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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 1 SC022438

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PIC Childrens Services

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2001 and is owned by a private provider. It provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties and/or has special educational needs.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since 17 April 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor the actions taken by the provider in response to the compliance notices served on 23 May 2024. The notices were served under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 23, medicines.

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This monitoring visit

The previous registered manager has left the organisation, and the registered manager’s post is vacant. There is an interim manager at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has updated the process for the administration and storage of medication. This is now in line with the provider’s own policies and procedures. The manager has daily oversight of all medication records. Staff have attended medication workshops to support their day-to-day practice. Sufficient action has been taken to meet this notice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not updated risk management plans following significant incidents. Furthermore, the child’s plan does not contain clear actions and strategies for the staff to follow to keep the child safe and reduce the risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 2 Risk management plans and the provider’s own safeguarding policies have not been shared with staff. This means that some staff still do not understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities to protect the child.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to review staff training effectively. This means that not all staff have the relevant skills, knowledge and qualifications to meet the needs of the child in their care. Leaders and managers do not demonstrate that they have effective oversight of staff development.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring arrangements have not been reviewed or appropriately implemented by leaders and managers. Leaders and managers are not using external monitoring systems effectively to improve their oversight of the quality of care being provided.

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This monitoring visit

It was identified during this visit that leaders and managers have failed to ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed for all adults working at the home. This means children may be vulnerable to harm.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit identified further shortfalls in safeguarding practices, and the leadership and management continue to be ineffective. The provider has not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13. Further notices will be issued.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the full inspection were not considered as part of this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2024 Full Inadequate 03/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2023 Full Inadequate 20/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 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 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;

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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;

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 5 *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

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)(h)). 8 September 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; 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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

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)(viii)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that education is promoted in the home. This should include informal learning. Children must be encouraged to access meaningful education and be provided with appropriate resources and equipment to support them to learn.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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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)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they seek specialist health services for children. 7 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

engage with them; and 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 7 take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children can contribute to their support plans.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(c)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that they hold up-to-date placing authority plans and use these plans to inform care planning arrangements in the home. 7 July 2024

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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

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; 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 8 communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)).

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to the manager ensuring that positive behaviour is promoted consistently in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that children’s files are in order, well maintained and contain details of all records for room searches, accidents and injuries.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 7 July 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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(4)(a)(b)(c)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff receive practice-related supervision and appraisals in line with their own policies and procedures. 7 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 9 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that there is an accurate record of the proposed and actual hours worked by staff at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that reports are shared with Ofsted, that visitors are supported to gather consultation and that recommendations are reviewed. 7 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 10 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)). 7 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC022438 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helens WA11 0TW

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022438 12 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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