. In addition, other forms of consequences must be reasonable and proportionate. 7 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and 7 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 9 have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence. (Regulation 48 (1)) 7 December 2023

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 7 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 7 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 10 maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, there must be a record of the hours the manager has been present in the home.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review is evaluative. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.4)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children living there. Any damage to decoration should be quickly repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective

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Recommendations

and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The provider should ensure that those with a leadership and/or management role are visible and accessible to staff and able to deliver their leadership and/or management responsibilities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.7)

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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: SC006014 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Afloat Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 158-160 Birkrig, Digmoor Parade, Skelmersdale WN8 9HP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michael Fletcher

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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC006014 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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