Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Leicestershire

Inspector Catherine Honey

Previous inspection judgement sustained effectiveness

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home are

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Young people live in an unstable environment due to high staff turnover. This results in young people finding it difficult to build trusting relationships.  They are cared for by inexperienced staff who are not always working well as a team, leading to inconsistencies in the care young people receive. As such, the home is offering care inconsistent with its Statement of Purpose.  Young people’s socially unacceptable behaviour is not always managed appropriately. They are not effectively encouraged to understand the impact of their behaviour, such as the use of swear words.  Leaders and managers do not always robustly challenge placing authorities where shortfalls in practice are identified, such as return interviews not being carried out following missing from care events. Leaders and mangers are not fully aware of national and local protocols in relation to missing from care.  Following an incident where a member of staff did not report an allegation

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because:

in a timely way, leaders and managers have not taken action to ensure the whole staff team has a sufficient understanding of safeguarding policy and procedures.

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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 (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

In order to engage with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(c) challenge the placing authority to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. This is with particular reference to return interviews following missing from home (Regulation 5 (a) (c)) 10/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person is required to ensure that all staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2) (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

(v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding (Regulation 11 (2) (ii) (iv) (v)) 10/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person is required to ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies (Regulation 12 (2) (a) (vii)) 10/06/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person is required to:

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Requirement Due date

2 (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 10/06/2015 (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. This specifically relates to ensuring staff undertake appropriate continuing professional development relevant to the needs of looked after children and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience;

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Requirement Due date

(e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (2) (a) (b) (c) (e) (h))

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for six children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is owned by a large private provider and offers medium to long-term placements for young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement

Due to the impact of a high turnover of staff, young people are living in an unsettled environment. They report inconsistencies in staff practice and struggle to build trusting relationships with staff. Some young people report they are ‘not bothered’ by the changes in staffing; others report they do not like living in a home where there are so many new staff to get used to.

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requires improvement

Young people’s educational attendance and outcomes are variable. Some young people struggle to attend their college placements, while others maintain reasonable attendance. Staff work with the local and placing authorities to source alternative provision where young people are struggling.

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requires improvement

Young people’s health-related needs are well known by staff. They have opportunities for engaging in external activities such as trips to the park. Healthy eating has been an increased focus at the home and young people have enjoyed making fruit smoothies. They are developing an increased sense of pride in their healthier lifestyles. Young people are treated with dignity and respect and contact with people important to them is enabled, resulting in meaningful and positive relationships with peers and family members.

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requires improvement

In general, young people’s feedback about living at the home is positive. One young person comments, ‘Staff are fair. They are really good with boundaries. I can make my own decisions, they ask us stuff like colours for the walls and we can choose our own paint.’ Stakeholders in the main are positive about the care young people receive, commenting on good levels of communication from the staff team. Young people are supported to learn skills of negotiation, and staff take an interest in their day-to-day lives. For example, young people receive key worker support to help them understand issues affecting their lives. Staff support young people to act on their wishes and feelings and advocate for themselves, for example, with their social workers. Young people are aware of the home’s complaints policy although they have not used it for some time. They are actively encouraged to have an independent visitor.

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requires improvement

Young people can identify a trusted adult they would confide in should they have a worry. They report they feel safe living at the home and in general they do not engage in behaviour which puts them at risk of harm. There has been a recent rise in incidents where young people go missing from the home. Staff follow the appropriate procedures to help ensure the safety of young people, but the management team has not consistently challenged placing authorities who have not carried out independent return interviews in line with statutory guidance.

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requires improvement

In addition, leaders and managers do not demonstrate a thorough awareness of national or local missing from home protocols or those of the placing authority which young people come from. This means opportunities for information sharing and increased understanding of the reasons why young people go missing from care are diminished.

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requires improvement

Positive behaviour is not always consistently promoted within the home. Behaviour management has not always been implemented effectively as a result of new or agency members of staff not knowing young people’s needs well enough.

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requires improvement

Young people were observed during the inspection not being challenged effectively about their anti-social attitudes or poor language choices. They do not always treat each other or staff with respect. Although there are lots of times young people get on well with each other, lack of challenge of poor language or argumentative attitudes does not help young people develop socially acceptable behaviour.

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requires improvement

On one occasion, a staff member did not act in accordance with the home’s safeguarding policy. Leaders and managers followed appropriate safeguarding procedures when they were made aware of the shortfall, which promoted the safety of young people. There are effective relationships with the local authority designated officer should concerns about staff practice be raised.

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inadequate

The home’s previous Registered Manager left in January 2015. An interim manager is in post who is preparing to submit his application to Ofsted for registration.

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inadequate

The majority of concerns identified as a result of this inspection stem from the recent high turnover in staff. While the provider is proactive in recruiting new staff, young people are currently cared for by a majority of staff who are unfamiliar to the young people, less experienced, in their probationary periods or not yet qualified to the appropriate level.

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inadequate

There is ineffective succession planning due to the high number of staff leaving; as a consequence, young people live in an unstable environment, do not have trusted relationships with staff and are experiencing disruption in their lives. They tend to favour and seek out the manager of the home as one of the staff members they know the most. A young person stated, ‘The manager’s the best, he’s done a good job. I’ve pushed and pushed the boundaries and he stays firm. I know where I stand with him.’ On occasion, the manager has stepped in to cover staff shifts. While this helps ensure continuity of care for young people, it means the manager has reduced time for management and leadership tasks.

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inadequate

New staff receive a basic induction and training before engaging in their role caring for young people. While all staff have mandatory training such as safeguarding and first aid, the current staff team do not have access to a breadth of training to enhance their knowledge and understanding of caring for young people who are looked after. For example, few staff have had training on child sexual exploitation, care planning or attachment. Formal supervision of staff is sporadic and team meetings are infrequent, meaning staff do not have the opportunity to reflect on their practice. There is not yet a cohesive team approach and young people report that care can feel inconsistent.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers acknowledge the current situation and recognise the home’s strengths and weaknesses. They have instigated an action plan which prioritises improving the quality of care and increasing staffing levels. Action planning is done on a short-term basis to ensure the basic needs of young people are met; therefore there is no clear plan for the future development of the home or clear identification of what needs to change to improve the quality of care offered to young people. This has impacted on the effectiveness of the leadership and management in the home.

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inadequate

The manager’s monitoring system has not been effective in identifying how shortfalls in staff practice, for example, a staff member’s lack of understanding of child protection procedures, have been considered in relation to potential gaps in knowledge of other members of staff. Therefore there is limited opportunity to identify areas for development or learn from shortfalls in staff practice. This was also identified as a shortfall at the last inspection.

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inadequate

The management team helps ensure that young people’s individual needs as described in their care plan are met. Record keeping in general is up to date and paints a clear picture of a child’s needs to help inform staff. Where these needs cannot be met, there is insufficient progress, or there is concern about the impact of the mix of children in the home, action is taken to review young people’s care plans. There is little evidence of partnership working or liaison with external agencies or community groups other than with placing authorities. The manager recognises this as an area for improvement.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers are able to demonstrate some positive impact the home has made on the lives of young people. In general, young people’s experiences and behaviour are positive. However, their progress is limited by ineffective leadership and management.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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