Children's home run by Attivo Care Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2570070 1 Registered provider: Attivo 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 operated by a private provider and is registered to provide care for two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were 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 December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 14 November 2023

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have 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: 2570070 2

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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

Children living at the home have trusted and secure relationships with the staff team. Children identified a trusted member of staff who they feel they can speak with if they have any worries or concerns.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager and staff work with external professionals, such as the social worker, missing-from-home coordinator and contextual safeguarding. There is a newly appointed in-house therapist so that children have specialist support when needed.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers and staff understand the importance of education. One child has a reduced timetable in school. An in-house tutor provides additional education each afternoon at home. This supports the child’s learning and development. However, there are no plans for another child, who is not attending education and does not have educational activities throughout the day to promote their learning.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments are in place for the individual children. They set out the vulnerabilities and actions staff need to take to ensure that children are safe. When children have been missing from home, staff have acted quickly to locate children so that they have returned home safely. However, a child’s local authority care plan does not reflect the risk assessment relating to family time and needs to be updated.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to understand risks. They take time to help children to understand how to keep themselves safe in relation to issues such as vaping, child criminal exploitation and substance misuse. These discussions are planned but also happen when incidents and concerns arise.

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Findings from the inspection

Where there are concerns about a child’s safety, staff have completed room searches. However, records do not clearly set out the reason for the search, actions completed following this, the child’s understanding or clear management oversight to indicate that it was proportionate and necessary.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been improvements to managing risk for children. Staff complete regular checks of mobile devices and monitor children’s use of the internet. As a result, there has been a reduction in incidents of criminal exploitation for one child.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have considered the findings from the last inspection. There has been an improvement to the monitoring and oversight of the children’s care. The manager has identified shortfalls in relation to care planning and has put in place arrangements for this to be addressed with the placing authority. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2570070 3 Training for the staff team has been completed in relation to social media, internet safety, radicalisation and child criminal and sexual exploitation. In addition, one-to- one coaching is in place for the staff team. Development days have been arranged with the in-house therapist. Staff said they feel supported and confident that they have the necessary skills to care for children safely.

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Findings from the inspection

Additional training has been completed in relation to reporting safeguarding incidents to the regulator. In addition, the quality of care review report has been sent to Ofsted. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2570070 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/11/2022 Full Good 08/09/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2570070 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  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. Specifically, they should ensure that when room searches are completed, there is a clear record and oversight of this search that considers if it

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Recommendations

is proportionate, necessary and that children understand the reason this has happened. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2570070 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Attivo Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 5, 5 Swan Alley, Ormskirk L39 2EQ

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Inspectors

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2570070 7 and inspects 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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Inspectors

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

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