Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 1 Registered provider: Guidance Care 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 and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 3 September 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 3 September 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and/or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff have not taken suitable action when children are missing from the home.  Children’s support plans do not provide staff with clear guidance and strategies to use.  Children’s support plans do not include individualised information.  Staff do not receive supervision.  Poor staff performance is not challenged or reflected on.  Management oversight of the home is not effective.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been shortfalls in staff responses when children have gone missing from the home. Staff do not actively search areas or addresses where the child is known to visit. Ineffective oversight from the manager has meant that staff practice is not reviewed, and lessons learned are not identified following missing-from-home- episodes.

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Findings from the inspection

There is an unstable and inconsistent workforce due to difficulties with recruitment and retention. Staff from another home in the organisation are used to cover shortfalls. This means that not all staff working with the children know them well and it does not provide continuity of care for children. The manager and deputy manager have been covering staff shortages, which has meant that their time is spent away from their management responsibilities.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk assessments and positive behaviour support plans are in place. However, these do not provide staff with clear guidance or strategies to use, and they do not include strategies which are individual to the child. This means that staff are not prepared to support and manage challenging situations, and practice is ineffective and inconsistent.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been one complaint from a child against a staff member. The manager has taken suitable and appropriate action and notified all relevant professionals while ensuring that the child’s welfare remained a priority throughout the investigation. Children said that they feel listened to and are confident to make complaints if they are unhappy.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to spend time with their friends and family. This ensures that they can maintain relationships which are important to them and develop a sense of their own identity. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 3 Staff support children to attend routine health appointments. Staff work with health professionals to ensure that the children have access to additional health and well- being support if needed, such as child and adolescent mental health services. One child who moved in more recently has been registered with the necessary local healthcare providers.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is supported by a deputy manager. The manager has oversight of incidents and reports. However, she does not always identify areas of poor practice. This means that poor practice is not challenged or changed.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are not receiving regular practice-related supervision. In addition, staff do not always have the opportunity to reflect on incidents and significant events. This means that poor practice is not challenged, which places children at risk of harm. This is a missed opportunity for staff to learn from incidents, improve their practice, and drive improvements in the quality of care provided to the children.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and the manager notify Ofsted of significant events which occur at the home. However, these notifications are not always sent in a timely manner. This affects external monitoring of children’s safety and welfare.

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Findings from the inspection

The requirement raised under Regulation 45 at the last inspection was not reviewed during this inspection and remains in place. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 5

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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

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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s support plans and/or risk assessments include clear guidance and strategies for staff to follow and information that is specific to the child’s needs. 30 September Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 6 In addition, the registered person must ensure that there are clear protocols in place so that staff can take appropriate action to find and return children home if they go missing from care.

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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

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

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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive regular practice-related supervision. Managers and 30 September Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 7 staff must reflect on any significant events to identify any learning.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must have systems in place to identify and address poor practice.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that there is a stable and consistent workforce to provide continuity of care for the children.

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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.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 9 September 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 8 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Guidance Care Limited, Unit 8, Sovereign Court, Wyrefields, Poulton Industrial Estate, Poulton-le-Fylde FY6 8JX

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2739597 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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