Children's home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 2

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Findings from the inspection

Ofsted identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to safeguarding practice, care planning and the leadership and management of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the previous inspection in June 2024, two children have moved into the home and two children have moved out of the home. One child experienced an unplanned move out of the home due to a serious incident and immediate notice was served.

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Findings from the inspection

Prior to children moving into the home, leaders and managers do not robustly consider the individual needs of each child or evaluate how staff will meet their needs. This shortfall has contributed to staff being unable to keep one child safe. The lack of robust care planning has contributed to children having poor experiences and not making consistent progress while living in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children do not experience healthy routines and boundaries, and staff do not ensure that children have a clear structure to their day. This impacts on children’s progress and sleep patterns. This shortfall was a requirement at the previous inspection and remains outstanding.

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Findings from the inspection

The child who has lived in the home for several months is not enrolled in an educational provision. Furthermore, the child has not been provided with any educational work while a provision is identified, despite the child requesting to attend school. This limits their future opportunities for further education and employment.

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Findings from the inspection

Risk management plans are not up to date, and children’s vulnerabilities are not properly assessed. Children’s plans do not include robust strategies for staff to follow to safeguard children. One child is identified as high risk of exploitation, and is known to use their mobile phone to make arrangements to meet unknown people and then go missing from the home. During one missing episode, the child sustained a serious injury. However, the risk management plans did not contain any strategies for staff to follow in relation to the use of the child’s mobile phone and staff lacked professional curiosity. This left the child at further risk of harm.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders, managers and staff do not take appropriate action when potential safeguarding concerns arise. For example, a child left the home in a vehicle with an unknown person, but was not reported as missing for a significant period of time. This lack of effective action leaves children at risk of harm. When children have been missing from care, they have not consistently been offered an independent return home interview. This reduces the opportunity for children to raise and share any concerns and does not promote children’s safety.

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Findings from the inspection

Physical intervention records do not provide a full and accurate account of incidents. It is not clear in records why it was necessary to hold a child. Furthermore, staff do Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 3 not receive debriefs following incidents of holding a child. This reduces the opportunity for staff to raise concerns to management and also reduces staff’s opportunity for learning from incidents. Consequences have been used to manage children’s behaviours. Records have management oversight, but this fails to consider whether the consequence is effective in managing a child’s behaviour.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager has submitted an application to deregister from his post. The manager is currently not involved in the day-to-day running of the home. An acting manager is identified to work in the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff said that morale has been low in the home and there has been a lack of clear leadership and management in the home. This does not enable the home to operate within the statement of purpose.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not completed mandatory training and specialist training, including child exploitation, has not been arranged. This does not ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and training to keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff supervisions are not taking place consistently. This reduces the opportunity for staff support and reflection. A requirement was made at the last inspection due to shortfalls in the quality of supervisions.

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Findings from the inspection

Incidents in the home are not reliably recorded and evaluated. Missing from care records do not fully record events that led up to the incident and the action staff have taken. Furthermore, inaccuracies were identified in the recording of an injury sustained by a child.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been several incidents raised in relation to staff practice. The incidents have been investigated appropriately and information shared with the designated officer. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that Ofsted has been notified of these incidents. This prevents the regulator from having effective oversight of the concerns and the action taken by the provider.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers use various monitoring and review tools. However they have failed to identify the significant shortfalls found during the inspection. The independent visitor has identified shortfalls as part of their oversight of the home. However, leaders and managers have not been effective in ensuring that these concerns have been addressed. Therefore, action has not always been taken to improve the quality of care.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to meet the requirements made at the last full inspection and they are restated. Furthermore, there are additional requirements stated as part of this inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Due to the serious and widespread concerns identified, Ofsted has issued compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 4 regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Ofsted will continue to monitor the provider’s compliance with these notices. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/06/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers and should ensure that all known risks to a child are identified, and robust strategies for staff to follow are in place to ensure that the child is safe from harm.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered provider must ensure that staff have the skills to identify and act on signs that a child is at risk of harm and take effective action if there is a concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 9 March 2025

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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 9 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 7 promotes their welfare.

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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;

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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; 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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the staff team has the necessary skills, knowledge, expertise, training and confidence to meet the assessed needs and risks of the child.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers should 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

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.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; 9 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 8 that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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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 the staff can meet move in to the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 9 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 9 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that records in relation to holding a child are accurate and contain details of the events leading up to the hold and the steps taken to avoid the measure. Staff involved in an incident of holding a child must be provided an opportunity for a debrief to ensure that they can raise any concerns and reflect on their practice.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, leaders and managers should ensure that consequences used to manage the behaviour of a child are evaluated to consider whether the measure was effective.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that children are provided with an appropriate educational provision to meet their assessed needs. Furthermore, staff must have the skills and experience to ensure that children are supported to attend and engage in education. 9 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 10 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

Leaders and managers should ensure that children’s records are detailed and accurate and contain all the necessary information. 9 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the child assigned to their care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 9 March 2025

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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; and

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that routines and boundaries are in place that support children to make progress and promote their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 9 March 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; 9 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 11 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

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Victoria Road East, Thornton-Cleveleys FY5 5HT

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Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 13 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 children looked after, 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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