Children's Home run by Guidance Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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 is registered to provide 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, there were two children living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager. A manager has submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged to have serious and widespread concerns at an assurance inspection on 3 September 2024. Following that inspection, Ofsted issued two compliance notices 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 visit was carried out to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s plans and risk assessments are detailed and comprehensive. They now contain clear strategies to reduce risks to children. They are specific for each child. Staff review and update strategies in positive behaviour support plans and risk assessments to reflect current risks or reduction of risks.

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This monitoring visit

Children have individualised missing-from-home protocols. These provide clear strategies for staff to follow when children go missing. These include actions staff should take to search for children and support them to return home. Staff understand these plans and have put them into practice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2739597 2 The manager and deputy manager have continued to cover a large number of shifts. This takes their time away from their management responsibilities. As a result, records of staff development, reflection and practice-related discussions are not recorded.

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This monitoring visit

The manager reviews incidents and adds her comments to the report. The manager’s comments don’t always make it clear whether staff actions were effective, and the records don’t identify lessons learned. The manager has put in place an incident reflection form to complete following each incident; however, this system is not yet fully embedded. This is a missed opportunity to support staff to reflect on their actions following significant events.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision processes have improved. Staff now receive regular supervision sessions. However, these are not used to review and reflect on staff practice, although they have been used as a platform to discuss updated plans and strategies to ensure that staff understand these documents.

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This monitoring visit

Team meetings have increased to twice a month to support staff. However, there are no minutes for these meetings, which means that staff who are unable to attend do not have access to information shared in these meetings.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have put a system in place to stabilise the workforce and provide consistency to children. There is an ongoing recruitment programme in place with several new staff waiting for safer recruitment checks to be completed before their start dates are agreed. In the interim, staff from another home in the organisation are supporting the team.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held following this visit. It was determined at the case review that the provider has acted to meet all the steps in the compliance notice served under Regulation 12. The compliance notice served under Regulation 13 has not been met.

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This monitoring visit

A further compliance notice has been issued under Regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining requirements regarding areas of concern raised at the full inspection were not considered during this visit. They remain in place and will be reviewed at the home’s next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2739597 3

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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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2739597 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

*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

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 (2)(a)(b)(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 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. 27 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 9 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2739597 5 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))

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Requirement Due date

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 30 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2739597 6 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

*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: 2739597 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Guidance Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Sovereign Court, Wyrefields, Poulton Industrial Estate, Poulton-le-fylde FY6 8JX

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Inspector

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2739597 8 regulates 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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