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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 1 SC022464 Registered provider: PIC Childrens Services Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for one child who experiences social and/or emotional difficulties. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2019.

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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/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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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: SC022464 2

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Outcomes for the child are poor due to ineffective management oversight and poor safeguarding practice in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child said that they like living in the home. However, they do not always feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not follow the child’s plans. This impacts on the quality of care provided to the child. Furthermore, up-to-date plans from the child’s placing authority have not been obtained. This means that staff do not have the information required to meet the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child does not receive a consistent level of support from all members of the staff team and has not developed positive relationships with all staff members. Staff are not proactive in supporting the child to engage in arranged activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager and staff recognise that the child requires additional support to meet their needs. However, staff have not taken sufficient action to seek an assessment for the child or access additional support systems to help them to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager and staff recognise that the child’s emotional health needs are unmet. However, the child has not received effective support to overcome any barriers to their engagement with specialist support services, including a bereavement service and the substance misuse service.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have not provided the child with a consistent daily structure to support their learning when they are absent from school. This prevents the child from reaching their full potential. In addition, due to the child’s unmet needs, they have struggled to engage with education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not consistently provide appropriate advice to the child by modelling the actions of a good parent. The language used in the child’s care records is not child friendly and care documents do not reflect the child’s views and wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home is not a nurturing and supportive environment. Staff have taken some action to improve the home environment. However, repairs and redecoration are still required in some areas of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is supported to spend time with family and those who are important to them. However, when risks are evident during family time, effective strategies are not implemented to keep all involved safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 4

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

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard the child, including when the child goes missing from the home. On other occasions, allegations have not been followed up in a timely way. This causes delays in safeguarding procedures being adhered to.

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that all staff have the skills, knowledge and qualifications to meet the child’s individual needs. This leaves the child at risk of harm.

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

Staff know the child’s vulnerabilities. However, sufficient and appropriate action is not always taken to keep the child safe. For example, the manager has agreed to the use of an alarm on the child’s bedroom door, but staff do not always follow the plan to ensure that the alarm works. This has led to a safeguarding incident.

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

Not all staff follow the child’s support plan and risk assessment. Staff are unable to de- escalate incidents of challenging behaviours, and they use methods which are not consistent, effective or safe. For example, staff have retreated to the office and left the child alone. This action does not safeguard the child during periods when challenging and high-risk behaviours are displayed.

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

Staff do not demonstrate professional curiosity when incidents occur. This includes incidents when the child has brought unknown people into the home overnight. During the inspection, staff did not take appropriate action to manage an incident around substance misuse and the use of an electronic cigarette. This left the child at risk of harm.

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

Consequences used are not always effective and the methods used are not always proportionate. Measures used are not evaluated effectively by leaders and managers. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that consequences are balanced and positively support the child to learn.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed. This compromises the child’s safety and does not ensure that only suitable adults work with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not completed the required qualification within the relevant time frame. The manager has also been overseeing another home in the organisation. This has impacted on her ability to provide effective leadership in this home. Furthermore, the number of changes in the staff team, including the deputy manager being redeployed, has not ensured a consistent staff team and has created inconsistencies for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 5 Monitoring systems are in place. However, these are not embedded into practice. This means that the manager does not have effective oversight of the care being provided to the child by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight is poor. The registered manager has reviewed incidents but has not identified when staff practice is poor. This does not ensure that there is robust scrutiny of the quality of care provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not provide care to the child in line with the therapeutic approach outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. This has not been addressed by leaders and managers to ensure that staff receive the required training. Furthermore, the home’s statement of purpose has not been reviewed effectively and does not contain up-to-date details of the staffing arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they receive support from the management team. However, the management team does not always identify shortfalls in staff practice. Additionally, when shortfalls are identified, action is not taken to address the concerns with staff. This means that staff are not supported to learn from incidents or develop their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monthly visits are carried out by an independent visitor. However, reports are not shared with Ofsted within the required time frame. The manager has also not notified Ofsted of serious incidents in the home. This means that the regulator does not have sufficient oversight of safeguarding incidents or understand the actions taken to keep the child safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 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, 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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff: follow the child’s plans; take action to manage safeguarding concerns in the home; support the child to address their substance misuse and the use of electronic cigarettes. 8 September 2024

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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— 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 7 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 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 ensure that systems are in place to monitor staff practice and that action is taken when poor practice is identified.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 8 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 8 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (2)(f)) 8 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 9 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

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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

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(iii)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard and any damage is repaired promptly. In addition, the registered person must ensure that language used by staff is appropriate.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)) 8 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

The registered person must— 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 10 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 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(d)) 8 September 2024

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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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 8 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC022464 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: PIC Childrens Services Limited, 2 North Street, Haydock, St Helens WA11 0TW

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Inspectors

Sally Croft, Social Care Inspector Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC022464 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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