Children's Home run by Lifeworks Charity Limited in Devon

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:

 Staff do not comprehensively record the use of force and restrictive practice. The manager does not sufficiently monitor the restraint records and young people are not involved in discussions following the use of restraint.  The manager does not obtain all the necessary recruitment and vetting details for agency staff that work at the home to ensure that only suitable people are employed.  The home provides a permanent residence for two young people as well as a short break service for eight. One of the permanent residents shares their accommodation with young people receiving short breaks. The living environment for this young person is not homely and personalised.  The manager does not complete pre-admission risk assessments for young people joining the service.  The manager does not ensure that all staff frequent regular professional supervision.  The manager does not review the home’s statement of purpose regularly

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because:

and has not submitted the document to HMCI.

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The children’s home strengths

 The young people access a wide range of stimulating experiences and social interaction opportunities which may otherwise not be available to them. They enjoy short breaks and living at the home.  The leaders and managers are developing the home and the oversight of the service is more rigorous. New initiatives in place to include the young people and their families in the operation of the home.  The staff provide a good level of safe care and know the young people well. They cater for a diverse range of needs and personalities. Staff are aware of the reasons why young people with disabilities are more vulnerable than others.

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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

In order to meet the quality and purpose standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (2) (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. 31/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (2) (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. 31/10/2015

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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 (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; with reference to completing admission risk assessments for all emergency placements. 31/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— (3) (a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 31/10/2015 (3) (a) (b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only — (2)(a) employ an individual to work at the children's home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that — (d) 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)) 31/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) 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— (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to

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Requirement Due date

do so ("the authorised person")— (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3 (a)(i-vii), (b) (ii) and (c)) 31/10/2015

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a charitable trust, providing care and accommodation for children and young people on both a long term basis and for short stay breaks. The home provides eight short break and two residential placements for children and young people who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or a sensory impairment.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/03/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

06/11/2013 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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Requires improvement

The staff do not provide separate accommodation for young people who live at the home on a permanent basis from those who attend for respite care. Young people who live in the home on a permanent basis do not benefit from living in a homely and personalised environment.

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Requires improvement

Staff care and support young people with dignity and respect. Staff effectively promote the young people’s health needs and involve them in choices about their stay. For example, young people can help themselves to snacks and decide what they would like to do each evening. The young people who receive short breaks make progress in their development and further their skills because of their stay. For example, their ability to dress and wash themselves and help to prepare meals. They also benefit from developing their social skills alongside peers and enjoy playing in the local parks and the activity room. One young person takes part in a community football club and enjoys acting out his footballing aspirations using his X-box games. The young people enjoyed many fun activities over the recent summer holidays through trips with staff to the beach, the zoo, leisure parks and local festivals.

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Requires improvement

A core staff team is allocated to each young person, which ensures staff have the necessary skills and a familiar relationship to make the young person’s stay enjoyable. The staff meet the daily needs of the young people’s routine, privacy and personal care. As a result young people develop a safe and secure attachment with someone who knows them well. Parents state that their children are happy to come to the home. They are also impressed by the skills and attitude of the staff and feel that their child is very well cared for.

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Requires improvement

The young people have individualised care plans tailored to their health and behavioural needs. Staff use the documents effectively to ensure that young people receive a personalised care routine. Staff conduct visual checks of the young people throughout the night and use audio monitors, where agreed as appropriate, which ensures that the young people’s wellbeing is sensitively and discreetly observed at all times of the day.

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Requires improvement

The staff work closely with parents to ensure that the young people are helped and kept safe during difficult family situations. The staff advocate for the young people and have also arranged access to an advocacy service for them. The manager robustly acts on complaints and comments from parents to develop staff’s future practice. An initiative has been started to ensure that the views of the young people are captured and used in the running of the home. A senior member of care staff has set up a ‘My Voice Matters’ forum, to encourage young people to communicate and express more choices. So far, the young people have chosen to have a luminous toy snail in each of their bedrooms. The forum will also help to ensure that the forms of communication used by the young people are consistent across all of their settings. The staff are dedicated to their role and take part in community based projects as well as fundraising events for the home.

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requires improvement

Records of incidents are unsatisfactory. On numerous occasions it is not clear if staff use force or restrictive practice to manage young people’s behaviour. Some entries in the incident record state that physical intervention was used and this has not been recorded as a restraint. Records do not always contain the necessary description of why the measure was necessary and is not followed up appropriately to protect the young people and ensure their welfare is promoted. The manager does not review the restraint records and does not ensure that the young people are consulted following each event.

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requires improvement

The recruitment vetting details for agency staff are incomplete and do not safeguard the young people. The manager does not ensure that he has the full employment history and confirmation of the reference checks for the agency staff employed. Employment checks for staff who are directly employed by the service are complete and in good order.

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requires improvement

The young people do not go missing from the home due to the high staffing levels and the sense of safety they feel when staying at the home. The staff do not use negative consequences for poor behaviour as they understand that these would have little meaning for the young people and would not be effective. Many of the young people have a positive support plan, which helps staff be consistent in their response to managing difficult outbursts. Staff encourage young people to make positive choices through gentle persuasion and constant re-assurance. Managers and staff identify trends in the young people’s behaviour and take action to reduce risk to others.

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requires improvement

The manager reports any safeguarding concerns to the appropriate parties, which ensures that information is shared accordingly to protect the young people. Judgement grade

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requires improvement

The manager does not regularly review the home’s statement of purpose. The admission process as stated in this document is not always followed by the manager. For example, an emergency admission risk assessment was not completed for a young person who recently moved in. Consequently, the manager cannot demonstrate that the home only accepts young people who are assessed as compatible with others and whose needs staff are able to meet.

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requires improvement

The manager does not ensure that all staff, including agency staff who work at the home regularly, receive regular professional supervision. Therefore, staff are not supported and suitably guided in their role and do not receive sufficient opportunity for feedback on their practice.

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requires improvement

The Registered Manager has resigned from his post and is due to officially leave shortly after this inspection. A temporary manager has been appointed to replace him. The current Registered Manager had been in post for 14 years and has the necessary qualifications for the role. There is a good transition arrangement in place to ensure that the home has suitable managerial cover while a new permanent manager is appointed.

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requires improvement

The independent visitor’s inspections take place regularly and are generally comprehensive. The Director of Operations and the interim manager are working closely to use these reports to ensure that the service provided to young people improves.

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requires improvement

The home’s service development plan recognises shortfalls in practice and has plans in place to address them; for example, plans are in place to ensure consistency of staffing and a reduction in the use of agency staff. The plan details improvement objectives and plans to monitor the evidence of their impact on young people; such as, a new outcomes monitoring framework which sets out to achieve ambitious and aspirational targets for young people.

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requires improvement

The daily staffing levels are sufficient to provide safe care to the young people. Staff are trained to meet the specific needs of the young people and there is a current programme for all staff to receive further bespoke disability and child protection training. New staff complete a thorough induction package including shadowing experienced staff and completing a reflective journal.

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requires improvement

The interim manager leads and motivates the staff team effectively. Senior staff are delegated responsibilities and provided with allocated time to complete new roles. They oversee projects which are aimed at promoting the inclusion of the young people and their families and further developing the child centred approach of the home.

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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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