Children's Home run by Liv Children Care LTD in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 1 Registered provider: Liv Children Care 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 privately owned and provides care for up to two children. The aim of the home is to support children who experience social and emotional difficulties due to their early childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2022. The post for a registered manager has been vacant since April 2023. An acting manager has been in post since August 2023.

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This monitoring visit

On 31 October 2023, an assurance inspection was carried out following the home’s first full inspection in May 2023, which resulted in a judgement of requires improvement to be good.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to address specific concerns received by Ofsted. The concerns reported related to the quality of care provided to the children in the home, including safeguarding of the children.

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This monitoring visit

One child moved from the home on the day of the last inspection, and the other child moved out shortly after. Staff had a reasonable understanding of these children’s individual needs and risks. The staff have received training in de-escalating difficult situations and know how to use these techniques. However, some staff are unable to effectively manage situations when children present behaviours that challenge them. This has led to staff relying on the home manager and more experienced staff for support. The manager and senior leaders have not taken sufficient action to ensure that the entire staff team is equipped to effectively carry out their role. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 2 The home is not always sufficiently staffed to care for the children. On at least two occasions, records show one staff member on shift, when there should have been two.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of care provided sometimes falls short of that described in the home’s statement of purpose. Records and discussions with partner professionals do not always demonstrate the support that staff describe providing the children. Staff describe supporting children to reflect on their behaviours following incidents, educating them on potential risks and keeping them safe. However, there were no records of these conversations available for review. Nor was there evidence of any meaningful work being done with the children since the last inspection. One child’s social worker said that they were highly dissatisfied with the quality of care provided by staff to a child.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always record incidents involving the children. This has prevented the manager from having full and up-to-date information about the home or the ability to review staff practice. A lack of information-sharing with partner professionals has meant that there has been missed opportunities for involved professionals to work in partnership to support and safeguard the children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand the vulnerability of the children. They took appropriate actions when children went missing from the home. They were alert to potential signs indicating that a child might potentially be at risk of exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

There has been progress in addressing some shortfalls identified at the last inspection. This includes improvements made to the home environment and the appropriate storage of fire extinguishers in the home. However, progress has been slow in other areas. The current monitoring systems in place are not effective, and greater management oversight is needed. For example, incidents were not recorded, and staff training records were not available.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and senior leaders recognise that there are shortfalls in several areas. They have appointed a quality assurance manager, which they anticipate will secure improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations raised at the previous inspection have not been fully reviewed as part of this monitoring visit. Therefore, these requirements and recommendations are restated. They have been updated as appropriate, in line with the findings from this visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16 May 2023 Full Inspection requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 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

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; 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)(ii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that fire safety arrangements are reviewed. Furthermore, ensure that children’s risk assessments are regularly updated.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 February 2024

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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

promotes their welfare. 14 February 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 5 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; 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)(b) (2)(a)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 14 February 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 6 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 14 February 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff follow up with the responsible local authority regarding independent return home interviews being carried out for children following their return to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission. The home should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 7  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to

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Recommendations

communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)  The registered person should ensure that they understand that they have a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with children’s families. They should ensure that staff maintain effective and reliable communication with each child’s placing authority and with children’s families . (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3)  The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing, well- maintained and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. The home should also comply with relevant health and safety legislation, as well as

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Recommendations

the home’s related practices. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2695213 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Liv Children Care LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

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Inspector

Sasha Reid, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2695213 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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