Children's Home run by Associated Wellbeing Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 1 Associated Wellbeing Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

Following an assurance inspection on 6 August 2024, Ofsted took action to restrict the accommodation at the children’s home, under section 22b of the Care Standards Act 2000. Two compliance notices were also issued, under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor compliance with the notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the manager has resigned. An experienced interim manager has been appointed. She is working alongside the responsible individual to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Staff say they are feeling positive about the changes that have been made. There are clearer routines in place, and staff are feeling more confident in using identified strategies to support the children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

One child has recently moved out of the home. Dynamics between children have improved and children say that the home is better than it was. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 2 Action has been taken to support staff to understand children’s vulnerabilities and risks. Improvements in risk management plans mean that they are now in a clearer format for staff to follow. However, not all known risks are included in children’s plans and managers have not fully considered the impact on children of some house rules. This is something that managers are taking action to address.

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This monitoring visit

When children go missing from the home, staff work together effectively to ensure that children are supported to return safely. Staff communicate with relevant professionals to share important information. As a result, one child has had a reduction in missing from home incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken action to ensure that staff have clarity on their roles. Safeguarding training has been reviewed by all staff and further training is planned. Team meetings and supervisions have been increased to ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to de-escalate situations and keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have implemented processes to ensure that referrals to relevant safeguarding professionals are actioned when required to keep children safe. However, these steps are currently untested, and their impact cannot be measured.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements in management oversight of practice enable the interim manager to identify good practice and areas of development for staff effectively. However, the recording of one incident was not completed in a timely manner. This led to a delay in the manager reviewing the action taken by staff. A recommendation has been made in relation to this.

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This monitoring visit

Following the visit, it was agreed at a case review that the provider has taken sufficient action to enable the restriction of accommodation notice to be lifted and to meet the steps in the compliance notices for regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

Additional requirements have been raised under regulation 12, to reduce any ambiguity in risk management plans, and regulation 13, to ensure that leaders and managers have effective oversight of practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the last inspection are outside of the scope of this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply with 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

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

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)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that risk management plans identify and assess all risks to children, and provide clear steps for staff to follow to reduce the risks. In addition, that staff have the skills to manage behaviours 11 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 5 that place children at risk and have the skills to ensure that children can live together safely in the home.

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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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there are systems of monitoring in place that identify shortfalls in staff practice effectively. 11 November 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; 11 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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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

each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to de-escalate behaviours in line with the home’s therapeutic ethos. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 7 The registered person must ensure that staff can confidently and consistently establish the expectations of the home to the children in the interests of the care of the children.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children feel safe in their home and have the freedom to move around the home independently without supervision. 11 November 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

the name of the child; 11 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 8 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 11 November 2024

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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

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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 11 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 9 (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff, including managers, receive regular supervision in line with the organisation’s supervision policy.

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Requirement Due date

This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated. 11 November 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered provider should ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date and stored securely and that all incidents are recorded and reviewed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2753204 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Associated Wellbeing Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 5, Salesbury Hall Road, Ribchester, Preston PR3 3XR

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Inspector

Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2753204 11 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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