Children's home run by Independent Living Services (North West) Limited in St. Helens

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC431192 1 SC431192 Registered provider: Independent Living Services (North West) 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 managed by a private company. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in post. A new manager has been appointed who plans to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, there were three children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection that was carried out on 8 October 2024. At the inspection, serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children were identified. Following the inspection, two compliance notices were served, under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to consider the action taken by the provider to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices. The inspector found that the provider had taken action to meet the steps in the compliance notices served under regulations 12 and 13.

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This monitoring visit

There is now a new responsible individual in post. Although there is no registered manager, an experienced manager has been appointed. Staff and children are positive about the new manager and responsible individual and the positive changes they have made to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The new responsible individual has undertaken a significant amount of work with the staff team to increase their knowledge on safeguarding and to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. The responsible Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC431192 2 individual has carried out workshops with staff that cover a range of topics, such as safeguarding policies, whistle-blowing, incidents and reporting. Further relevant topics have also been covered in team days and team meetings.

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This monitoring visit

The new responsible individual has had good oversight of the staff training and workshops. They complete an evaluation of each staff member’s participation in the training and review the work staff did in the workshops. They have also completed evaluations with staff following the workshops to assess the impact of this learning. Despite this, not all staff are clear about the whistle-blowing policy.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk management plans have been reviewed and updated. They are clear, comprehensive and contain up-to-date information on children’s known vulnerabilities. The responsible individual has put in place measures to ensure that the risk of children leaving the home without staff knowledge is reduced. There are working camera doorbells on the front and back doors of the home that are connected to staff phones. Staff check every day these are working and these checks are recorded in staff handover sheets.

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This monitoring visit

All staff now receive supervision where they receive feedback about their practice. Staff spoke about feeling better supported in their roles. Staff have also been re- inducted into the home to ensure that they have all the information required to follow policies and procedures effectively and meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a significant improvement in the organisation of documentation since the last inspection. The new responsible individual has implemented paper files, which contain all children’s most up-to-date plans, and these are signed by all staff and managers. Staff felt it was much easier to find information and that they therefore have a better understanding of children’s needs. They all noted that things in the home have improved greatly since the new management team has been in place.

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This monitoring visit

Agency staff are not used as frequently as they were. When they are used, the manager ensures that the same agency staff are used, to reduce inconsistency for children. The new responsible individual has put an agency protocol in place. This makes it clear what staff need to do if an agency member of staff joins the shift. This includes ensuring that agency staff have read children’s plans.

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This monitoring visit

Staff rotas now show clearly who has worked in the home. Both deputy managers are working morning and late shifts to ensure that there are more experienced staff on shift when less experienced staff are working in the home. The new manager and responsible individual also spend significant periods of time in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The new responsible individual has very good oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. She has put systems in place to ensure that risk assessments and incidents have management oversight. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC431192 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Inadequate 03/07/2024 Full Inadequate 26/06/2023 Full Good 26/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC431192 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe, specifically in terms of ensuring that all staff understand the whistle-blowing policy. 31 December 2024

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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

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 31 December 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC431192 5 (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider using feedback from children, families and professionals to inform an evaluation of the care that children receive.

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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: SC431192 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Independent Living Services (Northwest) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4 Ena Works, Volunteer Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 2AY

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Inspector

Sarah Billett, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC431192 7 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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