Children's Home run by Platform Childcare Ltd in Staffordshire

Inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected. Their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. Their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people are not kept safe. Their welfare is not promoted or protected.  Risk assessments are ineffective.  Staff fail to take effective action when there are serious concerns about young people’s welfare.  Young people’s moves are poorly planned and assessed.  Child protection policies are not implemented effectively in relation to allegations against staff, missing from home, and behaviour management.  Communication with placing authorities and other agencies, including the police, is poor.  Young people do not have access to the services they need. There is insufficient challenge of this by the home.  Young people make inadequate progress in their education.  Management oversight, monitoring and review are poor.  Staff lack key skills and do not meet the needs of each young person.  Staff are not safely vetted prior to working in the home.  There are significant shortfalls in relation to the home’s statement of

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

purpose  The arrangements for handling medication are wholly inadequate.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff talk positively about the support they receive from the current manager.

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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

5. Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, with particular reference to the arrangements for the provision of education, the registered person must ensure that staff-

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Requirement Due date

(a) seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plan

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Requirement Due date

(b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs

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Requirement Due date

(c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority's or a relevant person's performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child's needs are met in accordance with the child's relevant plans. 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to children's welfare, the registered provider must ensure that staff:-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)(ii) protect and promote each child's welfare. 06/11/15 8. The education standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard the registered provider must ensure that staff:-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans. 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard, with particular reference to behaviour, the registered person must ensure that: -

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Requirement Due date

(1)(b) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour. 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to risk assessment, helping children and taking action, the registered provider must ensure that staff:-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child

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Requirement Due date

(ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe

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Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. 06/11/15

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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 with particular reference to staff skills and monitoring and review systems 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

(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home 06/11/15 (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to induction, the registered person must ensure that arrangements are in place:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)(i) to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement of purpose within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(5)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home. (Regulation 23(1)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children's home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34(1)(b)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the missing child policy") setting out the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(b)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)) 06/11/15 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person 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. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person's report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being. (Regulation 44 (4) (a) and (b)) 06/11/15

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)) 06/11/15

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):    The registered person should agree with their local police force, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 47 paragraph 9.40)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records of restraint are kept and enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 49 paragraph 9.59) 

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to 2 children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private provider.

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Recent inspection history

The home was registered in April 2015. This is the first inspection.

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inadequate

Young people make inadequate progress in key aspects of their life. The majority of young people do not engage effectively in education. For some, this is as a direct result of a lack of support from staff who do not help them to achieve their education and training targets. For example, one young person was unable to attend college, as a form had not been completed. This significantly limits the progress young people can make and fails to prepare them adequately for their future. A young person comments, ‘I want to do psychiatric nursing but am worried as I have missed so much college now.’ A social worker confirmed this stating, ‘I feel there should be more work on supporting education’.

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inadequate

Impact assessments completed before young people move to the home fail to address key issues. They do not sufficiently evaluate the impact for all young people, or ensure that staff have the skills to meet their needs. This failure to plan for admission to the home has on one occasion led to a significant deterioration in young people’s behaviour.

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inadequate

Staff do not engage young people effectively and lack key skills. For example, they do not appropriately support young people who display challenging behaviour. This affects the quality of the relationships young people have with staff as they are not based on an understanding of acceptable behaviour. Staff fail to implement the home’s behaviour management policy which outlines how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted. A social worker reflects, ‘they did not do much with the young person…my observations were that staff were quite passive. There were inappropriate jokes between young people and their language was inappropriate. Staff did not challenge this.’ This impacts on young people’s experiences, and their feelings of safety. For some young people this leads to increased involvement with the police. This is compounded as the manager has not agreed with local police, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home.

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inadequate

Some young people have left the home in an emergency due to their behaviour. This impacts on their emotional well-being, sense of stability, and the options available to them in the future.

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inadequate

Staff fail to ensure young people have access to the services they need. This includes access to mental health support. As a result, young people do not receive the support they need. This impacts on their well-being and the progress they can make. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

Staff fail to take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a young person’s welfare. This places young people at significant risk. They are not kept safe. Their welfare is not protected or promoted.

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Inadequate

Risks are not identified, understood or managed. Risk assessments are wholly inadequate. They do not assess whether young people are at risk of harm. They do not take into account relevant information and do not make adequate arrangements to reduce the risk of harm. Other key records are also not kept up to date. In addition, the manager fails to ensure that staff have appropriate skills in key areas of safeguarding. For example, some staff have not had training in relation to child sexual exploitation. This limits their understanding and reduces the support young people receive.

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Inadequate

Staff do not address safeguarding issues effectively with young people. As a result, they fail to help young people understand how to keep safe. A social worker comments, ‘I think more could be done by the home to offer support to young people after certain events.’ Furthermore, the manager has failed to ensure placing authorities are effectively involved in young people’s care. This is exacerbated by ineffective relationships with other agencies including the police. As a consequence of this, key information is not shared. This fails to protect young people or identify adults who may pose a risk to them.

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Inadequate

Allegations against staff are not dealt with in line with the procedures in the home’s child protection policy. Specifically the manager fails to keep, ‘a clear and comprehensive summary of any allegation made’ and the subsequent actions taken. This causes confusion. It is unclear whether young people’s concerns are accurately recorded. This does not ensure that young people’s complaints are heard and that safeguarding procedures are rigorous and effective to protect young people.

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Inadequate

Young people continue to go missing. For some young people the frequency reduces overall, for others it remains static. Staff do not consistently implement the home’s missing child policy. For example, staff do not always follow young people, or intervene effectively. This does not show young people they are cared for. Furthermore, young people do not routinely have access to independent return interviews after they have been missing. Staff do not challenge placing authorities effectively in relation to this. As a result, young people do not have the opportunity to express any concerns they may have. This reduces the safeguards available to them. Staff are not safely vetted prior to working in the home. Specifically, if a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, verification is not sought of the reason why the employment or position ended. In addition, one staff file did not contain proof of their identity including a

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Inadequate

recent photograph, or a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment. This does not protect young people from potentially unsafe adults working in the home.

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Inadequate

The arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping and safe administration of medication are inadequate. For example, young people are encouraged to keep their own medication. Risk assessments clearly outline steps that must be taken in order to achieve this safely. These steps are not followed. This places young people’s health at risk.

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inadequate

The home was first registered in April 2015. The registered manager has recently left the home. The current manager has been promoted from the role of deputy and has been in her new post since August. She is appropriately experienced and qualified and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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inadequate

Management oversight is poor. Managers do not use effective monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements. For example, formal ‘quality of care reviews’ are ineffective and fail to monitor or evaluate the care provided for young people. Key issues are not addressed, including significant safeguarding concerns. Reports produced by the home’s independent person are inadequate. The manager fails to help the independent person to effectively interview young people, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home. In addition, the reports do not evaluate the home’s response to significant issues. This does not allow the independent person to assess whether young people are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes their welfare.

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inadequate

As a consequence of these shortfalls managers do not understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, they do not understand the impact that the quality of care has on young people’s progress and experiences. As a result, they are unable to use this understanding to inform the development of the service provided by the home. Young people’s progress is limited because of this.

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inadequate

Physical restraint is rarely used by staff. However, records lack clarity. This does not allow the manager to identify effective practice or respond promptly when concerns emerge. Consequently, practice cannot be amended to meet young people’s needs.

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inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose does not provide adequate information for young people, families, or professionals. It fails to accurately describe the therapeutic support that is available to young people. Specifically it states that the home offers a, ‘high quality therapeutic living environment’ and that, ‘the home can employ various therapeutic techniques’. This is inaccurate. As a result, the home is not being conducted in a manner consistent with its statement of purpose. This has the potential to cause confusion for placing authorities and impact negatively on young people. Finally, revisions of the statement of purpose are not sent to HMCI, Ofsted. This limits the oversight of the home between inspections.

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inadequate

Staff talk positively about the supervision they receive from the current manager and feel that improvements have been made in this regard. The manager also comments positively about her own supervision arrangements. This ensures that staff feel well supported.

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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