Children's Home run by New Foundations Care Homes Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 1 SC406636 Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd

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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 by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to five children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 22 February 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Social care regulatory inspectors, Nichola Croft and Sarah Gilbert, completed this monitoring visit to consider the actions taken by the provider to fulfil the steps identified in the three compliance notices served on 3 September 2024. The notices were served under regulation 6, the quality and purpose of care standard, regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, two children were living in the home and three children had recently moved out.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors observed that some improvements have been made to the condition of the home. New furniture has been purchased for communal areas. However, significant concerns remain about the cleanliness of the children’s bedrooms. Children living in the home currently do not benefit from a clean, homely, or hygienic environment.

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This monitoring visit

Room checks are said to have been completed, but inspectors identified evidence of continued substance misuse in the home. For example, an empty cannabis bag was located by inspectors in a child’s bedroom. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 2 Leaders and managers have not ensured that risk management plans are up to date or identify all known risks for children. The response to emerging risks is poor. Staff do not show professional curiosity or accurately update records. For example, when a child was suspected of using cannabis, no record was made, nor any action taken to minimise the risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that children’s plans contain clear actions and strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe and reduce the risk of harm. Risk management plans have been reviewed and amended; however, these continue to be confusing. Strategies for staff to follow remain unclear. Staff spoken with are not clear or confident about their safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not put in place effective monitoring systems to make improvements to the quality of care. For example, substance misuse logs have been introduced, but leaders and managers have not taken steps to review or evaluate this information to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leadership and management oversight is poor. Children’s records are not consistently dated and signed. Records are conflicting. This means children do not benefit from an accurate account of their journey through the home.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the provider has failed to adhere to key elements of their own safety plan. Senior leaders have not ensured they are prioritising actions to minimise risks to children effectively. This has a negative impact on children’s safety, progress, and experiences.

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This monitoring visit

Oversight of training and staff development is ineffective. Leaders and managers have not taken action to confirm that staff understand how to put any learning from training into practice. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to care for children safely.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit identified continued shortfalls in safeguarding and leadership and management practices in the home. During a case review held during the visit, it was deemed that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices under regulation 6, regulation 12 and regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

Based on the information outlined above, Ofsted issued an immediate notice of restriction of accommodation. A further case review was held on 13 September 2024; a decision was made to issue further compliance notices under regulation 6, regulation 12 and regulation 13. These will continue to be monitored by Ofsted.

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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: SC406636 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/08/2024 Full Inadequate 19/03/2024 Full Good 04/05/2022 Full Good 30/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 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 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)) 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—

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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— 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 5 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

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)(h))

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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

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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 8 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 6 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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that transitions in and out of the home are appropriately considered and children’s needs can be met.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that children benefit from accurate, up-to-date plans. 9 October 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 9 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 7 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

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 develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that positive behaviour is supported in the home. Consequences should be proportionate and evaluated as to their effectiveness.

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Requirement Due date

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 secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. 9 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 8 (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they take effective action to ensure children benefit from up-to- date, relevant plans.

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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

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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are supported to attend meaningful education. Furthermore, leaders, managers and staff must ensure that informal education is supported in the home. 9 October 2024

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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

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 9 October 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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 9 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 9 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 9 October 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: SC406636 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Building Bridges Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Mill Farm, Bull Bridge Lane, Liverpool L10 6LZ

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Hannah Lee Stockdale

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Inspectors

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Sarah Gilbert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC406636 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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