Children's home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Liverpool

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 1 SC062248

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Registered provider: Quality Protects Children 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 owned and managed by a small private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities. There is also a school in the grounds of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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Inspection date: 7 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 13 and 14 June 2023. Following that inspection, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation to prevent any further children moving into the home.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At a monitoring visit in August 2023, improvements had been made by the provider. Following that visit, a case review was held to consider the findings. Due to the progress and the improvements that had been made, Ofsted lifted the notice restricting accommodation.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

However, due to the extensive building work being undertaken, the home environment was not suitable for children to live in. Therefore, Ofsted imposed a condition on the home’s registration. This stated that the registered person must inform Ofsted of their intention to accommodate children at the home at least three months before any child moves in. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 2 No children have moved into the home since the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 3

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last visit, the home has undergone refurbishment and redecoration. The home feels warm and is ready for children to be able to live in.

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Findings from the inspection

The previous staff have either left the organisation or now work in other homes in the organisation. A new staff team has been recruited. As the home is closed, the new staff have been working across the organisation to develop their knowledge and skills to be able to safely work with children. The manager has continued to oversee their practice in the homes by carrying out audits and reviewing incident reports. This has enabled the manager to identify and address staff’s development needs.

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Findings from the inspection

When the previous manager left, leaders undertook a detailed audit. This identified several shortfalls in the management of the home and the quality of care that children received. Leaders have identified learning outcomes and taken action to improve the service. Learning outcomes and actions have been shared with the new staff team. This provided them with an opportunity to reflect on the previous concerns and understand how practices and procedures in the home have changed.

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Findings from the inspection

Children living in the home will have access to on-site education provision and therapeutic input. Work has been undertaken since the last visit to review the roles and responsibilities of each service and to help staff understand how children will access each part of these services.

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Findings from the inspection

The safety of children is at the centre of the manager and staff’s practice. The manager has maintained effective partnerships with the police, placing authorities and all other safeguarding agencies to support the plans for when the home re- opens. The police have attended team meetings to discuss their role and responsibilities and other safeguarding professionals have also been invited. This work will continue to strengthen the relationships in place.

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Findings from the inspection

All staff have received practice-related supervision and attended mandatory training. Training is discussed in supervision to enable the manager to understand the skills and knowledge that staff have gained. Detailed induction and probation systems are in place for individual staff. This will support their development.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have developed new monitoring and review systems to enable them to have sufficient oversight of the home. They show commitment and determination to drive improvement and have plans to consider the individual needs of each child before they move into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Four requirements made at the previous visit are restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/06/2023 Full Inadequate 13/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/04/2021 Full Good 26/06/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that they carefully consider the needs, risks and behaviours of children who are moving into the home end evaluate how they will meet these needs alongside the needs of children already living in the home. They must ensure they identify and plan to mitigate any potential risks that could affect children. 6 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of 6 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 6 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children are helped to develop positive routines that enable them to engage in their education timetable.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, they must encourage and support children to engage in their education plans.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; 6 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 7 understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; 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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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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

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 — is instigated; 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 44 (4)(b)(c)(d)(i)(e)) 6 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspector

Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC062248 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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