Children's Home run by Bright Futures North West Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 1 Registered provider: Bright Futures North West Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and managed.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s registration is suspended. Consequently, there were no children living in the home at the time of this visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 16 and 17 January 2024. Inspectors identified serious concerns about safeguarding practices in the home and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection, Ofsted issued a notice suspending the registration of the home. This notice had immediate effect from 18 January to 10 April 2024 inclusive.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, the manager has recruited new and experienced staff. In addition, all staff have attended an extensive range of training. This has helped to improve the staff team’s skills, knowledge and confidence.

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This monitoring visit

All staff demonstrated an improvement in their safeguarding knowledge and how they would respond to keep children safe. This includes keeping children safe online and staff’s use of physical interventions to protect children from harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 2 Managers have ensured that staff understand the local offer, which sets out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have access to resources and training materials to help them in their roles.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has updated the workforce plan so that it is clear how they will respond to poor performance. The plan also includes a list of staff training. This enables the manager to monitor the team’s skill set and learning.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has improved their monitoring and review systems. They have made improvements to records, including incident forms, records of key-work sessions and monthly audits. Records now prompt the manager to add their evaluation of the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

The manager identified shortfalls in the children’s referral and admission process. The manager has made changes to help them fully assess the suitability of future referrals. This includes consideration of the local area and children already living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff said that they now feel supported by managers. Staff have monthly supervision sessions and reflect on previous shortfalls. They said that they now feel part of a team, and that staff morale has improved.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to children’s bedrooms. Both bedrooms are now ready for children to live in and are welcoming and homely.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held after this monitoring visit. It was the decision of the case review that the notice suspending the registration of the home could be lifted.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements from the full inspection have not been fully considered at this visit. These will be reviewed at the next full inspection of the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff identify, understand and manage children’s vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to safeguard children. This includes follow-up work with children to help them to regulate their behaviour. 22 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 5 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

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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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;

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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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they embed robust monitoring and evaluation processes and take effective action to prevent children from suffering harm. In addition, ensure that training is provided for all staff to enable them to respond to children’s needs and keep them safe. 22 April 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

support each child’s learning and development, including 22 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 6 helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff engage children in structured daily routines inclusive of an education timetable. In addition, ensure that all staff are aware of children’s plans and promote their learning.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f) 22 April 2024

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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— 22 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 7 mutual respect and trust;

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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;

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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 understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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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;

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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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 8 to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); 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 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 22 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(c)) 22 April 2024

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (2)(a)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all 22 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 9 aspects of the statement of the purpose are met, and that the child’s vacant bedroom is not used as a staff sleep room.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 22 April 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that information about children is recorded using language that is non-stigmatising and in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2734267 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Bright Futures North West Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 48-52 Penny Lane, Mossley Hill, Liverpool, Merseyside L18 1DG

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Inspectors

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Cathy Trengove, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2734267 11 regulates 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

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

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