Children's Home run by Shropshire Council in Shropshire

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:

 The registered manager does not lead or manage the service in line with the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. This is detrimental to young people‟s progress.

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because:

 Young people are admitted to the home when their needs are outside of the range of services offered by the home, as defined in the statement of purpose.

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because:

 Young people are not encouraged to adopt or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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because:

 Records of physical restraint are not completed in detail and do not include all necessary information.

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because:

 Staff do not receive practice based supervision.

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because:

 The young person‟s guide is not regularly review or updated. It does not include essential information about the day-to-day running of the home.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. This creates a welcoming and homely atmosphere.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff are experienced, knowledgeable and skilled. Their stability as a team provides young people with structure and suitable boundaries.

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The children's home strengths

 When placements are planned, care is personalised to reflect young people‟s individual needs.

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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 meet the health and well-being standard the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(1)(c) children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 01/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b) that the home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 01/02/2016

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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)(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. 01/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. 01/02/2016 Subject to paragraph (6), 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)) 01/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home; a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. (Regulation 22(3)(a)) 01/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 01/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes and required information. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i-viii) 01/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(ii)) 01/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home produces a children‟s guide. The children‟s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 24 paragraph 4.21)

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Recommendations

 When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children's homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for children's homes providers on new duties under regulations that came in to effect in January and April 2014. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 64 paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides short break care and accommodation services for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is owned as operated by a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/02/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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requires improvement

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. This means that they make progress in some aspects of their development because they are able to form suitable and supportive attachments. Where placements are planned, young people receive good quality personalised care that reflects their individual needs. Short break plans are support by statutory care plans when applicable, and include an assessment of young people‟s risk factors and support needs. Records of each placement period provide young people with a comprehensive and reflective account of their stay in the home. This encourages them to recognise and celebrate their achievements. Nevertheless, young people‟s care, progress and overall day-to-day experience is compromised because the service does not consistently follow the aims and objectives of the home as defined in the statement of purpose.

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requires improvement

Staff work with young people, their families, allocated schools and other agencies to provide young people with consistent support and care when they access this short break service. Young people says they appreciate the benefits of being able to have short break placements in the home and recognise the positive impact this has. One young person said: „If it wasn‟t for coming here I‟d be in care all the time. People understand me here and I get the space in need. So does my mum and we get on much better now.‟

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requires improvement

Young people‟s health needs remain the responsibility of their families when they are placed in the home. However, the service does not promote a healthy life-style. This is because some young people as young as 14 are allowed to smoke when they are in placement. Staff do not work with young people to highlight the detrimental impact this has on their health or development.

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requires improvement

Young people are involved in the day-to-day running of the home. They are encouraged to voice their thoughts and suggestions regarding the planning of activities and food menu‟s. They are asked to provide feedback following each placement period. This information is used to structure future visits to ensure their experience of the service continues to reflect their needs. This means that young people‟s views and wishes shape the development of the home.

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requires improvement

Young people receive care from a nurturing and experienced staff team. They are provided with a welcoming and homely environment but are unable to access a telephone without reference to staff. This detracts from the „family‟ atmosphere in the home and compromises young people‟s privacy. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

Young people are not adequately protected from the risk of harm. This is because the service admits young people outside of the agreed statement of purpose. Since the last inspection, a number of young people have accessed the home on a temporary emergency basis. On some occasions, the number of young people admitted in an emergency have outnumber those who are subject to a planned short break stay. In these circumstances, individual risks assessments and compatibility impact assessments are weak and ineffectual. Staff say they are often „unware‟ of the circumstances of emergency admissions and do not receive necessary background information. This means that they are unable to devise suitable risk assessments to protect young people already placed in the home. Furthermore, young people says the nature of some admissions to the home „frightens them‟. One young person said: „Sometimes other kids come in the middle

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requires improvement

of the night and I don‟t like that because I never know who they are or if they will be nice. It can be scary.‟

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requires improvement

A number of young people who access this service present complex risk taking behaviour. These include young people going missing from their family homes and being at risk of exploitation. Although these behaviours have not been observed in this setting, staff work with young people, their families, other agencies and professionals to reduce these risks. Staff encourage young people to recognise their own risks and implement strategies to keep themselves safe. They work with local police and protection services to highlight any young people deemed to be at an increases risk of harm. This integrated and comprehensive approach means that young people become increasingly safe because of accessing this home.

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requires improvement

Staff are trained in physical restraint and de-escalation techniques. The use of restraint and sanctions are rare. Staff use verbal prompts to encourage young people to find alternative ways of managing their frustrations, and they provide clear and consistent boundaries. When restraint is necessary to keep young people safe, records lack detail and are not completed in full. For example, restraint and sanction records do not consistently incudes young people‟s comments and views. This means that the appropriateness of these measures of control are not effectively monitored to protect young people.

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requires improvement

Young people says they understand how to make a complaint and are confident that any issues they raise will be addressed. This transparent approach helps to protects them and promotes their safety. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. There is a location risk assessment in place that highlights some risk factors associated with the surrounding area. However, this lacks specific detail or information relating to open bodies of water in the vicinity or actions taken by the home to reduce these known risks. This potentially compromises young people‟s safety.

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requires improvement

The service benefits from an experienced manager who has been registered with Ofsted since July 2008. He has suitable skills and qualifications for this role and has extensive knowledge of working in and managing residential care services for children and young people. No requirements were made at the last inspection. Since that time, the service has continued to make some developmental progress. However, there are a number of leadership and management shortfalls highlighted at this inspection.

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requires improvement

The registered manager has failed to ensure that the home consistently operates within the limits and parameters of the statement of purpose. This compromises the ability of the service to achieve its aims and objectives, and confuses other professionals. One external professional asked, „Am I right in thinking that the home offers both short breaks and temporary emergency accommodation?‟ This misunderstanding means that the registered manager does not manage the home in a manner to ensure that outcomes are continually achievable. This is detrimental to young people‟s progress. Furthermore, the young people‟s guide to the home is out of date and does not accurately reflect the day-to-day arrangements in the home.

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requires improvement

There have been occasions when young people have been admitted to the home when it is evident that this service cannot meet their individual needs. For example, young people previously unknown to the service have been placed in the home on their release from temporary custody or pending a further court appearance. In these circumstance, the home has been used as a „crash pad‟ until longer-term accommodation can be found or a court decision is made. This compromises the safety and stability of young people accessing the home as part of a planned short break stay. Furthermore, the statement of purpose says that the home will only accommodate one young person as an emergency. This is to facilitate complex work with young people and their families in order to prevent the need for longer-term care. The registered manager continually allows the home to accommodate more than one emergency placement. This contradicts the defined

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requires improvement

purpose of the setting. It means that the needs of young people already known to and accessing this service are not prioritised. Partnership working arrangements are robust and effective when young people access the service as part of a pre-planned short break package. The registered manager is party to twice-weekly panel meetings that assess the suitable of young people to access the service. Other professionals, young people and their families also attend these meetings. This inclusive approach ensures that multidisciplinary decision making processes reflect young people‟s individual needs. These arrangements allow the registered manager to challenge poor practice and make other agencies accountable for their actions. This improves the quality of care young people receive.

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requires improvement

Staff are experienced and long-standing. They have the skills and knowledge necessary to support young people. Training plans are regularly reviewed. Formal supervision occurs each month, although minutes of these meetings are of poor quality. Staff performance is not discussed or evaluated within supervision records. This means that their practice is not effectively monitored.

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requires improvement

The registered manager has a range of monitoring systems in place that highlight the patterns and trends of the service. These include the review of short break plans, gaining feedback from others and evaluating available information, including reports by the independent visitor. However, necessary actions are not taken to address shortfalls. For example, the register manager is aware that the home has been operating outside of the statement of purpose but has not taken steps to prevent this.

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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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