Children's Home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited in Leicestershire

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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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The home has gone through a period of instability since the last inspection. There have been a number of staff changes which has affected the provision of consistent care. Some of the staff changes relate to the registered provider opening another children’s home.  Shortfalls identified during this inspection indicate that some staff do not have relevant experience of working in children’s homes and this is evident in some staff practices. Additionally, some staff do not follow the home’s procedures which calls into question their competency.  The home’s statement of purpose does not include accurate information about services provided. Practice is not always in line with the statement of purpose.  Recruitment practices are not sufficiently robust, as references are not scrutinised to ensure they are from referees detailed in staff’s application forms.  Quality assurance systems are not robust and do not always identify

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

shortfalls in staff practice.  Staff training is not always effective in meeting individual staff member’s training and developmental needs.  The management of medication is not in line with relevant guidance and shortfalls in practice have the potential to affect children and young people’s health.  The management of behaviour is, in some instances, ineffective and the recording of incidents is poor which makes it difficult to assess if incidents have been managed appropriately.

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The children's home strengths

 Children and young people make good progress in all areas of their lives given their starting points.  Children and young people’s safety improves as their risk taking behaviours such as going missing and engaging in criminal activities reduce.  Children and young people are consulted about their care and involved in the running of the home. They feel listened to which helps them to feel valued and means they are able to trust staff.  Attendance at school is good. There is good partnership working between staff and schools and education provisions.  Children and young people are provided with a wide range of leisure activities which they have not had the opportunity previously to engage in. They fully enjoy their different activities.

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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

13. The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(2) (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

(d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(h) ensure that monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home are robust and effective. 31 August

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose provides accurate details of the matters listed in Schedule 1 and that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5)) 31 August

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the safe handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 16 August

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. This is with specific reference to ensuring training provided is appropriate and effective in enabling staff to provide appropriate individualised care. (Regulation 33 (4) (a)) 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 16 August (a) within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home a record is made as detailed in this regulation (b) within 48 hours the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the person to do so – (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3) (a) (b))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This is with specific reference to ensuring appropriate references are obtained and verified. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 ensure that staff are competent in following the home’s policies on record keeping and that they understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children's home is registered to provide care for three children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that the age range will be between 7 and 17 years of age.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained Effectiveness

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Requires Improvement

Children recently admitted to the home have started to settle, are happy and are making progress given their starting points. They are starting to build positive relationships with staff. Social workers, independent reviewing officers and children’s education provisions have all recognised and commented on progress made so far by the children.

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Requires Improvement

The registered manager has addressed the requirement made at the previous inspection regarding admission procedures. Records regarding referrals and pre- admission information as well as documented impact risk assessments are now kept ensuring the admission of children and young people is as smooth as possible.

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Requires Improvement

Children and young people have detailed care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans which are reviewed regularly. However, some records are not always signed and dated by the author and staff do not always sign to say they have read these records. As a result, it is unclear if staff are aware of updates and how these impact on the care.

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Requires Improvement

Children and young people’s health improves. They learn about healthy eating and have routine health appointments. Staff work in partnership with other health professionals to ensure health needs are met. However, the poor time management and organisation of staffing has resulted in a child missing an appointment with the consultant paediatrician. Although this has not had any negative impact on the child, missing medical appointments has the potential to affect a child’s health.

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Requires Improvement

The management of medication does not fully protect children and young people from the risk of harm. Staff have received medication training though shortfalls identified during this inspection calls into question the effectiveness of the training. Shortfalls include leaving the keys in the medicine cabinet door, not being aware that a medication prescribed is a controlled drug and therefore not storing or recording it in line with the relevant guidance and not always administering medication as prescribed. There is no evidence that children and young people have been affected by these incidents of poor practice, although there is the potential for these shortfalls to affect their health.

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Requires Improvement

Children and young people’s attendance at school is good. Staff know the current education levels children are working towards and support them with their homework. Feedback from schools and education provisions is positive about the progress children have made since living at the home but they have raised concerns about staff being late to collect children for medical appointments. Additionally, some staff did not have their identification badges when they have collected the children. This demonstrates a lack of awareness of basic safeguarding practices by some staff.

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Requires Improvement

Staff support children and young people to pursue their individual leisure interests and hobbies. They are given many opportunities to try new activities which they may not have had the chance to try in the past. Since living at the home some children have joined a range of clubs including football, kickboxing and they also play basketball. Some have learnt to swim in a very short space of time which they are proud of and thoroughly enjoy the activity. Some young people recently went on holiday with staff which gave them the opportunity to spend time together before they moved onto other placements or moved back to live with their families.

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Requires Improvement

Children and young people are consulted about the daily running of the home and their future’s. This includes discussing menus, activities and the décor of the home. As a result, they feel listened to which helps to improve their self-esteem and builds up trust with staff.

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Requires Improvement

Staff provide practical as well as emotional support in enabling children and young people to maintain their relationships with their families and people who are important to them.

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Requires Improvement

Some children and young people have received a good standard of individualised care during their time living here. One young person who lived at the home for a number of years and has recently moved back to their family has made good progress. They have learnt to take on responsibility for their actions; they have become more independent and confident and now have a clear career path to follow. The young person’s social worker stated ‘the young person’s confidence has grown with support from staff at the home to catch the bus independently and access education and social activities.’ This same young person has a place at college to study applied sciences with a view to going to University.

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Requires Improvement

Children and young people become safer whilst living here. Their risk taking behaviours including going missing, engagement in criminal activities and substance misuse, reduce given their starting points. They are able to raise any concerns they may have with staff which helps to protect them from the risk of harm and abuse. A young person commented in one of the home’s consultation surveys that they feel safe ‘because of staff’ and ‘I feel that I trust staff more.’

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Requires Improvement

Staff work hard to enable children and young people to change their inappropriate behaviours. They work collaboratively with a range of professionals and with an external psychological service who the registered provider has commissioned. As a result, their behaviours improve given their starting points. Children and young people are consulted about the use of sanctions which they think will help them to change their behaviours. This is good practice and is proving to be effective. However, some staff lack experience in managing incidents, and recording of these is poor. For example, staff failed to intervene promptly during a second incident between the same two children. Although they were not hurt, the incident may have been avoided if staff had worked with the children separately. Records are often unclear if physical intervention has been used. For example, one report stated a member of staff ‘removed’ a child. Poor recording does not help the

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Requires Improvement

registered manager accurately assess if the management of incidents is appropriate and safe.

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Requires Improvement

Recruitment checks are carried out for new staff but references are not always suitably scrutinised. For example, a reference received did not correspond with the name of the referee detailed in the application form; it is unclear in what capacity the referee knew the member of staff.

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Requires Improvement

At the last inspection a requirement was made to keep detailed records of all child protection incidents including referrals made to the local authority designated officer (LADO). The registered manager has addressed this by keeping a file with detailed records of all incidents. This helps to ensure the LADO has the relevant information to make appropriate decisions. As a result, children and young people are better safeguarded.

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Requires Improvement

Staff receive child protection training and they are clear about their responsibilities in reporting any child protection issues. The registered manager works closely with the LADO where child protection concerns arise. This helps to protect children and young people from harm.

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Requires Improvement

Children and young people rarely go missing due to the high levels of staff supervision and the security of the premises. Relevant protocols, including the joint local police protocol, and individual’s risk assessments, include actions to follow in the event of a child or young person going missing.

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Requires Improvement

The management of health and safety is good and helps to keep children, young people and staff safe. Installations and equipment are serviced as required. Staff carry out a range of daily, weekly and monthly health and safety checks including weekly testing of the fire alarms. Children and young people know the fire procedures and have regular fire drills. A location suitability risk assessment helps to protect children and young people from the risk of harm.

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Requires Improvement

The manager has worked at the home since September 2014 and has recently been registered with Ofsted. She has many years’ experience of working with children and young people in different settings. She is currently undertaking the Level 5 in leadership and management. She is working hard to make the much- needed improvements in the home but organisational priorities have impacted on her time and affected her ability to promptly address all shortfalls.

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Requires Improvement

Staff spoke highly about the registered manager. They say she is very approachable and her management style is supportive and encouraging. They say she has made a difference at the home and has supported staff through the recent period of staff changes.

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Requires Improvement

There have been a number changes in the staff team since the last inspection leading to periods of instability within the team. Some staff left and some new staff have been employed. The opening of another home by the registered provider in May 2015 affected the stability of the staff team and the provision of consistent care because a number of staff moved to work at the new home. Each home now has a core group of staff working with children and young people which provides some consistency.

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Requires Improvement

Some staff have either limited or no experience of working in children’s homes and with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. This has resulted in some shortfalls in practice particularly in the management of behaviour and the recording of information. Although staff have received a range of mostly on-line mandatory training this does not appear to have addressed their individual needs. Shortfalls identified during this inspection call into question the effectiveness of the training.

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Requires Improvement

Staff are required to read and sign all care records including care plans, risk assessments and other related documents. However, not all staff read and sign the records in a timely manner as required. This means that staff may not know what the current needs of children and young people are and how to meet them. The registered manager is in the process of updating the statement of purpose. The current statement has some conflicting information, for example, it includes different information in relation to age ranges provided for. It also contains details of the previous registered manager. These discrepancies do not give accurate details to key stakeholders. Practice is not always in line with the statement of purpose, for example, new staff do not receive fortnightly supervision as detailed.

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Requires Improvement

There is a range of quality assurance systems to monitor the provision of care. An independent visitor undertakes monthly visits and sends copies of their reports to Ofsted as required. Monitoring activities have not identified the shortfalls found during this inspection and this therefore calls into question the effectiveness of these monitoring systems including the monthly visits by the independent visitor.

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Requires Improvement

Staff receive supervision which they find beneficial in helping them develop their skills and knowledge. Regular staff meetings provide the opportunity for staff to discuss children and young people’s care, policies and procedures and staff development. These help to improve consistency in the care provided.

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Requires Improvement

Staffing levels at the home are flexible and are responsive to children and young people’s presenting concerns. Staff rotas now accurately reflect actual hours worked by staff which addresses the requirement made at the last inspection.

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Requires Improvement

Staff work closely with partner agencies which helps to ensure children and young people’s holistic needs are identified and met. Feedback received from social workers and education provisions highlights that staff communicate well with them.

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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

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