Children's Home run by Quality Protects Children Ltd in Knowsley

Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 1 SC405448 Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Ltd

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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 privately owned. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and social difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since July 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 24 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At an assurance inspection on 7 March 2024, Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children and poor leadership and management of the home. As a result, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. Ofsted also issued two compliance notices, under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 2 A monitoring visit took place on 24 April 2024. The provider had taken appropriate action to address the shortfalls identified at the assurance inspection, and the restriction notice was lifted. The provider had taken sufficient action to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2023 Full Good 12/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Inadequate 26/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, six children have moved into the home and five children have moved out. Poor assessment of children’s needs and staff’s ability to meet these needs has contributed to children experiencing poor moves into the home and unplanned moves out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Care planning is not robust and has contributed to some children’s poor experiences and lack of progress when living in the home. A requirement was made in relation to care planning at the previous inspection. However, improvements have not been made and this requirement is restated.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home. The child is settled and making progress in some areas of her life. Progress has fluctuated due to several changes, including new staff working in the home and children moving in and out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Most staff know the child well, and they have built trusting relationships. New staff are spending time getting to know the child. This is helping the child to develop a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

The child attends the on-site school and has made progress with their education. Staff ensure that the child’s school and home life are separate. Effective relationships with school staff ensure that information is shared and there is a consistent approach to managing the child’s behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to take part in various activities outside of the home. This helps the child to develop self-esteem and social skills. However, the child has not established any friendships or joined any social groups in the local area. The child does not have the opportunity to spend time with peers, as she is the only child living in the home and therefore the only child who attends the on-site school.

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improvement to be good

The provider has a therapeutic staff team who support children to understand and manage their emotions. The therapeutic team also helps staff with strategies to support children’s behaviours and reflect and improve on their practices.

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improvement to be good

Staff spend time with the child, who talks to staff about any concerns or worries that she may have. However, there have been shortfalls in how the child’s wishes and feelings have been acted on. For example, staff spoke to the child about personalising her bedroom and let her choose the decor. However, this has not been actioned, despite the child having lived in the home for several months. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 5 Staff do not talk to the child about staff changes and any new children who may move into the home. This does not promote the child’s involvement in decisions that affect her life. This shortfall was identified at the previous inspection. Therefore, this requirement is restated.

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improvement to be good

Children take part in reflective sessions with staff which support their understanding of keeping safe and building their resilience.

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improvement to be good

The child says she feels safe living in the home and knows how to make a complaint.

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improvement to be good

Allegations and complaints made by children are managed appropriately. Leaders and managers take effective action to address poor staff practice.

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improvement to be good

There are clear strategies in place to manage children’s risks. Staff understand the action to take to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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improvement to be good

The interim manager and staff work with other professionals to help keep children safe. A safeguarding social worker was complimentary about the care provided and said the risks to the child have significantly reduced since she has lived at the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been several incidents when children have been missing from home. When incidents do occur, staff have clear plans and procedures to follow. However, shortfalls were found in staff practice. This was not identified as part of management oversight.

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improvement to be good

Records do not clearly show the actions that staff take when children are missing from home. For example, during one incident, it was not clear if staff actively searched for the child. Records do not show management oversight. This is a missed opportunity for leaders and managers to identify any shortfalls to help them improve staff safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

Most incidents in the home have been well managed. However, there have been several incidents which have escalated, due to staff not following relevant procedures. For example, an incident escalated when a set of keys were left accessible to children. There have also been incidents when staff have not understood or followed whistle-blowing procedures. The interim manager has arranged refresher training for all staff to include safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures and reporting and recording practices.

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improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, there have been few incidents of staff holding children. Leaders and managers have taken action to rectify previous shortfalls to ensure that records are clear, and that staff and children receive debriefs in line with regulation.

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improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff provide a nurturing environment for children to live in. However, some maintenance issues were identified. Some areas in the home need repair to ensure that the environment is safe for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 6 Safer recruitment practices are robust. This helps to ensure that only suitable people work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has not had a registered manager since July 2024. There have been several changes of manager in that time. The deputy manager is now the interim manager and plans to apply to register with Ofsted. The responsible individual does not have oversight of the home, as a senior manager is currently overseeing the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff say they are happy working in the home. The interim manager and service manager had identified that more experienced staff were required to work at the home. This is helping to create a stable staff team for children. Leaders and managers’ monitoring and review systems identified that the lack of experienced staff had contributed to children’s moves out of the home as staff were unable to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision. However, the quality is inconsistent. Recent supervision records completed by the interim manager demonstrate improvements, as supervision is more detailed and child-focused. Previously, supervisions lacked detail and gaps were identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team meets regularly to discuss the child’s care and the overall functioning of the home. This helps leaders, managers and staff make improvements to the quality of care they provide for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive training in line with the child’s needs and the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The quality of care report has not been completed in line with regulation. Staff training records are not up to date and accurate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There was a significant incident for one child which was not reported to the regulator. This meant that the regulator did not have oversight to ensure that children remained safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The interim manager and service manager have completed audits and highlighted areas of weakness and decided where action needs to be taken. The interim manager has started to improve oversight and scrutiny of the running of the home. This includes a change in the staffing arrangements to ensure that experienced staff are caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Shortfalls found during this inspection had not been identified and rectified by leaders and managers and several requirements made following the previous inspection are restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 7

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand and follow agreed strategies as detailed in children’s plans. Furthermore, they must ensure that staff understand whistle-blowing processes and procedures and know when they should be used.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that maintenance issues in and around the home are identified and rectified in a timely manner. 20 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 8 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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child 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)(c)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff working in the home have the necessary skills and experience to meet the needs of the children and have completed relevant training. Additionally, training records and supervision records should accurately reflect the training and supervision completed by staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must have effective monitoring and review systems in place to ensure that shortfalls in the quality of care of children are identified and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 20 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

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 20 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 9 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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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

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that a full assessment of children’s needs is completed to ensure that only children whose needs can be met by staff move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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 staff— 20 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 10 ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders, managers and staff must ensure children are supported to provide feedback about the quality of care they receive and are consulted about the decisions that affect their lives.

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 20 January 2025

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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 — 20 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 11 is instigated; or

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; 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.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a) 20 January 2025

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Recommendations

 Children should be supported to understand how to build friendships with other children. They should be provided with opportunities to make friendships and be able Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 12 to spend time with their friends in the local community, in their home area, and by having friends visit them at the home, in line with their plans, age and understanding. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.7)

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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: SC405448 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill House, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 9XB

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Inspectors

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Rose Maddocks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC405448 14 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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