Children's Home run by iMap Centre Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 1 SC481295 Registered provider: iMapcentre Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider which specialises in delivering services for children with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs. It is registered to provide care for up to five children. Two children have moved in since the last inspection. There were four children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 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 widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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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: SC481295 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2023 Full Good 08/12/2021 Full Good 08/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 3

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inadequate

Serious and widespread shortfalls in management oversight have had a significant impact on the safety of children, their experiences and progress. As a result, children living in the home have not been appropriately safeguarded.

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inadequate

Staff do not follow children’s individual care plans. This includes implementing strategies set out by professionals, including occupational therapists. Staff do not meaningfully engage with children.

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inadequate

There are shortfalls in the way staff communicate with children. Although children require pictorial systems to communicate, not all staff understand how to access and use the systems in place. This has not been identified or addressed by managers and leaders.

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inadequate

The home environment does not meet children’s needs. There is extensive damage to walls throughout the home, which has not been addressed. In addition, areas of the home are unclean, including some of the children’s bedrooms.

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inadequate

Some communal areas of the home are kept locked, with only the staff having access. This includes the area where the fridge is kept. Children are not able to freely access all areas of their home and garden. Additionally, children do not have appropriate toys to play with, including toys which will support their sensory needs.

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inadequate

Children do not benefit from spending time together in the home. For example, staff and children do not eat together. Instead, staff bring in their own meals or have on occasions ordered takeaway food that the children do not have access to.

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inadequate

Staff do not support children with regulating their emotions. Staff have not supported children who have refused to attend school or to follow a healthy diet. As a result, children are not reaching their full potential and there are likely to be long- term effects on their health and well-being.

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

Safeguarding practice in this home is not robust and does not promote the safety and welfare of all the children. Staff do not always respond effectively and follow the strategies in place to help keep the children safe. In addition, strategies in place to protect and support children who display self-injurious behaviours do not demonstrate that safe care practices are adhered to. This leaves children at risk.

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

Leaders and managers do not take timely steps to keep children safe in response to allegations they make against staff. On one occasion, following an inappropriate restraint on a child, the allegation that a child had been hurt was not followed up Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 4 immediately. Information was not reported to all safeguarding professionals, in line with child protection procedures. This was a missed opportunity for safeguarding agencies to intervene and keep the child safe.

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

There has been a high turnover of staff and not all shifts are covered with sufficient staff to meet staffing ratios set out in children’s care plans. This has resulted in children being cared for by staff who are inexperienced and lack the knowledge and skills to meet the children’s needs. As a result, staff have not been able to manage children’s behaviours in line with their plans.

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

Staff do not appropriately record the use of restraint, including the use of mechanical restraint. Inaccurate information in records is not identified by the manager. This means that these restraints have not been reviewed to ensure that they are necessary and proportionate.

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

Children do not always receive debriefs following significant incidents. For example, staff have called the police for support in managing behaviours. On one occasion, the police being called had an impact on the child but staff did not seek their views in order to support them effectively.

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

Some children are at an increased risk of injury due to their needs. However, staff do not monitor new injuries or share information with other professionals. This means that staff are not always aware of how injuries have been sustained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is supported by two senior staff members. The manager was not present for this inspection. The manager has failed to identify issues with staff practice that have left children at risk of harm. Management oversight of the home is poor and there have been missed opportunities to develop and improve safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Due to the complex needs of the children, some require additional staff support. However, the manager does not ensure that there is adequate staffing in place for children to meet their needs, as agreed with placing authorities. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff have completed all their mandatory training. In addition, training required to ensure that staff can meet children’s individual needs, including different communication methods, sensory processing and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have not been completed by all staff. This means that staff do not have the necessary knowledge to support children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to notify Ofsted of significant events. This limits the regulator’s oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 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

that staff— take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff take effective action to keep children safe. This includes taking action to safeguard children when they are climbing.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff obtain medical advice for any injury to a child, specifically if the child has displayed self-injurious behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff consistently and sensitively monitor children for any injuries and that information is shared with the appropriate people.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff know the process to follow should a child make an allegation and that leaders and managers take the appropriate action. 17 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 6 Ensure that the environment is made safe where there is a risk that children will climb. This relates specifically to the staircase.

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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;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there are enough staff working in the home to meet the identified needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff engage children in meaningful activities and encourage them to communicate using their preferred methods of communication.

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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

Ensure that regular monitoring and review systems are in place to evaluate staff practice. In particular, where shortfalls are identified, ensure action is taken. 17 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 7 *The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children can access all communal areas of their home and garden. Any restrictions on children’s access to communal areas of their home must be assessed and reviewed, to ensure they are only used when needed to keep children safe from harm.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that children can access the fridge. 17 December

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 17 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 8 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

Paragraph (3) does not apply in relation to restraint that is planned or provided for as a matter of routine in the child’s EHC plan or statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (4))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that only agreed restraints that staff have been trained in are used with children.

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Ensure that the use of mechanical restraint is included in the behaviour support policy.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that any restraint used is recorded in line with regulation.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure any consequences are appropriate to the needs of the children and recorded and reviewed to assess their effectiveness. Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 9 Ensure that all children are spoken to after any restraint and their views about the measure are sought.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that until mechanical restraints are agreed as part of children’s education, health and care plans, they are recorded and reviewed as any other restraint.

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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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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that maintenance issues are addressed quickly and the home is suitably cleaned, including children’s bedrooms. 17 December

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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 — 17 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 10 is instigated; or

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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. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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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: SC481295 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Imap School, Barrowmore Estate, Barnhouse Lane, Great Barrow, Chester CH3 7JA

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Inspectors

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC481295 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 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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