Children's home run by Northridge Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 1 Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

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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 owned managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in September 2023. There is no registered manager in the home. The interim manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this children’s home to be inadequate on the concluding day of the full inspection on 18 July 2024. Two compliance notices were issued under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard). This was due to serious concerns relating to the safety and protection of children and the widespread failings in the leadership and management arrangements of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection, leaders and managers based themselves in the home with staff each day for four weeks. They remained in the home until 10pm each weekday to provide support, advice and guidance to staff as well as to complete observations of staff practice to improve the quality of care provided to the children.

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This monitoring visit

Risks to children are now known and understood by staff. Children’s individual risk assessments are detailed and have clear guidance for staff to follow. Leaders and Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 2 managers test staff’s knowledge through quizzes, supervision sessions and discussing practice scenarios with staff. Staff spoken to can confidently identify the known risks for the children and what actions they should take to manage them. When safeguarding concerns arise, staff consistently follow safeguarding procedures.

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This monitoring visit

Staff now respond quickly when children go missing from the home. Staff make persistent attempts to locate the children themselves in line with their individual safety plans. Staff now use their professional curiosity when considering risks to the children in the community. Records of the missing incident are detailed and include actions taken by staff to locate and return the child safely home. Staff undertake direct work with the children to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no further incidents of bullying in the home. Staff have attended a range of additional training, including peer-on-peer bullying. Staff support the children to understand difficult emotions and identify positive strategies to manage these. Staff use incentives and rewards to encourage positive behaviour. When consequences are used by staff, these are restorative and/or natural consequences.

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This monitoring visit

Effective monitoring and review systems are now in place. Leaders and managers have effective management oversight and understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. A detailed plan for the development and improvement of the home is in place and is regularly reviewed. The manager identifies and addresses any shortfalls in staff practice. Records are stored safely and are now easily accessible for managers and staff.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, it was decided that both compliance notices have been met. The requirements previously issued under Regulations 12, 13, 5, 40, 39 and 8 and recommendations were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are restated. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2024 Full Inadequate 13/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 18 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 5 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 18 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 6 In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified;

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter and;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 18 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3) (5)) 18 October 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. 18 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(iii)(v)(vi)(viii))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive and meets children’s basic day-to- day needs, including personalisation and tidying of children’s bedrooms. In particular, damage to the property should be repaired in a timely manner, specifically the damage to children’s bedroom walls. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff help children to prepare for any moves to or from the home. This includes supporting children to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope with new children moving into the home. (‘Guide to The Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home and are encouraged to participate

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Recommendations

in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in leisure activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. When children self-administer Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 8 prescribed medication, the registered person should ensure the suitable storage of this medication to protect other children living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them or the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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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: 2738398 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northridge Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Richard House, 9 Winckley Square, Preston Lancashire PR1 3HP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Donaghey

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Inspector

Leanne Carr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2738398 10 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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