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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 1 SC052744

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Registered provider: Quality Protects Children 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 provides care for up to five children with special educational needs and/or disabilities’. At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since December 2024. The current manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at a full inspection on 21 and 22 January 2025 when the inspector identified ineffective leadership and management and poor practice in relation to medication. Following the full inspection, two compliance notices were issued, under section 22a of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 23, medicines.

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This monitoring visit

At a monitoring visit on 25 February 2025, the inspector found that the provider had taken sufficient action to address the steps outlined in the compliance notices in relation to regulation 13 and regulation 23.

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This monitoring visit

At the last inspection, the inspector found two of the children’s bedrooms in a poor state of repair as the result of damage. Improvements have been made to ensure the home is now presentable and homely. Managers and staff have worked hard to ensure the home is clean and the children have access to rooms where they can relax.

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This monitoring visit

Managers are working with staff to improve the quality of care provided for children. The oversight of the day-to-day running of the home has improved. There is now sufficient understanding of practice in relation to children’s care and support. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 2 Incidents are managed well. They are clearly documented and include debriefs for children and staff. The manager reviews all aspects of incidents and completes a detailed manager evaluation. When the manager identifies any learning, this is delivered to ensure staff practice is revised.

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This monitoring visit

The new manager is visible in the home. Staff rotas demonstrate that the staffing levels are in line with the children’s needs, which ensures children are receiving the level of care required in their plans.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the home’s medication policy has been reviewed and there have been improvements to medication management and processes. All staff have undertaken further training in medication administration and have completed a series of competency tests to demonstrate their improved skills. Leaders and managers have introduced additional medication auditing systems, and medication stock levels are checked daily.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in the home. They speak positively about the changes made, including the improvements to the paperwork and environment.

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This monitoring visit

Other requirements raised at the previous inspection were not considered during this visit. These will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Inadequate 07/11/2023 Full Good 06/12/2022 Full Good 26/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 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 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 7 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 7 March 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 5 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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring the home is clean and free from damage. Flooring in the kitchen needs to be replaced and the hallway needs redecorating.

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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 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. 7 March 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 6 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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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

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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(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 7 March 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 7 This specifically relates to ensuring that all records of restraint are accurate and include debriefs with children and evaluation by the manager of the measures used.

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 7 March 2025

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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: SC052744 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Protects Children Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC052744 9 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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