Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in Sefton

Inspection report children's home: SC040785 1 SC040785 Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in March 2003 and is owned and operated by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, one child was living in the home.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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: 6 September 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was judged inadequate in all areas at the last full inspection on 6 and 7 September 2023. Two compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 6 (the quality and purpose of care standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). Inspection report children's home: SC040785 2 A monitoring visit took place on 24 October 2023. The provider had taken sufficient action to meet the notices.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The reports are published on the Ofsted website. Inspection report children's home: SC040785 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2023 Full Inadequate 26/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/03/2022 Full Good 12/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC040785 4

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improvement to be good

One child lives at this home. They said that they like their home and the adults who care for them. They benefit from having a stable and structured daily routine. They also know how to make a complaint. The child said, ‘The staff are like my family’.

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improvement to be good

The child now attends college full time, and there is good communication between the staff team and the college. This helps to deliver a consistent approach between home and education. The child is developing friendships at college and engages in activities of their choice. This helps to promote their social skills and inclusion in the local community.

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improvement to be good

Staff develop individualised care plans for the child. However, staff do not have all the child’s current statutory plans or assessments. This shortfall could impact on the child’s overall progress and experiences, as staff do not have a clear understanding of the child’s overall development.

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improvement to be good

Staff liaise with health services and support the child to attend their appointments. As a result, the child is now making progress with their health needs.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is working to promote the child’s independent living skills in preparation for moving on from the home. However, the manager is aware that the child needs further support to help them develop these skills.

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improvement to be good

The staff team helps the child to maintain family time with the people who are important to them. Staff also support the child to keep memories of their experiences. They provide care which is responsive and sensitive to child’s identity and cultural needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to take part in their statutory meetings. They also provide information for the child, which is accessible, using pictures for example. This helps the child to be involved in decisions about their care.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of the child’s vulnerabilities. Risk-management plans have clear strategies for staff to follow to ensure that the child is kept safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff work well with the community to help protect the child. They also build close working links with local agencies that help the child to reduce risks relating to child exploitation. The child engages in key-work sessions to discuss topics relating to their lives, such as online harms, and to develop coping mechanisms. Inspection report children's home: SC040785 5 The child now has a clear missing-from-home risk management strategy. This helps to reduce the likelihood of the child going missing from home and there have not been any missing-from-home incidents.

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improvement to be good

There is no longer a court order in place to deprive the child of their liberty. The staff understand the implications of this but continue to ensure that the child is well supported by staff. The child said that they feel safe.

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improvement to be good

Refurbishment of the home is ongoing. Improvements have been made to communal areas and further work is planned for other areas of the home. Furthermore, the child’s artwork and photos adorn walls throughout the home, making it more welcoming and homely.

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improvement to be good

The manager reviews the suitability of the home’s location on a regular basis. However, the current review does not consider all the local risks or information from relevant people.

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good

A suitably experienced and registered manager manages the home. They have made several improvements since the last inspection to improve the quality of care for the child. They are committed to improving outcomes for the child.

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good

The manager is developing their monitoring and review systems to help them to evaluate all aspects of the child’s care. However, improvement is required to help them to identify all shortfalls in practice and to maintain standards in the home.

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good

Staff generally feel supported in their roles, and they attend regular supervision meetings with managers. They also attend team meetings, which help staff to reflect on the quality of care they provide to children. However, staff’s annual appraisals do not include the opinions of the child or key individuals. This limits their effectiveness.

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good

Staff attend a range of training courses in line with the child’s needs. This helps staff to provide care which is child centred.

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good

The manager does not effectively challenge the placing authority when their responses relating to the child’s care are not satisfactory. This affects care planning and could delay the child’s progress.

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good

The manager provides a quality-of-care review report. However, this does not include or evaluate the opinions of the child. This is a missed opportunity for the manager to evaluate the child’s views to improve the child’s care. Inspection report children's home: SC040785 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that all of the child’s relevant plans are updated. 26 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and 26 February 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC040785 7 seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, to ensure that there is no drift or delay in obtaining the child’s relevant plans and assessments from the child’s local authority, and to take appropriate steps whenever this is deemed to be necessary. 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 26 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 26 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 30 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC040785 8 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals consider, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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 children's home: SC040785 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PIC Childrens Services Ltd, 2 North Street, Haydock, St. Helens WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC040785 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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