Children's Home run by Embrace Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 1 Registered provider: Embrace Care Limited

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Full inspection 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 provides care for up to three children. The home provides care to children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s education needs are not being met. One child has not had an education provision identified since they moved into the home. Staff fail to implement a clear plan for educational activity in the home. Consequently, children are not ready and prepared for when an education provision is in place. Another child has had their education reduced to one hour per day, this is not sufficient to ensure that the child receives a suitable education. This has not been challenged by leaders, managers or staff. As a result, children’s educational outcomes have been compromised and progress has not been made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

When children are new to the home their risks, needs and their impact on other children are not carefully considered. There are impact assessments and pre-admission risk assessments completed. However, these do not evaluate whether the children’s needs can be met or whether staff have the skills and experience to support the children’s complex needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children do not benefit from consistent responses and support from the staff team. This is because in-house plans are not updated with current information and do not include sufficient details about children’s risks and needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There has been a high turnover of staff which has meant that it has been difficult for children to establish positive and trusting relationships with the people caring for them. Children are encouraged to express their views and wishes and have raised complaints. However, when complaints have been raised, they are not always responded to by the managers. This stops children understanding what has happened as a result of their complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not supported to understand key decisions about their home which have had a direct impact on them, such as when a child moved out of the home without any notice or when staff stop working at the home. This does not help children to feel settled and secure in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s health needs are met. Children are supported by staff to attend routine medical appointments such as the dentist, GP and opticians and are also supported to attend specialist appointments when necessary. There are suitable arrangements for the safe administration of medication. There have been errors in medication administration, but these have been acted upon and processes put in place to prevent re-occurrence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are supported to take part in activities to meet their social, educational and health needs. One child often visits museums to encourage their interest in history and another child is supported to take part in sporting activities such as the gym, boxing, and football. Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 4 The home environment is warm and welcoming. However, one child’s bedroom would benefit from additional window coverings to ensure that their privacy and dignity is respected.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been two safeguarding concerns which were raised due to poor staff conduct, staff and management not following safeguarding procedures, poor recording and poor oversight from management. Insufficient action was taken to address the concerns which resulted in the unplanned ending of the placements for two children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

On the occasions when children have been physically held the quality of recording of physical interventions is poor and not all physical interventions are recorded. There are no clear records of the method of hold used by staff, no staff debriefs following the event and no supportive follow up work completed with the children to help them understand why they have been held. There is no management oversight of these reports to consider if children were kept safe during these incidents, or to consider if the holds were reasonable, proportionate and necessary. This lack of accountability and learning places children at risk of unsafe practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

When children have been missing from the home, records show a lack of information to consider what actions staff took to locate the children and ensure that they returned home safely. Managers have not reviewed these incidents and identified this shortfall in recording key information including how long children were missing for, when they returned or what action was taken to prevent a reoccurrence. Children have continued to be at risk by being missing from the home and poor staff practice has gone unchallenged by leaders and managers.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

When children have been subjected to bullying, staff have not taken adequate action to safeguard all children living in the home. Direct work has not been completed with children to help them to understand the impact of bullying. Direct work sessions do take place with the children to explore key topics. However, there is a missed opportunity to support and educate the children on current risks and issues such as bullying.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Safer recruitment processes are not always followed. Not all recruitment checks have taken place and references are not always gathered from staff members last employers. This means that the provider cannot be confident that the staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there has been a number of changes to the leadership and management arrangements in the home. There is no registered manager. There is an interim manager who is in the process of submitting his application to register with Ofsted. Staff do not have confidence in the leadership of the home due to the turnover of managers since the last inspection. This has caused instability in the staff team. Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 5 Lack of management oversight has resulted in low staff morale, high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and a lack of challenge when staff are underperforming.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The new responsible individual and manager are in the process of assessing strengths and weaknesses in relation to the quality of care. There is a vision for what they want to achieve. However, there has not been enough time to embed the plans for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not understand their roles, responsibilities or accountabilities and are not confident making day-to-day decisions about the children’s basic care. Staff do not have the confidence to challenge the children when needed or to have difficult discussions with the children regarding key topics such as bullying and behaviour management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are not receiving regular practice-related supervision. This means there is no opportunity for staff to reflect on their performance or to gain individualised support from senior staff to improve their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have completed mandatory training, however they have not all completed training in topics to meet the children’s individual needs such as Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bullying.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the range of needs of the children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care. In addition to this, the statement of purpose has not been sent to Ofsted following any updates, this affects external monitoring of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 6

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must take action to report any allegations of harm to the appropriate professionals and take suitable action to respond to and investigate any allegations and/or safeguarding concerns. 2 June 2024

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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; 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 7 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(vii)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that when children are missing from the home, staff take appropriate action to locate them and return them home. Any action taken must be recorded and evaluated by the registered person.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to 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

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

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)) 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 8 Specifically, the registered person must have suitable oversight of records of significant events and use monitoring and review systems to make improvements when needed.

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, the registered provider must ensure that staff have training in subjects to meet the children's individual needs such as autism, ADHD and anti-bullying.

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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) 2 June 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

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

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's education or training provider and the child's placing authority;

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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 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 9 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)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that children have access to appropriate education provision. When this is not provided the registered provider must challenge this with the relevant professionals.

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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

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(xi)(xii)(xiii)) 2 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

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; 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 10 the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d)) 2 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 2 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 11 The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1)(5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that the home's statement of purpose is accurate when describing the conditions of registration.

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Requirement Due date

In addition to this, any updates to the statement of purpose must be sent to Ofsted. 2 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that the home meets children’s basic day to day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. Children’s bedrooms should have suitable window coverings to ensure that their privacy and dignity is respected. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This 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’. Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Embrace Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 116 Duke Street, Liverpool, Lancashire L1 5JW

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2672566 13 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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