Children's Home run by PIC Children’s Services in St Helens

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 1 SC022464

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Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home which provides care for one child who may be experiencing social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2019.

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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 inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. 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: SC022464 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

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out from this home, and one child has recently moved in. Staff ensured that the child had a gradual and planned move from the home. The child who has moved in, had the opportunity to find out about their new home before arriving. Children have moves in and out of the home in a more effectively planned and supported way.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is now offered a range of extracurricular activities. Staff are getting to know this child and developing a better understanding of their interests. Although this has not always been successful, staff now consistently plan and offer the child different opportunities to have fun.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff encourage the child to attend school. The child’s school attendance is improved, and they are making progress with their education.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has made improvements for the management of medications. The child’s medication records are accurate, and the manager has effective oversight. Medications are now securely stored and safely administered.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff use a more useful system of rewards and consequences. The child said, ‘They [staff] will give me a reward for stuff like going to school, it helps’. The child is being supported to make more positive choices.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff help the child to gain important skills for independence. Staff support the child to learn how to cook, manage their money and lead a healthy life. This means children are well prepared for their future.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff know what to do when the child is missing from home. Staff follow clear procedures and share information with other professionals. As a result, the child is found quickly and brought home safely. Sometimes the records in relation to such incidents do not provide a sufficiently detailed account. This is a missed opportunity for reflection and learning.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff generally understand their role and responsibilities in a range of safeguarding situations. However, when new risks are emerging for the child, staff do not always follow up on concerns. This lack of professional curiosity could cause delays in the identification and management of new risks.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff attend a range of training. This includes training courses specific to the needs of the child. Staff have the skills they need to provide good quality care. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 3 Management oversight of the child’s records is inconsistent. The manager has recently started to use more detailed systems for audit and oversight. All relevant documents are now held on the child’s file. However, there continue to be some gaps, particularly in relation to management oversight of safeguarding incidents. In addition, the manager has not identified and addressed the inconsistent quality of recording in the child’s files.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have had to use physical holds to keep the child safe. Staff only use this method as a last resort. The records in relation to such incidents do not always include all the information required by regulation and management oversight is inconsistent. This is a missed opportunity to learn from serious incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has completed a useful review of the quality of care over the last six months. This includes helpful feedback from the child and others important to them. The manager has formulated a plan to improve the care children receive.

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Findings from the inspection

All requirements from the last inspection have been met. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/06/2021 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 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 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; 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; and

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must make sure that staff show professional curiosity in relation to new or emerging risks. This includes questioning, and if necessary, challenging, other professionals who are involved in the 30 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 6 management of risk to ensure that they are acting effectively to keep children safe.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must make sure that staff include sufficient detail in children's records so that it is clear what happened during any incidents, particularly when children go missing, what steps staff have taken to manage risks and the outcome.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(g)(i)(h)

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered manager must make sure that they use effective methods of oversight consistently, importantly in relation to safeguarding incidents.

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Requirement Due date

Also, the manager must make sure that their systems of oversight are used to take reflection and learning from all incidents, so that children experience improved care and safety. 30 May 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; and

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Requirement Due date

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 ensure that— 30 May 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 7 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PIC Childrens Services Ltd, 2 North Street, Haydock, St. Helens WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 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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Inspector

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