Children's Home run by Attivo Care Ltd in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 1 Registered provider: Attivo Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider and is registered to provide care for two children who may 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 at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2023 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Both children were present during the inspection and spoke with the inspector. Both children said that they have good relationships with the staff team, and that they are happy and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children said that they are able to speak to staff who know them well. However, a child had been significantly impacted by a member of staff who had left. Staff members had raised concerns that a child was not provided with opportunities to develop trusted relationships across the whole team. Leaders and managers had failed to consider or explore the risks associated with the relationship that had developed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children know how to complain. When they have complained this has been taken seriously and leaders and managers have responded to the complaints. However, during the inspection one child raised concern about staff practice and stated that the environment was ‘toxic’. Children have been aware of previous issues and conflict between members of the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are attending school and making progress with their individual educational plans. One child has taken examinations and is now attending college. Children have been supported to develop their independence skills, such as travelling to college independently and learning to cook.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have behaviour support plans in place. However, children vulnerable to radicalisation do not have effective strategies in place to support them. Specialist referrals have been made; however, staff have failed to escalate this when there has been delay in services becoming involved. This means support has not been available as soon as it is needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have not been professionally curious when there was a suspicion a child may have had an individual at home overnight in their bedroom. Staff failed to take immediate action to investigate their concerns. This means that children have not been protected from potentially unchecked individuals in the home for a period of time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are receiving care that is poor, which means they are unlikely to make progress. There are serious and widespread failures that have not been identified despite concerns being raised by children and staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children have not been safeguarded when allegations have been made regarding staff conduct towards a child. Managers and staff have not followed their internal safeguarding processes. As a result, this means that no action was taken when there was a suspicion that a child may be at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 4 Children have access to the internet. Despite a child sharing illegal content, staff have not put in effective strategies to prevent this. This does not keep children safe. Additionally, this matter was not reported to the police. This means that children are vulnerable to being criminalised and have not been supported to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children have been aware of difficult personal relationships between some staff. This was informally considered by the manager; however, a formal investigation was not completed until this was brought to the attention of the director. This was subsequently investigated, and disciplinary processes initiated and acted upon. This does not support children to feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

When a child raised a concern about their emotional health with staff, it was recorded as a concern. However, staff did not seek to understand what this was about and failed to take any further action. The manager had not provided any oversight. This meant that there were no clear actions identified to ensure that the child felt listened to, supported and responded to appropriately. This does not support children to feel safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children have clear plans in place should they go missing from home. Plans set out the actions that staff need to take, such as conducting area searches and visiting known addresses to try to locate the child. Children have the opportunity to speak to someone independent on their return home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has been in post since April 2023. Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the leadership and management team. The responsible individual has recently resigned from their position.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home. The manager has failed to formally address concerns, such as the welfare of children, or share this with the regulator. This means that the regulator did not provide adequate oversight of potential safeguarding matters.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to address concerns raised in relation to a member of staff’s lack of professional boundaries with a child. This means that there has been no effective challenge to improve the experiences of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite clear systems being in place, the manager has not identified and addressed shortfalls in staff practice when reviewing concerns. As a result, staff have not had access to clear guidance about how to provide safe care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff understand the whistle-blowing policy and are confident in following the procedure. Staff said that they have been unable to confidently follow the whistle-blowing processes. Staff reported having a lack of confidence in the leadership and management team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 5 Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Some requirements made at the last inspection have been repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 6

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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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff follow whistle-blowing procedures and report their concerns without delay. Additionally, that effective action is taken to support children vulnerable to radicalisation.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 20 October 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

promotes their welfare. 20 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(f)(h))

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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

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. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 20 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they can evidence the steps they have taken to escalate concerns when responses from the wider support system are not satisfactory in meeting children’s needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3) Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 8

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This 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’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Attivo Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: PO Box 5, 5 Swan Alley, Ormskirk L39 2EQ

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Inspector

Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2680573 10 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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Inspector

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