Children's Home run by A-Triangle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 1 Registered provider: A-Triangle Care 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 operated by a private company. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties and have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in August 2020. The registered manager post is vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged to be requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 14 August 2024. Following an assurance inspection on 7 January 2025, the inspector found further serious and widespread concerns and compliance notices were raised under regulation 13 and regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notices had immediate effect from 7 January 2025 to 23 February 2025.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the provider’s compliance with the compliance notices. The inspector found that the provider has taken sufficient action to manage and reduce the risk of harm to children. Therefore, the compliance notices have been met.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have now received training in working with deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) orders and their overall roles and responsibilities. The learning from this has been tested during single subject supervisions. Staff are now able to identify and respond permissively within the DoLS order. Single subject supervision also identifies Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 2 if staff understand the child’s care plan and their roles and responsibilities. This is then incorporated into the staff full supervision.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has recently reviewed and updated the statement of purpose and has a detailed action plan in place to address the requirements and recommendations made at the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made in the monitoring and review systems. The responsible individual and operations manager review incidents and day-to-day management through a comprehensive weekly audit.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have analysed and evaluated weaknesses in staff practice. They have reviewed previous shortfalls in how staff have managed safeguarding incidents and have taken action to improve staff practice. Reflective sessions have taken place with staff in team meetings.

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This monitoring visit

The safety and security features of the home, including a broken door handle and windows, have now been replaced, providing a safe environment which ensures that the requirements of the DoLS order is complied with.

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This monitoring visit

There has been an increase in the use of physical intervention. The child has experienced physical interventions that have not always been deemed necessary. This does not demonstrate that staff understand that physical intervention can be a frightening and confusing experience for children and should only be used when appropriate.

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This monitoring visit

Physical intervention records lack sufficient detail about incidents. This compromises leaders and managers’ oversight of staff practice and their ability to identify if the use of the measure was necessary and effective. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2024 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/05/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 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 with 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are suitably experienced and competent to work with children and to ensure that staff are given responsibilities in line with their experience. This also includes ensuring there is adequate staffing to fulfil the requirements of the placement plan.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 23 February 2025

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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

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)(d)) 23 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 5 In particular, the registered person must ensure that they are able to fulfil any requirements of a deprivation of liberty safeguard order before admitting a child. This is specifically in relation to being able to lock windows and doors should this be required in line with an order.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the accommodation is suitable for children to live in. This specifically relates to windows and doors.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any staff personal equipment or items that present an increased risk to the child, such as vapes and associated products, are locked away or not brought onto site.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any incidents occurring in the home are recorded clearly and concisely, including action taken, and any debriefs are completed with the children involved, and that the regulator is kept informed.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; and

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Requirement Due date

provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. 23 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 6 For the purposes of this regulation, “the appropriate person” is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that supervision sessions take place regularly and in line with the statement of purpose.

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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;

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the registered person ensuring that the home is well maintained to a high standard and any damage or maintenance issues are identified and rectified in a timely manner. 23 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 7 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

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must only accept children where they are able to meet their needs and that there is sufficient management oversight in the absence of the registered person. 23 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child).

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that restraint is only used when necessary and that all steps are taken to avoid the use of restraint. 23 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. This includes risk assessments and behaviour support plans for the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are kept that should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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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: 2557064 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A-Triangle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Crescent East, Hardhorn Road, Thornton- Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 3LJ

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Inspector

James Meeks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2557064 10 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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Inspector

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