Children's home in North Devon

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness . Since the previous inspection in June 2015 the home has declined in effectiveness. The registered manager is committed to improving the outcomes of the young person living in the home. However, he has not met a number of the requirements made at the previous inspection and further shortfalls were identified during the course of the inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is qualified and experienced, with a good level of experience working with young people and managing a home. Nevertheless, since the previous inspection a number of staff are no longer working in the home, and while recruitment campaigns have taken place, they have proved to be unsuccessful. The manager and his small staff team are therefore, working additional hours and have limited opportunities to meet as a group, to reflect and review practice, and support one another.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and the senior management team are aware of the importance of maintaining safe staffing levels, and are working hard to ensure through recruitment the staff team increases. In particular they are focussing their attempts on building a staff team that are qualified, diverse and experienced. It was noted during the course of the inspection that one member of staff who performs the ‘on-call’ role supporting other homes, is yet to complete all mandatory training. The manager reports to feeling confident that with a full staff team that they will create a safe and nurturing environment in which they will be able to improve the outcomes of the young person. A requirement and a recommendation is made to ensure that safe staffing levels are maintained and the young persons and the staff team’s safety is put at risk, and all staff receive the necessary specialist training to meet the needs of the young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection the manager has maintained a basic level of internal reviewing of the young person’s progress and the development of the home. Regulation 44 reports provide a good level of detail and all communication between the manager and external partners is effective. However, the manager recognises that he has not used all information kept within the home or had the time to produce a robust development plan, and neither has he kept the statement of purpose up to date. As a result the manager is not able to accurately analyse the young person’s overall progress or identify with confidence the areas of improvement the home requires. A requirement is made to ensure the manager uses a system to review and make continuous improvements to the quality of care provided in the home and to compile and submit an up to date statement of purpose.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Another direct impact of the low staffing level is that the young person’s outcomes are variable, with health, leisure and behaviours proving to be a continuing challenge. The manager and staff have played a positive role in the young person’s commitment to their education, and from their starting point the young person has made good progress in respect of attendance and achievements at school. They have worked well with the school, the social worker and the young person’s family to ensure the young person’s achievements in school are shared and celebrated, and there is good evidence of the young person having formed trusting relationships with some of the staff in school and in their home. The young person has access to a complete range of health services. Care plans and records indicate that the young person attends all routine appointments with no concerns reported. However, menus kept within the home suggest that he eats

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

a diet that is in the main made up of processed foods and take aways. In addition key worker sessions clearly record that the young person requires significant encouragement that is not routinely successful, to take care of their personal hygiene and brushing their teeth. A requirement is therefore made to ensure that the young person’s long-term health needs are not compromised. Since the previous inspection there have been no reported incidents of the young person going missing. There have been a number of serious incidents relating to the young person’s challenging behaviours both verbally and physically towards staff, and while they have been reported and shared with all agencies in a timely manner, the manager feels they are directly related to the low staffing level. He has been quick to identify this link and has taken steps to request an increase in the staffing ratio. Records of these incidents are kept securely and there is a level

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

of analysis within. However, on further scrutiny there is a clear correlation between the young person’s destructive and aggressive behaviours, the young person making allegations about staff and staff refusing to work with the young person. As a result the young person’s behaviours have not been positively challenged. A requirement is therefore made to ensure the positive management of the young person’s behaviours. The young person lives in a home that is in the main well maintained. However, he has directed some of his aggressive behaviours towards the interior of the home, and it is subsequently looking tired and worn out. Some of the furniture is old and needs to be replaced. The manager and senior member of the management team acknowledge this and will be addressing the refurbishment immediately. A recommendation is made. A number of shortfalls were identified during the course of the inspection, the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager and his senior management team are aware of them and are in the process of addressing each one with an action plan. However, most concerning is; staffing levels are at a critically low level, and as a result the young person’s safety is at risk and their overall outcomes are compromised. A compliance notice will be issued to address this concern.

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Information about this children's home

The home is operated by a private provider. The home provides care and accommodation for one young person.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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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

The registered person must compile in relations to the children's home a statement of purpose which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular this document must be personal to the specific home and reflect its uniqueness. (Regulation 16 (1)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standards requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular evidence of how the registered manager's oversight and recording is consistently being used to improve practice and identify shortfalls. (Regulation 13 (2)(h)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. In particular all staff must receive specialist training to safely care for children where this need is required, for example epilepsy training. (Regulation 32 (3) (b)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. In particular the report should include robust details of these actions which should be evaluated as part of the next review to provide a focus for continuous improvement (Regulation 45 (2) (c)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

10: The health and well-being standard 29/02/2016 The registered person must ensure that children are helped to lead a healthy lifestyle. In particular children should be provided with a balanced and nutritious diet. (Regulation 10 (c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the homes day-to-day is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In particular staffing levels are kept to a safe level and when required, additional staff are provided promptly. (Regulation 12 (2)(b)) 29/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to the children in the home. In particular this relates to lone working with a child. (Regulation 35 )1)(a)(b)) 31/03/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person should seek to establish a diverse staff team with a range on interests, skills and experiences. In particular, if the staff are all of one sex, a description of how the home promotes appropriate role models of both sexes should be included in the home's statement of purpose (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 52 para 10.6)  The registered person must ensure that the children's home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the child, it will be homely and domestic environment. This relates to the updating of furniture and the refurbishment of the interior. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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