Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

Unique reference number SC461240 Inspector Rosie Davie Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Care Focus Limited Registered person address Care Focus Ltd 18 Bury Street STOWMARKET Suffolk IP14 1HH Responsible individual Jean Lloyd Registered manager Leroy Ferguson Manhertz Date of last inspection 02/10/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 17/03/2015

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Previous inspection declined in effectiveness Enforcement action since last inspection No

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

Young people make progress in this home. External agencies value the service provided. One Social Worker said: ‘There has been a marked difference in the outcomes in relation to absconding, education, personal safety and wellbeing.’

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Overall effectiveness

Staff provide one to one care which is personalised and tailored to meet the unique cultural needs of each young person. Young people receive support to explore their identity and review their placement plan. The service provides education within the home. Young people benefit from individual psychological support, for example, art therapy.

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Overall effectiveness

This inspection raises two requirements and six recommendations. The areas for improvement relate to complaints, bullying, the home’s ethos, staff training, staff sleep in, the overview of systems, the Statement of Purpose and feedback following contact. 3 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a group, run by an independent provider. Staff offer individualised care and support for up to four young women. Teachers provide education within the setting. Young people benefit from direct therapeutic intervention.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2014 Interim declined in effectiveness 10/10/2013 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

(2001) implement the written policy for the prevention of bullying in the children's home, which shall in particular set out the procedure for dealing with an allegation of bullying (Regulation 16 (4) (a)) 30/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that a written record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of the investigation. (Regulation 24 (5)) 30/04/2015

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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 10  ensure all staff understand, share and implement the home's ethos, philosophy and approach to caring for children (NMS 3.4)  ensure staff are trained in appropriate safe-care practice, including skills to care for adolescents with mental health issues who have been abused (NMS 4.6)  ensure the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulation, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the homes policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. Immediate action is taken to address any issues raised or inconsistencies in practice (NMS 21.2)  ensure the young people know who is sleeping in the home each night (NMS 17.12)  ensure the registered person approves the Statement of Purpose (NMS 13.3)  ensure the feedback provided to the responsible authority is reviewed

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Recommendations

specifically in relation to the details of family contact. (NMS 9.5) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people come to this home because of concerns about personal safety and significant risk taking behaviours.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people no longer engage in high risk behaviours such as drug taking. They rarely place themselves at risk of harm in the wider community. This means that they are developing an understanding of their individual circumstances and identifying new strategies for managing emotions. One young person said: ‘A lot of the staff are really good at listening and I have learned that rather than running away when I have a problem it is better for me to stay and talk it out.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people with significant gaps in education are making improvements in educational attendance. Some young people attend college in the community. This means that they progress and realise the opportunities educational attainment can bring for the future. One young person said: ‘I want to be independent and get a job. That means I have to take my exams. The staff think I could do well in maths and English so I have decided it’s better for me to stay and take my exams.’

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people develop a good understanding of the importance of their emotional, mental and physical health. They attend a range of appointments with external professionals. When appropriate, they are encouraged to make their own appointments. This helps them to understand well-being and to develop appropriate age related self-care skills.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people take part in food preparation and household chores. They learn and improve upon everyday skills such as cooking and household management. They design and follow individualised pathway plans. This means that they have the opportunity to practice safely their readiness for independence and adult life.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Where reflected in care planning, young people receive practical and emotional support to achieve regular contact with family. This helps them to rebuild significant relationships whilst nurturing cultural and personal identity.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from the home’s tranquil setting. Equally, sporting and leisure facilities are located within easy reach. This enables them to access a diverse range of activities such as horse riding, swimming, boxing and youth clubs. Young people make friendships and develop peer relationships in the community. In support of the wider world, young people take part in activities to raise funds for national charities. This encourages them to develop an understanding of matters of public interest. 6 of 10

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Quality of care good

Staff provide one to one care. One member of staff said: ‘I love working here. It gives me great satisfaction to see the young people do well in education.’

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Quality of care good

Social workers describe the staff team as: ‘Very efficient and knowledgeable about the young people.’ This inspection observed appropriate interactions between staff and young people. However, some records and discussion with the young people did not consistently reflect this observation. This falls short of the home’s ethos, philosophy and approach to caring for young people.

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Quality of care good

Staff routinely provide placing social workers with formal feedback. This includes reports about contact. Overall, social workers describe communication very positively. However, improvement is required in relation to feedback regarding family contact.

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Quality of care good

Staff proactively encourage young people to be involved in the running of the home. They routinely organise group meetings, motivating them to have their say and to write a record of the meeting. This gives young people a voice and encourages them to be involved in decision making, for example, in preparation for group activities or celebrations. This also helps young people to understand why not all suggestions are immediately possible.

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Quality of care good

Staff use an organised system to offer incentives and reward good behaviour. This helps young people to visualise their progress and understand what is expected. This inspection found that staff praise good behaviour significantly more than they issue negative consequences. This effectively helps young people to realise that staff notice and value their efforts to contribute positively in and around the home.

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Quality of care good

Staff offer young people an abundance of individual time. They plan sessions with them dedicated to exploring personal, social, health, cultural and well-being issues. This builds confidence whilst heightening their understanding of their unique potential. Staff ensure that every young person has a plan, which identifies placement goals. Plans are highly personalised and reflect young people’s identity and cultural background. Staff recognise, record and share achievement with the young people. This helps them to reflect on their experiences and to pinpoint their progress.

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Quality of care good

Staff go above and beyond to support young people’s attendance at college in the community. In the home, teachers provide education and work closely with the staff. They creatively encourage young people to attend classes, take part in lessons and complete home work. One member of staff said: ‘We sit in and take part in lessons. This shows the young people that we too are ready to learn. We are setting an example. This is how it should be to encourage them to value learning.’ The benefit for young people is that the staff team are persistent in their message, which means that young people come round and over time develop belief in their capacity to learn. 7 of 10 Staff ensure that young people access a range of health services including dentist and optician. Referrals to child and adolescent mental health services support young people with mental health concerns. Staff work with young people to help them to

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Quality of care good

benefit from direct access to the therapeutic services provided by the company. The result is that young people attend a range of multi-agency psychological and health appointments designed to address their individual needs.

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Quality of care good

Improvements to the interior of the home create a homely and welcoming environment. The premises provide ample accommodation for young people in both communal living and private space. All young people spoken to say they ‘love’ their bedrooms. This means that they have invested in the home.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people state that they feel safe. Social Workers spoken to agree that their young people are safe in this home. Young people have access to an independent visitor, which provides an additional pathway for young people to express their views or concerns.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Incidents of missing from this home are infrequent. Staff have knowledge of the local safeguarding procedures, which are efficiently put into action in the event of an incident. Young people say that following an incident of missing, staff spend time with them to identify alternatives. The result is that young people are aware that the systems in place are effective and designed to keep them safe and their whereabouts known at all times. One young person said: ‘Before I came here I would run away. I don’t now because I know the staff will follow me and call the police.’

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

All young people have behaviour support plans. Staff regularly review these and seek to involve them in this process. However, staff do not tell the young people which member of staff is sleeping in the house each night. This lacks transparency and falls short of good practice. Staff use restraint only as a last resort. Records meet regulatory requirements and include young people’s reflection. This promotes learning from each incident of challenging behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Managers look into and respond in writing to complaints raised by young people. However, this inspection identified inconsistencies. This included a complaint in the bullying book that was not investigated. This means that the home’s systems for capturing and identifying the patterns of issues raised by some young people are not effective.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Managers refer safeguarding concerns to the local area designated officer and undertake internal investigations. They share information with placing authorities. This means that external agencies are aware of concerns. Managers write reports and identify where additional action is required to improve practice. This includes taking forward refreshers for one to one safeguarding training. 8 of 10 The company follows the required process to recruit staff to work in the home. Safe recruitment pre-employment checks are completed. Staff participate in supervision and have opportunities to attend training, which includes working therapeutically. This inspection recommends staff training in the mental health of adolescents who have experienced sexual and physical harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Staff complete health and safety checks of the premises. Young people receive information about the home’s fire plan when they arrive. There is additional visual information displayed around the home. Staff and young people participate together in routine fire drills. This prepares young people for the action they are required to take in the event of an emergency in the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has been in post since May 2014. He is completing the required level five management diploma in health and social care. He demonstrates an understanding of the issues faced by the young people and has an enthusiasm to consolidate learning in leadership and management.

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Leadership and management adequate

The provider has formally addressed the concerns arising since the last inspection. These are being resolved.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Statement of Purpose comprehensively describes the service provided, however, it requires reviewing.

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Leadership and management adequate

Managers have met the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. This indicates commitment to improvement.

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Leadership and management adequate

External managers are clear about the home’s areas of strength and areas for development. The external monitoring system provides an overview of the performance and activities in the home. Managers request written feedback from stakeholders. This helps to quality assure the service provided. The provider’s quality assurance personnel monitor and review the records and the internal systems within the home. This supports the Registered Manager and improves standards. Managers produce the required regulatory reports. However, this inspection identifies a shortfall in relation to the consistency of the Registered Manager’s overview of records and subsequent identification of trends in relation to some activity.

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Leadership and management adequate

Staff receive guidance from managers and attend supervision. Staff spoken to say there is also good support from external managers and many opportunities for learning and development. This means that there is a structure in place to enable staff to reflect on the impact of the work. This is of benefit to the young women who require the full attention of a skilled, nurturing staff team working cohesively to meet their complex needs. 9 of 10 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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