Children's Home run by First 4 Care Limited in Doncaster

Unique reference number SC390293 Inspector Nicola McEvinney Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person First 4 Care Limited Registered person address 7 Albion Place DONCASTER South Yorkshire DN1 2EG Responsible individual Carolann Dodds Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 28/02/2014 2 of 9 Inspection date 10/11/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

Outcomes for children and young people adequate Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

The purpose of this second full inspection was to monitor the requirements raised at the last full inspection conducted in September 2014 when the home was judged to be inadequate. The Responsible Individual along with the newly appointed Service Manager has worked extremely hard and within the required timescales set, has addressed all of the requirements.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people receive a good quality of care provided by caring staff; this is supported by individual daily routines outlining how young people are to be cared for on a day-to-day basis. Young people feel safe and are safe. This is confirmed by professionals. Young people say that they feel well cared for and they can talk to staff if they have any worries.

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Overall effectiveness

The newly appointed Service Manager has a good understanding of the weaknesses of the home and has already taken steps to address a number of these, particularly around staff support and monitoring of the home. She has introduced professional supervision which will enable staff to reflect on their practice and has developed a format for the Regulation 34 monitoring reports.

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Overall effectiveness

The Service Manager has acknowledged the shortfalls identified at this inspection, which relate to the Statement of Purpose, staff qualifications and sanctions records. 3 of 9

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Information about this children’s home

The setting is operated by a private organisation and registered to provide care for three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties between 10 and 17 years. The Statement of Purpose specifies placements are medium to long term.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2014 Interim good progress 15/08/2013 Full good 26/02/2013 Interim good progress 21/09/2012 Full good

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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.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

5 (2001) provide HMCI with a copy of the Statement of Purpose (Regulation 4 (2)) 31/12/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure all care staff attain the required qualification within two years of them starting work (Regulation 26(4)(a)) 31/01/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): 4 of 9  encourage young people to have their views recorded in the records kept by the home following a sanction. (NMS 3.18) 5 of 9

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have made progress in many areas of their lives. They have developed in confidence and have formed good attachments to the staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have their health needs well met. The looked after children nurse spoke positively about the staff’s approach in ensuring that young people are registered with health care professionals. The looked after children nurse also supports young people with healthy eating and sexual health as well as helping them to access smoking cessation. Young people are provided with healthy nutritious meals ensuring that they have a healthy diet; they say ‘the food is real good; I always have a fresh cooked meal’.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people confirm that staff listen to them. House meetings are held weekly and they are involved in choosing menus; what activities they wish to partake in and how they would like their bedroom decorated.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Some young people have good attendance at school and are achieving well. However, other young people have recently refused to attend. Staff are proactive in addressing this and alternative provision is being sought. In the meantime these young people are taken on educational activities to enhance their learning. However, the lack of formal education compromises their attainment which impacts negatively on their life opportunities.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people help with the garden, in particular the planters. They are eager to develop an allotment area and plans are underway to do this in the spring. Other young people have engaged in a community project raising funds for a teenage charity.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people’s contact arrangements are set out in their care plans. Some young people arrange their own contact with significant family members; this has helped them to settle, feeling that they have some control over their own lives. Some contact is supervised and staff facilitate this to ensure that this is positive for all parties.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are supported to develop skills that they will require into adulthood. For example, they maintain their personal space and help with meal preparation. Staff say some young people make a great cooked breakfast and enjoy baking.

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Quality of care good

6 of 9 Young people enjoy good relationships with staff and they feel well cared for. Young people are generally well behaved, although behaviour management plans are in place to advise staff how they can support young people in crisis and de-escalate situations when there is challenging behaviour.

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Quality of care good

Regular house meetings ensure that young people’s views are heard and responded to. Young people confirm that they always have someone that they can talk to. They attend their childcare review meetings to ensure they understand what is going on and have their views heard. Prior to these meetings they complete consultation papers to enable them to put their point forward. Staff are proactive in ensuring young people’s views are being considered; for example, the timing and venue of one review does not allow for significant people to attend. This is being challenged by staff.

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Quality of care good

Young people have not made any complaints about the home although they have been supported by their placing authority to access the services of an advocate if and when required to ensure young people’s voices are heard.

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Quality of care good

Young people’s individual needs are clearly set out in their care plan with guidance in place to identify how these needs are to be met. Alongside these are their individual daily routines which set out how they are to be cared for on a day-to-day basis. This provides for stability and ensures a consistent approach to their care.

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Quality of care good

Young people benefit by accessing a number of services to help meet their diverse needs. For example, a child psychologist supports them with psychological and emotional issues; the children and adolescent mental health service supports them with emotional issues; and the looked after children nurse undertakes health needs assessments and will follow up on any matters arising.

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Quality of care good

Staff are proactive in addressing young people’s lack of education. For example, they make contact with the allocated school to access learning tools. This enables those young people who are not attending school to undertake some learning within the home. The home provides educational outings for young people and puts a daily structure in place to instil in young people that they must have a constructive daily routine. Those young people who are good attendees are supported with their homework and there is good communication between the home and school.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy a range of activities. For example, they go to the cinema, bowling and ice skating. Some enjoy going for country walks, they have attended Halloween parties, have invited friends home and go to a youth club. Some young people meet up on a daily basis with family and friends.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy living in this spacious well-furnished and decorated home which provides a homely environment for them. Although situated in a rural setting there is access to public transport to the nearby town. 7 of 9

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safe in the home; there is no bullying behaviour presented in the home. However, staff are proactive in addressing bullying at school and request urgent meetings with school staff to support young people and to address this behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are safeguarded by risk assessments which identify potential dangers with strategies in place to minimise the impact. These risk assessments cover each individual young person, their behaviours, activities they participate in and the premises. Staff are in the process of monitoring and reviewing each assessment to ensure that they are relevant and up to date.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Prior to their admission young people had frequent episodes of going missing. Routines have been put in place to support young people to reduce this behaviour. For example, some young people have ‘trust time’ when they go out alone and meet with friends or family; staff will drop them off and pick them up at an allotted time. Young people respond to the safe and well telephone calls staff make to them. This keeps young people safe and promotes their well-being. However, individual missing from care protocols are in place advising staff what action to take in the event of a young person failing to return when expected.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The local authority missing from care protocols are in the process of being rewritten and are awaiting ratification from the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). When these protocols have been agreed an officer will meet with the home to ensure the home’s protocols are compatible.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people’s behaviours are well managed; there are no incidents of physical intervention. There are a few sanctions recorded, which are appropriate. However, young people are not given the opportunity to write their comments in the record.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are protected by all health and safety checks being carried out in the home. This includes regular fire drills to ensure all know what action to take in the event of a fire.

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Leadership and management adequate

There have been some major management changes over recent months. The Registered Manager left in July and temporary management arrangements were put in place but these ceased at the end of September. A newly appointed Service Manager has recently taken up her post and is overseeing the management of the home. A new manager has been appointed but is yet to take up duties while 8 of 9 recruitment checks are being carried out. The Service Manager has a good understanding of the shortfalls of the home and has taken steps to address these.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home has worked hard to address the requirements from the last inspection, conducted in September 2014 when the home was judged to be inadequate. Young people are provided with healthy and nutritious meals; there have been discussions with the LSCB to address the missing from home protocols; all visitors sign the visitors book; a manager has been appointed; the last regulation 33 report included consultation with parents as part of the monitoring process; impact risk assessment forms have been devised which are to be completed for any new referrals; systems are in place to ensure only suitable people are employed in the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose was reviewed in May although this was not forwarded to HMCI. However, the Service Manager is again reviewing this document to ensure it complies with regulation.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home has appointed a new independent Regulation 33 visitor. The Service Manager has been very clear about the expectations of this role in ensuring that there is consultation with young people, staff and parents as part of this monitoring tool. This feedback will help to identify areas for improvement.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Service Manager, despite having only been in post for a few weeks has undertaken a Regulation 34 monitoring exercise. This is a concise evaluative report which identifies areas for improvement.

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Leadership and management adequate

There has been a period of instability with a movement of staff. Although there are sufficient numbers of staff to meet the needs of the young people there are a significant number who have yet to attain the level 3 Diploma. However, staff have good training opportunities. Staff supervision had hitherto been poor and lacked any discussion on professional practice issues which impeded staff’s development. However, the Service Manager has supervised all staff and has introduced a system that will support practice and development.

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Leadership and management adequate

Young people’s records are clear although the service manager has introduced a detailed monthly report for each young person to be shared with the local authority. These reports identify areas of progress and areas where further input is required. This will ensure young people’s plans do not drift. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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.

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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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