Children's Home run by Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 1 Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd

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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 privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to four children, who may be experiencing social and/or emotional issues.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post who is applying to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged to be providing inadequate care at a full inspection on 24 and 25 April 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000, relating to regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. This monitoring visit took place to review the progress made in meeting the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers are providing more effective support to the manager and are spending more time in the home. The responsible individual now also provides helpful written feedback to help the manager make improvements. The senior leadership team have improved the processes of auditing and management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

A new independent visitor has been appointed. This independent visitor is providing an in-depth and analytic review of the quality of care being provided. The manager is using this feedback to make useful changes. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 2 The manager has started to use more detailed procedures to review how children are cared for. Better management oversight is improving the quality-of-care children receive.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved oversight of safeguarding incidents. Centrally held incident packs ensure that all information relating to each incident is easily accessible. The manager has provided staff with useful learning and reflection in her evaluation of incidents. Staff have shared information with children’s placing authorities, as needed. The manager is supporting staff to ensure that children are safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed some refresher training. Training has initially focused on improving staff understanding of the therapeutic model of care outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. Team meetings have been used to discuss therapeutic parenting approaches. Staff are being provided with the skills and knowledge to provide better quality care.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers now provide staff with reflective supervision. The manager has changed the format of supervision to include a focus on reflection and learning from practice. Management oversight and support for staff is improved.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has a better understanding of children’s experiences. Children complete regular feedback about their experiences of living at the home. The manager has better understanding of this feedback and is more curious about what children are saying and why. Children say they now feel listened to.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s daily routines are improving. Staff have a monthly discussion with each child to explore their goals for the coming month and reflect on what they have achieved in the previous month. This information is used to inform their daily planners. Children’s views are now being included in how they are looked after.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection found that the compliance notice had been met, and all other requirements and recommendations will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2024 Full Inadequate 30/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/05/2023 Full Inadequate 14/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must make sure that notifications include sufficient detail to allow for effective oversight of incidents.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the previous inspection. 16 August 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. 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 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 5 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must make sure that staff share information about emerging risks for children amongst the team and with other professionals.

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Requirement Due date

Also, the children are properly supervised and supported in the home to prevent conflict between children.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must make sure that all staff, including leaders and managers, understand the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures. 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

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; 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 6 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’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

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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must have the skills, knowledge and experience to understand the needs of the children being cared for and to lead staff to provide good quality care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure adequate oversight of significant incidents and appropriate information sharing with all partner agencies.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that robust monitoring systems are being used effectively to give the manager useful oversight and review of plans, assessments and records relating to the children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all children’s feedback is taken seriously and used to inform care planning. The care planning standard is that children— 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— 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 7 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 each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have a positive daily routine and structure.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also make sure that there is sufficient communication with and challenge to children’s placing authorities when care planning clear or does not meet their needs. 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, 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; 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 8 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 who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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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 (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(x)) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 9 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

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(viii)(ix)(xi)(b)) The registered person must ensure that—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 10 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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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that the individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  The registered person should make sure that the information set out in the Statement of Purpose is a clear and accurate representation of the care being provided to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that all broken furniture is repaired or replaced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.3)

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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: 1250035 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mill Farm, Bull Bridge Lane, Liverpool L10 6LZ

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250035 12 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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