Children's Home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC392712 Inspection date 01/05/2012 Inspector Philip Cass Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 01/02/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Brief description of the service

This privately owned home provides care for up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.3

The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be inadequate .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The home does not made a positive impact on the lives of the young people who live there. Although the experienced staff team demonstrate warmth and empathy towards young people, and are well trained, the quality of care is poor. The home is poorly equipped and maintained. As a result, it does not meet the aims of its new Statement of Purpose. Young people have a low level of engagement with the home and spend most of their time away from the home. The home is poor at promoting educational attendance or achievement.

p.3

Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the home shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by an employee of the organisation who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the home (Regulation 33 (2)(c)) 15/07/2012

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the routine of the home is organised so as to further children’s participation in education, including regular attendance at school and participation in school activities of children of compulsory school age (Regulation 18(1(b)) 15/07/2012 (2001) ensure that children accommodated in the home are encouraged to develop and pursue appropriate leisure interests and provided with appropriate leisure facilities and activities(Regulation 18 (2(a) (b)) 15/07/2012

p.3

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the registered person shall not use premises for the purposes of a children’s home unless they are of a physical design and layout which are suitable for the purposes of achieving the aims and objectives set out in the home’s statement of purpose (Regulation 31 (1)) 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children’s home used by children, are kept clean and reasonably decorated and maintained (Regulation 31 (2)(e)) 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the provider shall appoint an individual to manage the children’s home (Regulation 7(1)) 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) keep under review and, where appropriate, revise the statement of purpose. This is with particular reference to management arrangements (Regulation 5 (a)) 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure any activities in which children participate are so far as reasonably practicable free from avoidable risks. This is with particular reference to unsupervised, unstructured activity in the community and bus travel (Regulation 23 (b)) * 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there is at all times, having regard to the needs of the children accommodated there, a sufficient number of staff (Regulation 25 (1)) * 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that children accommodated in the children’s home are provided with food which is wholesome, nutritious, and suitable for their needs (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(ii,iii)) 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) the registered person shall prepare and implement a procedure to be followed when any child accommodated in the home is absent without permission which has regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 16 (4)(b)) 15/07/2012

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that children’s health is promoted in accordance with their placement plan. (NMS 6.5)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are inadequate .

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Managers and staff are not able to identify any meaningful impact that the home has had on the educational, health, or social outcomes of the young people. Where young people have only been at the home for a short period, the management and staff are not able to demonstrate clear plans to improve outcomes for young people.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people do not benefit from effective health promotion. Although they generally maintain good health, they often request that staff cancel health appointments for them. Staff do not make sufficient effort to encourage attendance at health appointments. As a result, young people do not receive good dental or optical care. Staff do not establish the reasons why young people decline to attend health appointments or attempt to develop strategies to promote attendance. Young people do not have sufficient information or encouragement to develop healthy lifestyles. As a result the home has not improved the health of young people living in the home.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Because staff spend minimal time with young people, there is very little opportunity to promote positive life choices or encourage positive planning for the future. Patterns of negative behaviour identified prior to admission are not effectively challenged and continue during the placement.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

The lack of engagement with young people also means that the home does not support young people to gain an understanding of different cultures or lifestyles. In addition the young people do not make a positive contribution to the home. Young people are not supported to personalise their bedrooms. As a result, opportunities to enable young people to take pride in their environment are missed and self-esteem is not promoted. Because young people are not involved in community groups, forums or activities they make a very limited contribution to the community in which they live. This has the potential to lead to a sense of isolation and does not support young people to feel part of their community.

p.5

Quality of care

Since the last inspection the management of the home have decided to provide care for children aged between 12 and 14, in addition to the established service for 15 to 17 year olds, which had a focus on preparation for independence. The bedrooms contain a kitchenette which can be used to provide training and support for young people who are preparing to leave care. There has been little consideration of how a service centred on three self-contained flats can meet the needs of children and younger teenagers. No extra resources have been provided to meet the needs of this group. In addition to the home’s kitchen, there is only one communal room that young people have access to. This small, poorly decorated room serves as living room, dining room and recreation area. There are very limited recreational facilities. The decision to provide care to younger residents without careful consideration, and the failure to equip the home adequately, means that the environment is neither

p.5

Quality of care

Staff talk to young people with respect and express a desire to build constructive relationships. A young person stated that staff are, ‘great’ and, ‘helpful’. Young people feel that they are listened to because the home is keen to provide care which is built around their expressed wishes. However, by simply agreeing to the wishes of young people, the home has neglected its duty to set age appropriate boundaries and promote the constructive use of time. The agreed activity for young people every afternoon, evening and weekend is to go ‘out with friends’. Instead of engaging young people with a variety of stimulating leisure activities, staff simply provide young people with a bus ticket. As a result, they routinely spend between 12 and 15 hours away from the home each day. Furthermore, they often choose to stay overnight with friends or family. This means that the home does not meet the care needs of young people as described in their placement plans.

p.5

Quality of care

Some young people maintain high levels of education attendance when they move to the home. However, young people who refuse to attend school are not given sufficient encouragement to get out of bed. As a result they often remain in bed until mid-morning. Plans are made for young people who refuse to attend school, but these do not offer constructive or stimulating activities. The plans suggest that young people should complete worksheets in the morning, but these are not available in the home. Where educational trips are organised, young people are not encouraged to attend. Because the planned activity for young people who refuse to attend education is to be given a bus ticket to visit friends, the home is actively encouraging young people to spend school hours in non-constructive activities. This significantly increases the risk of young people engaging in anti-social behaviour as they are encouraged to associate with other non-attenders. It also reduces the likelihood that

p.6

Quality of care

young people will develop routines which involve the constructive use of time.

p.6

Quality of care

The home does not promote healthy eating. Some young people rarely eat in the home, preferring to eat at the homes of friends or family. Because young people often choose to eat away from the home it is difficult for the home to promote a healthy, balanced diet. Staff do not provide sufficient encouragement to young people to eat a healthy diet and they do not benefit from structured meal times. Consequently, young people are not supported to develop social skills. The opportunity to create a warm, homely atmosphere in the home is not taken because young people often eat alone in their bedrooms late at night.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

The service is inadequate at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

A young person reported feeling safe in the home and that they value the freedom and independence given by staff. However, the freedom and independence that young people are given is not balanced by attempts to promote their safety. Young people are given a level of independence and freedom which is not in line with their care plans or appropriate to their age. Although young people do not go missing overnight, they routinely leave the home as soon as they wake up and return late at night. Staff reassure themselves that young people are safe by texting or telephoning them every 2 or 3 hours. Where children do not have mobile phones the home is reliant on family members calling the home to let them know the whereabouts of young people.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse because staff do not know where they are, who they are with, or what they are doing for long periods of time. Staff do not actively encourage young people to return to the home at an appropriate time. Risk assessments and guidance from social workers in relation to reporting young people missing are not adhered to. Young teenagers routinely travel by bus across the city to return to the home after 11pm. Because of this they are at risk of harm and not kept safe by the home.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

However, when in the home, children are kept safe and are free from abuse, exploitation, and accidents and bullying. Staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and express a commitment to the welfare of the young people in their care.. Young people report that they know how to make a complaint. Staff are also committed to using positive behaviour management techniques. As a result, there are no restraints in the home and the use of sanctions is minimal. The safety of young people is promoted by good health and safety procedures. Fire safety systems are effective and appropriately monitored by the manager and senior staff. Periodic testing of heating and electrical systems ensures that the risks to young people and staff are minimised.

p.7

Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are inadequate .

p.7

Leadership and management

The management arrangements for the home are not clear. The home continues to operate without a Registered Manager and the person named as the acting manager in the home’s Statement of Purpose does not manage the home. It is not clear if the current acting manager will remain in post until the new manager is appointed. Confusion and uncertainty over the management of the home does not promote high quality care and limits the ability of the home to improve. The confused management arrangements mean that the person named as manager has conducted quality assurance visits under regulation 33. Because the visitor is reviewing his own practice, quality assurance systems do not adequately address weakness or poor practice.

p.7

Leadership and management

Staff undertake a range of training which they find useful and beneficial. This training includes safeguarding, first aid, administration of medication, restraint, and fire safety. Effective systems are also in place to ensure that information about young people is stored appropriately and confidentiality is respected.

p.7

Leadership and management

Staffing arrangements are not appropriate to meet the complex needs of young people living in the home. The home’s management have responded to the refusal of young people to remain in the home by reducing levels of staff. Instead of making efforts to engage young people, staffing arrangements confirm an expectation that young people will continue to be absent from the home during the day. Six requirements and three recommendations were made at the last inspection of the home. The actions taken to meet these have meant that the home has improved security, fire safety systems, complaints systems, and staff supervision. The requirement to revise the Statement of Purpose has not been met and is repeated. The recommendation to ensure that the home provides a homely environment and is well decorated and maintained has not been met. The standard of decoration in the home, especially the communal areas, is very poor. The garden is very poorly

p.7

Leadership and management

maintained and young people do not benefit from any garden furniture or play equipment. The significant amount of rubbish that is dumped in the back garden is further evidence that the home is not a nurturing or homely environment.

p.8

About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

p.9

About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

p.9