Children's Home run by Alcedo Gold in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 1 Registered provider: Alcedo Gold 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. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2024. The registered manager post has been vacant since 29 May 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 2

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improvement to be good

One child has recently moved into the home and is starting to build relationships with staff. Staff spoke warmly and positively about the child.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is generally well maintained. However, there is some recent damage to the walls in the child’s bedroom that needs to be repaired. The child’s bedroom is personalised and has plenty of storage for their personal possessions. There is a relaxed atmosphere in the home.

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improvement to be good

The child vapes in the home. This does not help to promote the child’s health and well-being. The child is in good health and staff actively encourage and support the child to attend health appointments.

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improvement to be good

The child does not attend a full-time education programme. There is a lack of structure and routine to the child’s day. This means that there are missed opportunities for staff to further support the child’s educational needs.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported to spend time with people that are important to them. Staff maintain good communication with the child’s family. One professional said, ‘Staff communicate well with family’. This provides the child with a support network in which they feel safe to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff take the time to listen to the child and help them understand their emotions. There have been no incidents of physical intervention since the home was registered.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. The child’s individual risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. However, the missing from home risk assessment is unclear and difficult to read. This was addressed with the new manager during the inspection who identified the changes required to provide clearer guidance to staff.

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improvement to be good

The staff have a good understanding of the missing from home procedures. They actively look for the child when they are missing from home and liaise with professionals to help minimise risk. Incidents of the child going missing from home are well managed and coordinated.

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improvement to be good

There is good multi agency working. A professional said, ‘Staff are really proactive and there is good information sharing’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 3 Staff are provided with regular training. Training includes, first aid, fire safety, internet safety, missing from home and safeguarding. However, not all staff have completed specific training to support the child’s individual needs. The manager has identified the training and is awaiting dates for completion.

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improvement to be good

The child receives direct work sessions to help them to learn about their environment and community. However, these do not cover all known key issues in the child’s life. This is a missed opportunity to support the child and educate them further.

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good

At the time of this inspection, there was a new manager in post. They have not yet applied to register with Ofsted. The manager is suitably experienced and is working towards gaining a leadership and management qualification.

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good

The manager has day to day presence at the home and is accessible to staff. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and that the staff team work well together. One member of staff said, ‘The manager has supported the staff team in every way possible’.

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good

Since the home’s registration, there have been several staff changes. At times, staffing levels are insufficient to ensure the child’s safety. However, the manager has now made adjustments to ensure that the appropriate number of experienced staff are in place to support the child.

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good

The manager maintains effective communication with professionals. Positive feedback has been received from professionals and staff. One social worker said, ‘There is brilliant communication with the staff, especially the manager’.

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good

Staff receive supervision in line with the homes statement of purpose. Staff attend team meetings which provide good opportunities for them to share information and come together as a team. However, staff do not always have the opportunity to reflect on their practice during staff meetings and supervisions.

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good

Safer recruitment is followed for new staff coming into the home and they receive a thorough induction. The manager has completed a workforce development plan. However, the plan does not contain all relevant information in relation to training.

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good

The monitoring and review systems do not enable leaders and managers to identify the strengths and areas of development for the home easily. The manager recognises that the monitoring and review systems need to be strengthened to support the development of the home. However, the manager has good oversight of day to day practice at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 4 The manager does not always record discussions with the child including feedback following direct work sessions and information from the children’s meetings. This is a missed opportunity to evidence the voice of the child.

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good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d) and (e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is sufficient staff to provide care for the children. The registered person must ensure that staff are suitably experienced to meet the needs of the children in their care. 12 July 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. 26 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff help the child to understand how to keep safe.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff support children to maintain healthy lifestyles. 26 July 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; 26 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 7 support each child’s learning and development, including 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

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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii)(x)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff help children to engage in education as part of a daily structured routine.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs and is homely and in good repair. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 8

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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: 2778311 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Alcedo Gold Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Alcedo House, 14, Slaidburn Industrial Estate, Slaidburn Crescent, Southport PR9 9YF

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Inspector

Stacey Ilaboya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2778311 10 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 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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