Children's home run by Young Foundations Limited in Wirral

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 1 Registered provider: Young Foundations 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. It provides care for up to 12 children with learning disabilities. At the time of this visit, 10 children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since October 2023. The current manager is not yet registered with Ofsted and is away from work. A temporary manager, who is overseeing the home, led the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

During an assurance inspection on 12 December 2023, serious and widespread concerns were identified relating to the safety and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. Two compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) were issued detailing the steps necessary to address the shortfalls. A notice restricting accommodation was also served to prevent further children from moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to assess the home’s progress towards meeting the steps in the compliance notices and to review the notice restricting accommodation in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been newly decorated in some areas. Damaged items have been repaired and the maintenance of household equipment is up to date. The home is now warm and welcoming and provides a pleasant and safe environment for the children and staff. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 2 The home’s whistle-blowing policy has been reviewed and contains all the relevant information to enable staff to escalate any concerns if they need to. Staff are aware of the whistle-blowing policy and know where to access it should they wish.

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This monitoring visit

Since the assurance inspection in December 2023, the provider has ensured that there are sufficient staff working in the home. This means that staffing ratios are appropriate to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed refresher training around physical interventions. Any incidents have been reviewed in a timely manner. Children’s plans have been updated and the specific interventions that may be used to keep children safe are recorded to guide staff. Although this is an improvement, this is not yet embedded into staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Some improvements have been made to the leadership and management of the home. A new responsible individual is in post. The home’s manager is not currently at work. Therefore, the effectiveness of support offered to them by senior leaders cannot be assessed. The temporary manager has received regular support and supervision from the new responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that children’s plans are monitored and reviewed effectively. Children’s risk assessments do not provide appropriate guidance to staff to ensure that children’s welfare is consistently promoted. Some shortfalls in children’s files have not been identified and have therefore not been addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the overall improvements made in relation to the help and protection of children, the compliance notice under regulation 12 has been met. However, further improvements are still needed in the leadership and management of the home. Therefore, the compliance notice under regulation 13 has been reissued. Monitoring staff’s practice around physical interventions has been added as a step to this compliance notice. The notice restricting accommodation in the home remains in place and will be reviewed in due course according to Ofsted’s enforcement policy. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2023 Full Good 21/11/2022 Full Good 04/05/2021 Full Good 04/03/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e)(f)) 3 March 2024

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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

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

and 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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 3 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 5 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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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 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children have free access to shared areas of the home. Any decisions to keep areas of the home off limits to children must be kept under review and revised as necessary. 3 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 3 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— 3 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 6 children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 1183911 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Young Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alexander House, Highfield Park, Llandrynog, Denbighshire, Wales LL16 4LU

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Inspectors

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1183911 8 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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