Children's Home run by Island Choices Ltd in Isle of Wight

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:

 Staffing levels at the Millward Road site have not been adequately risk assessed. Lone working policies do not reflect the implications of one member of staff being on duty with two young people for whole shifts.  Managers within the home do not have sufficient records of agreements with partner agencies. Of particular note is the lack of written agreements from social workers for responses to missing from care, for those who are over 18.  Risk assessments regarding holidays, including meeting with the Registered Managers family, and trips and short breaks to the organisations caravan, are not robust. They do not cover the implications of meeting staff’s family members or lone working away from the homes.  Pre-employment checks are not clearly recorded and therefore cannot be confirmed to have taken place. This particularly relates to verification of references and explanations of gaps in employment.

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because:

 Young people’s in-house care plans do not consider individual’s culture and identity beyond their religion and ethnicity. Additionally they do not consider the risk of inappropriate views from friends and family influences.  Young people’s views are not consistently recorded in relation to sanctions or restraint, regarding their impact and effectiveness.  Reports in relation to visits conducted under Regulation 44 are weak. They lack challenge and evaluation of the service provided.  Policies in relation to missing from care and safeguarding do not include sexual or other forms of exploitation. Additionally the e-safety policy does not address the use of small devices, such as smart phones or tablets.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff have some very strong relationships with young people. They are consistent in their approach to behaviour management and rebuilding and repairing relationships post incident.  Responses to incidents of young people being missing are robust. Staff liaise with local specialist officers and search for individuals in known locations. They continue to look for those who are missing overnight, often bringing them home in the early hours of the morning.  Young people make some good progress while living in the homes. Behaviour often improves and incidents of missing or drug and alcohol misuse reduce during their placements.  Young people who are preparing to move on to adulthood have the opportunity of living in the basement flat within the home. This benefits from its own kitchenette, affording individuals the opportunity to learn independence and budgeting in a supportive environment.

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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

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met 5. In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard the registered person must ensure that staff: (a) seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans; and (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.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

6. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(b) (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background.

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Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure: (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. 30 September (Regulation 12 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(d) the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child.

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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 within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual employed in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure when they prepare and implement a child protection, safeguarding or missing policy it includes reference to signs of exploitation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of any measure of restraint or control (including sanctions), the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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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

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 Children's home staff should take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child's needs and developmental-stage about when to allow a child to take a particular risk or follow a particular course of action. Staff should discuss the decision with the child's placing authority where appropriate. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.7)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in regulation at least once every six months. The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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Recommendations

 Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home's care. (The Guide to Quality Standards, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered for up to eight young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The main premises accommodates four young people as does the satellite home which is a short distance away. There are currently two young people living in this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

14/01/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement

Young people have some very strong relationships with staff. They talk positively about them and choose who to approach to have various needs met. For example a young person commented they would go to an individual as they know they would do arts and crafts with them, another to do baking and another if they were worried or upset.

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requires improvement

Staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management and young people know what is expected of them. Staff work as a team to rebuild and repair relationships post incident and do not dwell on past issues. Records of sanctions do not always capture young people’s views, despite them saying they have spoken with staff about them.

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requires improvement

Young people make some good progress while living in the homes. Incidents of missing, offending or drug and alcohol misuse often reduce during their placements, through both staff support and engagement with specialist agencies. Social workers also talk positively of progress young people make and the quality of care they received while living in the homes.

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requires improvement

Most young people are engaged in education and are progressing in line with their peers. One young person struggles to engage in formal education and the home works closely with the placing authority education team. However, this has been unsuccessful in securing an education or training placement for the upcoming academic year. Young people engage in a range of socially and emotionally stimulating activities to complement their education. Young people say they are happy with the activities that are on offer. A young person did raise that, due to staffing, all activities have to be arranged in advance. This is a limitation that young people on one site regularly experience.

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requires improvement

Young people’s views are actively sought through regular meetings and individual sessions. They are encouraged to attend their statutory reviews and share their views and ideas for their futures. When these cannot be acted upon staff clearly explain the reasons why. Young people know how to complain and who to complain to. Any issues have been investigated appropriately and to the complainant’s satisfaction. Young people are encouraged to maintain appropriate friendships and relationships and contact is facilitated as agreed.

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requires improvement

Young people mostly enjoy good physical health. They are supported to understand healthy life styles and what this means for them. They have the opportunity to engage with professionals about their emotional well-being, drug misuse or smoking cessation. Young people attend all routine appointments, encouraged by staff when they are reluctant to attend.

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requires improvement

Young people who are preparing to move on to adulthood have the opportunity of living in the basement flat within one of the homes. This benefits from its own kitchenette, affording individuals the opportunity to learn independence and budgeting in a supportive environment. In addition, young people undertake AQA qualifications related to independent skills. Those who have moved on to independence remain in contact with staff in the homes.

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requires improvement

Young people all identify someone they would go to if they are worried or upset. They feel staff care about their welfare and safety and help them to understand how to keep themselves safer. Staff have a sound understanding of each young person’s vulnerabilities and what may place them at risk, both in the home and community. Behaviours that place young people at risk, such as substance misuse and being missing have significantly reduced for most individual’s during their placements.

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requires improvement

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and processes to follow should they be concerned for a young person’s welfare or well-being. However, their own professional boundaries are slightly blurred, for example by the use of personal mobile phones to contact young people while on shift. Staff have benefitted from training in safeguarding and child protection and covered topics including female genital mutilation. They are enthused by this training and are keen to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. However some areas are lacking such as training in exploitation and extremism. Policies in the home are clear and detail processes for staff to follow in the event of a concern. However they do not refer to exploitation in any form. Additionally the e-safety policy is not robust and does not include the use of hand held devices such as smart phones and tablets.

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requires improvement

Young people do go missing from care on occasion or do not return at agreed times. Staff follow robust processes in this instance which are tailored to individual vulnerabilities and need. Staff search for young people in known locations over the night and early hours of the morning. Staff collect young people who have been missing, no matter what time of day it is. They work well with specialist partner agencies, including the police, social workers, exploitation charities and advocacy services to support and protect young people. Some young people who are over 18 are not contacted overnight if they are missing at the direction of their social workers. However their agreement has not been put in writing, potentially causing confusion.

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requires improvement

Thoughtful risk assessments focus on risk reduction and allow young people to take age-appropriate risks. However, assessments of some activities, specifically holidays, including meeting with the Registered Managers family, and trips and short breaks to the organisations caravan are incomplete. While assessments are in place they do not consider the implications (e.g. the emotional impact) of young people meeting staffs’ family members or lone working away from the homes. Further there is no written consent to the trips from social workers or parents, as required. Staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management. They have all recently had training in a recognised de-escalation and restraint programme. Young people are supported to understand what the behaviour causing concern is and how to modify this. Post incident, staff reflect with young people and provide consistent messages, particularly where damage to the homes remains evident.

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requires improvement

They do not dwell on incidents, including when they have been injured, and continue to work with individuals in a caring and professional manner. Young people are protected from avoidable hazards within the home through regular checks of fire and health and safety systems. Recruitment is mostly robust. Some staff files do not clearly demonstrate that references have been verified by telephone or that gaps in employment have even explored.

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requires improvement

The home is run by an appropriately-qualified Registered Manager who has been in post since August 2009. She was not available during the inspection and in her absence the deputy manager effectively runs the home. As a team they recognise most of the strengths and weaknesses within the home and have formed a development plan which reflects this. Managers monitoring is comprehensive, but lacks evaluation and direction of how the service for young people can be improved. Reports by the independent visitor in relation to Regulation 44 are extremely weak. They do not provide sufficient challenge to the organisation or a rigorous assessment of the home's safeguarding or promotion of young people’s welfare. This has contributed to the many shortfalls identified at this inspection. The deputy manager rectified many weaknesses identified, during the inspection.

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requires improvement

Staff have a good understanding of the homes ethos and purpose and understand their roles in providing a caring and nurturing environment. They say they are well trained and can approach managers with any ideas, worries or concerns. They are supported through regular supervisions which provide appropriate challenge. In addition they receive an annual appraisal of their skills and practice and find this useful. An area of concern is that, due to annual leave, on occasion a family member working in the organisation may supervise another member of staff they are related to. This can lead to a lack of transparency and appropriate challenge. The home’s Statement of Purpose is comprehensive and reflective of the service provided. This has not been forwarded to Ofsted annually, however.

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requires improvement

The two homes in the organisation share staff, ensuring continuity of care, as gaps in the rota are covered by individuals the young people know. Staffing levels are not implicitly clear in the Statement of Purpose. This is with specific regard to one member of staff caring for two young people for whole shifts in one of the homes. The lone working policy does not reflect this practice and it is not risk assessed for the safety of both young people and staff. A young person commented they struggled with this arrangement as if one of the young people wants to go out, the other also has go. She feels this prevents some of the ad hoc activities she can do, as they need to plan in advance to have extra staff.

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requires improvement

Young people’s care plans are clear and concise and reflect agreements and targets set at statutory reviews. Progress is monitored through weekly and monthly reviews. The approach to care is young people centred and practice and decisions are made with their welfare in mind. Staff and managers work extremely effectively with partner agencies, such as social workers, education and specialist services. They seek support for individuals in relation to any concerns they may have. Managers are swift to respond if there are concerns regarding an individual’s placement and if and how they can meet their needs. Managers do not effectively challenge poor service by external agencies. Examples being statutory review reports arriving several months after the next planned review and the education service not sourcing placements for an individual continuing without significant challenge.

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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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