Children's Home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 1 Registered provider: Caretech Community Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties. There were no children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2024

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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: 2773035 2

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Findings from the inspection

Following the previous full inspection, an assurance inspection was carried out on 12 February 2025. Ofsted identified serious concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home. Staff struggled to provide appropriate and safe support to the children to help them regulate their emotions and keep them safe. Once children had moved out of the home, the remaining staff team moved to work in other homes in the company.

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Findings from the inspection

No children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. After a difficult period in the home, the responsible individual has made a decision to recruit a new manager and experienced staff team before welcoming new children into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has not sufficiently recorded or evaluated significant incidents. In addition, children and staff have not been spoken to after incidents to seek everyone’s views and capture any learning. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that everyone is safeguarded.

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Findings from the inspection

Before the inspection, senior leaders completed an internal learning review. The review identified several shortfalls in care practices. An action plan was developed to include areas for improvement and actions to address the areas of concern. However, the home has been damaged significantly. The environment is sparse and is not a welcoming environment for children to live in at this point. The provider has a plan to address all the repairs, and new furniture has been ordered to ensure the environment is significantly improved and safe for children.

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Findings from the inspection

Some of the previous requirements have not been met and have been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 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 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 has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager ensuring that allegations and incidents are accurately recorded along with all action taken and feedback is given to children.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, leaders and managers must the home has sufficient suitability qualified and experienced staff to care for the children. 30 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 30 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 5 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.

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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

understand and apply the home's statement of purpose; protect and promote each child's welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must make sure that children's bedrooms and the home are well maintained and contains all furniture they need. 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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 30 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 6 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, this relates to the registered manager ensuring that staff provide support to children when they have expressed wanting to harm themselves.

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Requirement Due date

This has not been explored during the recent inspection therefore is restated. The registered person must ensure that—

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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

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager ensuring that when children are restrained, they are spoken to in a timely manner to ensure their well-being, and that records are reviewed in the correct timescales by the manager.

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Requirement Due date

This has not been explored during the recent inspection and therefore is restated. 30 March 2025

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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 signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered manager ensuring that children’s records are up to date and that the author is clearly identifiable. 30 March 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 7 This was not explored during the recent inspection and so have been restated

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Recommendation

 The registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.15). Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caretech Community Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Sarah Probert, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2773035 9 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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