Children's Home run by Meadows Care Limited in Kirklees

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Outstanding at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home was last inspected in September 2015. It was found to be outstanding in terms of young people’s progress and experiences and their safeguarding. Leadership and management were judged to be good. Two recommendations were made to improve practice further. Both of these have been subsequently addressed. Unfortunately, that very positive picture in the full inspection has not been sustained. This interim inspection has found that young people’s progress has significantly declined and that elements of safeguarding practice require considerable improvement. As a result, eleven requirements and three recommendations are made. There has been a steep rise in negative behaviour by the young people in the home. They no longer fully engage with local health and education facilities and display anti-social behaviour on a regular basis. For example, some young people have refused to cooperate with sexual health support when there has been a risk

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

of pregnancy and infection from having unprotected sex. One young person has refused to engage positively with mental health screening and continues to articulate suicidal thoughts. During the inspection, this meant that the police were searching the local area for her as a high risk individual. One young person refuses to participate in any education and has no current personal education plan in place. This does not promote her future life chances. Another young person has lost her previously good college placement through poor behaviour and attitude. Staff have worked hard to source alternative provision for this young person but her engagement remains equivocal. Overall this represents a substantial decline in education participation and attainment, and in general well-being, for all the young people since the last inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour but not all provide their fullest cooperation. There have been occasions when they have not been able to resolve conflict positively and staff have needed to call for police support. As a result, some of the young people are awaiting court appearances for criminal damage and burglary. Concerns have been voiced about the impact of one young person’s relationship with a peer in the community. However, staff have not yet met with that peer’s parents to promote communication and ensure that both young people’s welfare needs are being addressed as any good parent would. Currently, all the young people’s attitudes and behaviours are frequently negative. Staff have been unable to turn this around given the mix of young people in the home. This has also not been conducive towards successful implementation of effective safeguarding strategies by staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a very significant increase in missing from home episodes since the last inspection – 78 episodes over a five month period. A number of these for one young person in particular have been associated with sexual exploitation, gang involvement, substance abuse and drug dealing. This young person’s missing episodes and associated high level of concerns have yet to be formally evaluated and risk-managed either in a multi-agency strategy meeting or in a statutory review of her care plan. The manager has attempted to get these meetings arranged but has been frustrated on a number of occasions by the placing authority’s failure to attend, difficulties in communicating with them or by last minute cancellations. The young person in question has not had a visit from her placing authority social worker since the beginning of December 2015 despite the serious level of concern about her. This means that interventions to protect her

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and to investigate those responsible for harming her are at best fragmented, and are clearly inadequate. However, the provider has failed to mount effective challenge of the placing authority to ensure the young person receives an appropriate service which keeps her safe. This includes failure to ensure that young people at risk of harm through particularly extended and dangerous episodes of being missing from the home have a formal review undertaken of their care plan with the placing authority and the family. Managers need to take all necessary steps, including where appropriate within their own organisation, to escalate such concerns effectively to ensure that young people receive the support they need. This may include serving planned notice on young people when the manager concludes they can no longer keep them safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When young people have gone missing, staff work closely with relevant agencies and families to try to locate them. This includes frequent telephone contact with the young person. However, given the very high level of missing from home events, and a recurring recommendation by the independent visitor, staff should receive additional training in the management and prevention of occasions when young people feel the need to go missing from the home. In addition, independent return interviews have not been routinely conducted in line with statutory guidance, as again repeatedly advised by the independent visitor. This inhibits intelligence gathering with a view to reducing the frequency of such high risk behaviours and to inform young people’s risk assessments and planning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are mostly suitably detailed and kept up-to-date. However, the quality of them is variable. Some do not adequately reflect known levels of dangerous behaviour. For example, one young person who has been found in possession of a large number of class A drugs with an intent to supply, and has smoked cannabis on the home’s premises and has consistently displayed a lack of motivation to address her involvement with drugs, has been identified by the home as at only medium risk of substance abuse. This young person’s placing authority appears to have also underestimated her risk levels, and this has not been challenged by the provider, despite information to suggest she is at high risk in respect of various safeguarding issues such as gang involvement and sexual exploitation while missing from the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have neither adhered to, nor amended, existing vacancy risk assessments which identify the action to be taken if specific young people repeatedly go missing and are at risk of sexual exploitation. These vacancy risk assessments are used as matching tools but are not kept up-to-date and do not reflect the current young people in the home. As a result, they have not been used effectively to ensure safe matching of new young people to the existing young people in the home, and to the locality. For example, the Registered Manager acknowledges that the mix of two particular young people has not been a positive one. The decision to place one of these young people in the home put this individual right back within the community she had previously been removed from on a secure order because of repeated episodes of going missing and sexual exploitation. Within a week of coming to the home, this young person was going

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

missing again, and she is currently disclosing further recent concerns about sexual exploitation while missing in the local area.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staffing ratios in the home have not always reflected the needs of the young people. Although those needs have recently been assessed as requiring one to one care after a particularly difficult situation in the home, on occasions this has been compromised when staff scheduled to be on duty have been moved to other homes within the company. This does not promote delivery of a high quality service to young people and can leave staff in a difficult position when trying to manage highly confrontational behaviour. In addition, records show that supervisions of staff are not always carried out regularly in line with the provider’s expectations of monthly meetings. Some staff appraisals have not been held at least once every year. This does not ensure robust performance management or support for staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management arrangements in the home and within the senior manager support structures are undergoing some degree of flux and change at the moment. The Registered Manager has tendered her resignation and the area manager is moving into a different post. Senior managers advise that they have already recruited an experienced manager to step into the registered manager role in the very near future. This is essential given the current wide range of concerns to be dealt with in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Notifications about serious incidents are clear in the information provided about the event. However, they sometimes fail to give enough details of what the provider is going to do to stop issues recurring. For example, a notification about two young people smoking cannabis in the home did not clarify what measures had been taken to ensure there were no more drugs on the premises or that work had taken place to identify where the drug had been sourced. This does not promote confidence that robust efforts are being made to reduce the likelihood of such events happening again.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although in general the home presents as a very homely and well-decorated environment, there remain some outstanding repairs from damage caused by young people which need attention.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In conclusion, there is a marked decline in effectiveness from the last inspection. A substantial improvement plan has been identified to try to improve safeguarding practice, encourage better outcomes for young people and promote more effective leadership.

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Information about this children's home

This home is one of a number of children’s homes owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

20/01/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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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 meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and 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 plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

(d) seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation. 25/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

(a) understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 25/04/2016 (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(ii) protect and promote each child's welfare; with specific regard to meeting with parents of children's significant friends where appropriate to promote communication and ensure both children's welfare needs are addressed as any good parent would.

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Requirement Due date

(1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

vi) maintain regular contact with each child's education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to maximise the child's achievement;

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Requirement Due date

(vii) raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's education or training provider and the child's placing authority. 25/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(a) that staff— 25/04/2016 (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; with specific regard to ensuring that staff have refresher training in the management and prevention of missing from home events.

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Requirement Due date

(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; with specific regard to ensuring that strategy meetings are held with relevant agencies whenever there is cause to believe a child may be at risk of harm. 25/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(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; with specific regard to ensuring that independent return interviews are held in line with statutory guidance, and that information obtained informs individual risk management plans; and to ensuring that risk assessments are appropriately rated in accordance with the information held about the individual child. 25/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 25/04/2016 registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(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; with specific regard to using effective tools to ensure safe matching of new children to existing children in the home, and to the locality.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(c) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. 25/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home; with specific regard to taking action in relation to the independent visitor's recommendations. 25/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children's 25/04/2016 home; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(d) that the child's placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child's relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

(i) the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child's needs;

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Requirement Due date

(ii) the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation must include details of any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (5) (iii)) 25/04/2016

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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

 For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely and domestic environments; with specific regard to ensuring prompt repairs of any damage caused in the home. (The Guide, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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. (The Guide, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. (The Guide, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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