Children's Home run by Kids in South Gloucestershire

Requires improvement

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:

 The home requires refurbishment to bring it up to a good standard. The bathroom has ongoing maintenance issues to be addressed and most areas of the home require redecoration.  The quality of soft furnishings in children and young people’s bedrooms is poor. Curtains and bedding are well-worn and dreary.  Behaviour management records are poor. These do not reflect how incidents are managed, they lack transparency and are incomplete There is scope for poor practice to go unchecked.  The Registered Manager has not undertaken a review of the location of the home to measure if children and young people are effectively safeguarded.  Supervision of agency staff does not take place despite their consistent use. Young people are cared for by agency staff that are unaccountable and not given the opportunity to reflect on practice.  Systems put in place by the Registered Manager to monitor the home are

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because:

ineffective. Consultation with young people, their parents and placing authorities does not inform the monitoring of the home.  Independent visits to the home are weakened as consultation does not take place with families, relatives or placing authorities. Reports are descriptive and lack an analysis to determine if children and young people are receiving quality care and effectively safeguarded.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people receive care from staff who know them well. Communication with young people takes place in their preferred method, so that children and young people are listened to.   Working in collaboration with other professionals is strength. This contributes to children and young people being safeguarded.   The staff team is stabilising and there is a permanent Registered Manager in post committed to improvement.

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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

6: the quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff protect and promote each child's welfare. This specifically relates to the quality of behaviour management records that are designed to describe incidents young people have been involved in.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that all employees receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. This specifically relates to the supervision of agency staff.

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

ensure if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. This specifically relates to consulting with parents and relatives of young people.

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, 20/08/2015 its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it, and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided.

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Requirement Due date

ensure the system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purpose of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement 12 (2) (c)

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure young people are provided with a home where the environment is welcoming and nurturing. Paying particular attention to improve the soft furnishings in young people’s bedrooms and redecoration of the home (The Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards (3.7))

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Information about this children's home

This is a private short break children’s home which is charity run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than 7 children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. It may only accommodate children or young adults under short break arrangements.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/11/2014 CH - Interim declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

28/02/2014 CH - Interim Inadequate Progress

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requires improvement

Children and young people are not provided with a good enough physical environment. Some repairs in the bathroom have taken place however there are repairs that remain outstanding and affect the look of the home.

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requires improvement

Bedrooms appear uninviting despite some effort to paint child friendly murals on the walls. Curtains need replacing and bedding is not of good quality. There is no indication how bedrooms have been personalised. This impacts on the how the home appears to welcome children and young people to their short break.

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requires improvement

The development plan identifies the need for refurbishment however this is dependent on funding. There is no timescale for works to be completed.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager plans to introduce a goals and achievements programme for children and young people measured by keyworkers This is yet to be implemented.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has visited all families to update children and young people’s care plans and risk assessments. Care plans are individual to the child and young person. This means staff are equipped with information to provide a personalised care package.

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requires improvement

Children and young people receive care from staff who know them well. Communication with children and young people takes place in their preferred method and children are listened to. Children and young people appear comfortable and relaxed in the home.  Consultation with children and young people about their care is carried out informally. Pictorial choice boards in the home assist young people to make choices about their day-to-day living such as activities and menu choices. Strategic development of the home does not routinely happen in consultation with children and young people.

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requires improvement

Staff have are getting better at involving parents in their child’s care during their short break. A parent said ‘communication with me is very good and the format better, they are more open to us talking to them now.’ This evidences some improvement to provide consistency of care for children and young people.

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requires improvement

Staff have developed their practice to work collaboratively with other professionals. A professional stated ‘in the last 6 months the home now has good key staff who are motivated to work with us to meet the young people’s needs.’

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requires improvement

Children and young people experience a range of activities during their short break such as bicycle care, arts and crafts, football, trips to the beach and youth club. These opportunities enhance children’s and young people’s life experiences.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has not completed a review of the location of the home to assess its suitability. Data from other agencies about potential risks in the area have not been sourced. Staff do not understand the risks associated to the local area. This aspect has not been explored in relation to safeguarding children.

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requires improvement

Staff fail to maintain suitable records. Some records have been started and not finished, the dates of these do not correspond to behaviour recorded in daily records. Key information is absent on incident records about the behaviour displayed. Staff support or intervention in incidents is not clearly recorded. The records refer to young people being ‘moved away’ but there is no physical intervention recorded to detail this more specifically. Failure to record accurate detailed information impacts on the homes ability to find safe and positive strategies to manage children and young people’s behaviour. There is no opportunity to monitor and asses the approaches used. Therefore there is scope for unsafe methods to go unchecked.

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requires improvement

Risk assessments are personal to each child or young person receiving care from the home. Risk assessments are proportionate and do not limit the experiences children and young people can have. Particularly for one young person who has become socially isolated the risk assessment allows them to continue to receive a service with other young people with an increased staffing ratio.

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requires improvement

Staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures and how these need to be followed when necessary. Staff show ability to advocate for children and young people when they are concerned about their welfare. Working together with other agencies has worked well to produce specialist support packages of care to children and young people and their families. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

Monitoring by the Registered Manager does not identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home. There is no analysis of information to suggest the impact of practice on children and young people. Consultation with children and young people, their parents and placing authorities does not inform the monitoring of the home. Learning and improvement is limited due to the quality of information being monitored.

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requires improvement

Monitoring of behaviour management by the Registered Manager is weak. The Registered Manager monitors some records whilst others are missed. The procedure for notifying the Registered Manager of incidents is ineffective. The current process means monitoring of behaviour management is a challenge for the Registered Manager because the recorded information lacks the required detail. This diminishes the opportunity for learning from such monitoring which means care cannot be improved. Furthermore, children and young people are not safeguarded as the Registered Manager does not have sufficient information to review care and challenge practice.

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requires improvement

Poor quality independent person monitoring visits take place. This means the quality of care and whether children and young people are effectively safeguarded cannot be measured. Reports lack impact and do not inform the Registered Manager on how to improve the home. Consultation with parents, families and placing authorities is not undertaken. As a result, the independent visit fails to provide a voice for people who are advocates for the children and young people receiving a short break. This is a concern where for some children and young people communicating verbally is a barrier.

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requires improvement

Children and young people are being cared for by some staff who do not have the opportunity to reflect on their practice in supervision. The Registered Manager has no system for ensuring staff recruited through an agency have appropriate meaningful supervision. These staff lack accountability in the care they are providing to children and young people. In addition there is no opportunity for practice to be challenged or reflected upon, neither are they developed.

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requires improvement

Established staff benefit from a management structure and monthly supervision. This staff group are developed and do have the opportunity to reflect on practice. Supervision is of reasonable quality and records show children and young people are the focus of these sessions.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has completed a review of the care children and young people are receiving. This involved visiting parents and building relationships. Parents feel ‘the manager is approachable; you can speak to him about anything.’ This shows children and young people’s care and relationships is a priority for the Registered Manager in his new role.

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requires improvement

The Statement of Purpose has recently been amended in line with the new legislative framework. It clearly describes how the home plans to operate and offers a transparency to children and young people, parents, commissioners and other stakeholders.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager is becoming established in his post, he is suitability qualified for the role. Priorities such as establishing a consistent staff team are starting to come to fruition. Continuation of this plan will provide children and young people care from a stable and consistent staff team.

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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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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