Children's Home run by Fair Ways in Hampshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good 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 has been through a lengthy period of change and challenge, including the lack of a permanent manager. A new manager is now in post and is to apply for registration with Ofsted. The Responsible Individual has also changed but the registration certificate on display has the previous incumbent named on it and the statement of purpose has two different names on the same page. An annex has opened to help those coming up to leaving care to gain skills and experience for independence; a useful addition to the facilities. The admission of a young person there changed the dynamics of the home however. Disruptive behaviours escalated over this time, sometimes requiring police involvement. Alternative resources available to the provider, including a crisis home and a holiday caravan, were used well to break cycles of behaviour. This was successful enough for one young person to be moving into a foster placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Measures to manage unwanted behaviours have included locking the door to the lounge/games room at certain times so that young people are not distracted from tasks they should be doing. The person in charge at the time of the inspection acknowledged that this was not a safeguarding measure and was able to come up with better strategies that would not restrict young people’s access to parts of their home. The use of bedroom door alarms have reasonable been introduced to prevent inappropriate behaviour at night but are not included in the statement of purpose as a monitoring tool used in the home. Since the last inspection young people have made complaints that managers have taken seriously. Children have been heard and so understand that only the highest standards of care are acceptable for them. The complaints file consists of papers produced during investigations but have no clear record of progress or, on occasion, outcomes. It is not obvious therefore if

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

appropriate steps have always been taken, nevertheless lapses in acceptable professional practice have been robustly addressed through management processes. Over this time young people have made some progress with one being able to occasionally reflect on his behaviour and understanding the benefit of his medication. Another has made a successful transition into the home and established valuable relationships with staff. She described how workers sit with her to discuss issues when she might have otherwise ‘acted out’. She has also maintained her education in the community. A recently introduced impact risk assessment into the pre-admission assessment is a helpful addition to an already thorough process. However, recommendations made in the assessment have not always been followed through; one that staff should have training in autism spectrum disorders has only been partially met. The young person concerned has some hard to manage behaviours and, although

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

adept at handling these so as to avoid conflict, a specific course would give staff much greater insight. The period with a succession of interim managers, and other staff feeling under pressure (partly due to additional responsibilities outside the home), has led to some omissions in the administration and monitoring of the home. These include missing records of monthly emergency light and fire door checks, and of weekly checks of detectors and alarm points. Safety was further compromised by a fire door being held open using a blind pull string, meaning that it would not close automatically in the event of a fire (removed during the inspection) and an extinguisher being housed in a cupboard with no sign indicating its presence. Some second signatures for the administration of medication are missing, with no record of why this might be. Staff keep comprehensive records of physical interventions but the format does not

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

require a date to be entered when the measure is discussed with them and manager’s comments are frequently missing. This means that it is difficult to see if timescales required by regulations are being kept and the potential to learn lessons from each event is not fully realised. Children’s files do not have important documentation produced by placing authorities such as statutory review minutes, current personal education plans or health plans. There is evidence that staff chase these, although unsuccessfully. Some policies have not been reviewed and may not be sufficiently up to date: the behaviour management policy has not been revised since new regulations came into force and it contains old information. Managers have responded to a requirement to review the effectiveness of child protection policies by amending the on-call procedure. However, the child protection policy itself has not been changed to reflect this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person's guide is a child friendly document but printed copies contain text that does not fit in to the shapes that frame it. It does not include information about how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, as stipulated by statutory guidance. Managers have helped staff to maintain a positive attitude to their work and the young people, despite the difficulties faced. A team meeting observed started with members expressing appreciation of the work of colleagues and included constructive discussions about development in the home and with children. Young people thus live in a positive atmosphere, in which relationships are forged and progress can be achieved.

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for a maximum of four young people of either gender who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home's operation is underpinned by a therapeutic approach and individual therapy sessions are available to young people according to their identified need. The provider runs a school, adjacent to the home, that some of the young people attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2015 CH - Interim declined in 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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health, in particular that fire doors are not tied open, and that records of checks of emergency lighting, fire door and alarm tests are maintained. (Regulation 12 (2)(d)) 31/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and revise it, in particular to ensure it identifies the current Responsible Individual and the use of bedroom door alarms as a monitoring device (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 22/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 are complied with, in particular indicating the whereabouts of fire-fighting equipment by signs. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 22/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must describe how and to whom staff are to report without delay, in particular, what to do if the nominated person is either unavailable or implicated. (Regulation 34 (2)(f)) 22/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised, has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (1) & (2)(i) & (ii)) 22/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  the registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, in particular to provide training identified as required to meet the needs of a young person being admitted to the home. (Guide to Children's Homes Regulations 10.11, page 53)  children's access to any area of the home must only be limited where this is intended to safeguard the child's welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child's needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (Guide to Children's Homes Regulations 3.10, page 15)  the children's guide should to help children understand how to contact the Office of the Children's Commissioner. (Guide to Children's Homes Regulations 4.21,

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Recommendations

page 24)  the home’s record of events must include a description of the action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. This should apply to complaints. (Guide to Children's Homes Regulations 14.14, page 63)

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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

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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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