Children's home run by Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 1 Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent 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 is home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 5 July 2023.

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Inspection date: 21 March 2024

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2023

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Inspection date: 21 March 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 21 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, 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. 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: 2724379 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

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home. One child recently moved out following concerns by leaders and managers that they could no longer meet the child’s needs. This move was unplanned and therefore was not a positive ending for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. The communal areas are warm with soft furnishings such as artwork on the walls, which make the house feel homely. However, there was damage to the child’s bedroom door handle that had not been repaired.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not supported to develop their academic skills. Despite the child being absent from school for several months, leaders and managers have not continued to raise this with the placing authority. Furthermore, there is no plan for alternative education that the child can follow at home.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders, managers and staff understand the importance of children maintaining meaningful relationships with people in their lives. Where it is safe to do so, staff take children to spend time with their family members. This helps children to maintain a network of support outside of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff teach children to protect themselves from harm. They work with partners from the drug and alcohol service and youth offending team, and complete key work with children to help them understand the risks associated with their behaviour.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not understand their role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. When children go missing, there is not an urgent response to locate them, and missing-from-home procedures are not followed. This ineffective approach delays the safe return of children to the home.

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Findings from the inspection

There is not a proactive response to children’s new and emerging risks. The manager’s failure to put measures in place to mitigate this means that the safety and welfare of children are compromised.

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Findings from the inspection

In accordance with statutory guidance, leaders and managers ensure that allegations are reported to the relevant safeguarding agencies and an investigation takes place. However, the manager’s recording of the home’s internal investigation is inadequate and does not demonstrate that practice issues have been addressed.

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Findings from the inspection

The response to safeguarding incidents by the manager is poor. There is no management oversight, and there is a lack of professional curiosity around staff practice and conduct. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 3 Staff rotas evidence that the home is staffed and resourced to meet the needs of children and ensure that they are cared for by people who are familiar to them. This gives children the opportunity to build positive relationships with staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 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, 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that the 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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers should ensure that children’s missing-from-home protocols are followed, and staff quickly search for children when they are missing. 9 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 5 Leaders and managers should ensure that they respond to children’s emerging risks and put measures in place to manage these.

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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

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 make sure that they review incidents to identify and address shortfalls in practice. 9 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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, 9 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 6 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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must make sure that each child has a plan about how they will be supported to engage with education.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that other professionals who are supporting children’s education are appropriately challenged when their performance or response is inadequate in relation to their role. The registered person must make sure that such concerns are appropriately escalated when necessary. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Warren Bruce Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1LB

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724379 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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