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File photo of police car<\/p>\nOfsted said the care home’s inability to reduce known risks demonstrated a ‘significant failure in leadership and management’File photo of police car<\/p>\n
A \u2018significant failure in leadership\u2019 was cited in a damning Ofsted inspection which said a Liverpool children\u2019s home exposed a child to \u2018potential harm\u2019. The report highlighted several examples of concern including incidents where a child would be discovered by police officers at \u2018dangerous locations\u2019, after leaving the home undetected by staff.<\/p>\n
The children\u2019s home is located in Liverpool, but is not named in the Ofsted report. According to the watchdog, the facility is operated by a private company called Sanitas Cura Ltd (SCL), which provides care for one child \u2018who may have social and emotional difficulties\u2019. It was subject to a monitoring visit on August 22 which was quickly followed by another monitoring visit on August 27.<\/p>\n
The subsequent reports from both inspections were published on September 27 and detail a catalogue of failures including the inspector\u2019s \u2018serious\u2019 concerns about the protection of children in SCL\u2019s care. Ofsted said the assurance inspection was undertaken following a concern raised in relation to the \u2018safeguarding practices at the setting\u2019.<\/p>\n
The August 22 report states: \u201cThe child used cutlery to disable window locks. This meant that they left the home undetected by staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn multiple occasions, the police returned the child to the home after finding them in dangerous locations near a motorway bridge. Staff searched the area, but these actions did not prevent the child from leaving or reduce the risks.<\/p>\n
\u201cElectronic alarm systems to safeguard children were ineffective and failed to alert staff that the child had left the home. The manager introduced a new system.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the child was able to leave again by breaking a window lock, showing that the safety measures were ineffective. No further actions were taken to improve security or reduce the risks of the child leaving the home unsupervised.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe manager and staff did not challenge the decision to allow the child to have vapes. Staff were advised that they could purchase them and did so, which put the child at risk and demonstrated poor judgement and a lack of safeguarding awareness. This exposed the child to potential harm to their health and undermined efforts to promote their well-being and safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cConcerns were raised about the child\u2019s emotional well-being, but managers and staff did not take timely or effective action to reduce the risks. This lack of response contributed to a serious incident where staff were unable to safely enter the child\u2019s bedroom to provide support. The incident had the potential to result in severe harm to the child.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff lack the training and skills to recognise and manage risks relating to the child\u2019s emotional distress and self-harming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ofsted said its follow-up visit on August 27 was approved as a direct result of the \u2018serious and widespread concerns\u2019 identified in its initial assessment. Inspectors said staff had formulated a safety plan which included measures to ensure the child was supervised at all times and the use of waking night staff. However, Ofsted confirmed this plan had not been effective in preventing further incidents.<\/p>\n
The August 27 report states: \u201cThere is evidence that safety plans are not being consistently followed. This raises concerns about staff compliance and accountability in implementing agreed strategies to reduce risk. Furthermore, essential staff training, particularly in managing ligature risks, has not been completed.\u201d<\/p>\n
It added: \u201cThe lack of proactive and effective measures to reduce known risks demonstrates a significant failure in leadership and management. Leaders have not ensured that appropriate risk management procedures are in place or are consistently followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis failure places children at continued risk and undermines efforts to safeguard their welfare effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspectors also published a six-point improvement plan which detailed the statutory requirements the company must comply with and sets out the actions it must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children\u2019s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the \u2018Guide to the Children\u2019s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards\u2019.<\/p>\n