Setting in Walsall

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Declined effectiveness.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered person has effectively responded to the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. The physical environment is now in a much better state, after significant investment. The decoration is no longer shabby and there are no signs of damage or abuse. Repairs are still underway and some decoration is still needed to be complete. The feel is now warm and welcoming. Young people like it, particularly the living room sofas. Young people are now ‘signed up’ for child mental health support services. The electronic register of young people living at the home now shows details about the placing authority and the three current young people’s legal status are now clear. Notice has now been given of the change of ownership and the new owner has applied to register in respect of the service. Young people now have an essential element of safe care: oversight by the new independent monthly visitor to act as their advocate.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The journey of improvement however is not positive overall, and further serious regulatory shortfalls have been identified that require the registered provider’s action. The progress and experiences of children and young people since the last inspection are mixed. Some young people have moved on because the service could not meet their needs. Young people’s educational progress has been limited by their non-school attendance, or no school placement. Young people have been at risk of child sexual exploitation, have been missing from care for a prolonged period and have been violent and racist within the home to staff. Young people have been unpleasant to each other, spitting and slapping each other.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children do not have the education resources and services they need to progress. The last five young people to come and live at the home have arrived with no identified school place and have not achieved their statutory education entitlement while living here. None of the current three young people attend school. Two do not have identified placements. Efforts to enrol one young person are underway, but have not yet confirmed an agreed plan. Staff do well to maintain a ‘get up early’ routine for young people not in education. Daily home study has a good priority in the home. Young are ready for school, but may be too used to lone home tutoring to make successful re-entry into a school community. Behaviour management has been weak during some key incidents. Young people have behaviour which has been extremely challenging for staff with limited experienced and no, or very recent, training in behaviour management. There is

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

evidence that staff have not used their skills to de-escalate violent incidents, or do not have the training to meet children’s behavioural needs. Staff have left after being assaulted and young people have been injured in restraint.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not familiar with, nor do they act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. The manager did not implement safeguarding procedures, or seek advice, when a young person told her they had been injured in a restraint. There is no record of the manager’s actions to investigate or refer this matter, and it is not discussed in her supervision. Staff and the manager have not acted to protect young people.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff do not take effective action to assess risk to young people or staff or plan an effective response. Individual risk assessments are not up to date and do not reflect increased measures of control, or restriction of freedom to keep young people safe. For example, the risk assessment to give direction to staff if a particular young person went missing had not been updated since he went missing for two days. The manager was unfamiliar with and, consequently, had not implemented the requirements of the home’s fire safety risk assessment. One young person’s bedroom door is not fire resistant, fire signage is still not in place as required. This puts young people, and staff, at risk.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers are ineffective in monitoring and taking action to improve the quality of care and professional practice. The registered person does not consult formally with stakeholders, including placing authorities, parents and young people, or report on that as part of their bi-annual review of the quality of care. This means they miss the opportunity to learn from feedback about the service, particularly about placement success and breakdown.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are not enough permanent staff to ensure that all staff on shift are fully competent. The permanent staff complement is small at six staff. Despite recruitment, resignation, illness and absence has impacted on the permanent staff team. A team of known bank staff fill the gaps. Staff had not had the core training necessary to work with the young people being admitted to the home: in missing from care and in managing challenging behaviour through physical intervention. Staff have restrained who are not trained to do so. There was no managerial evaluation after allegations or incidents that identified this lack of training.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Systems to assess the impact of new admissions on existing residents is poor. The ability of staff to meet specific behavioural needs, such as self-harm, or going missing, is not fully assessed to ensure that staff have the skills to provide the care that young people need. Formal admission assessment documents are either inadequate or missing. The impact on the existing young people had not been effectively assessed. In the December report of the review of the quality of care, the registered person recognised the impact of one new young person on another, reporting damage, violence and going missing as a result. Despite this the registered person admitted more young people with similar challenging behaviour and again without consideration of the impact on outcomes for other young people. This results in unstable placements. Four placements have been made since last inspection and two have ended early in crisis. A third is in question.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records are chaotic. A combination of electronic and paper records, do not give a complete picture of young people’s experience. The registered manager does not have a grasp of the requirements of legal record keeping for a children’s home. Records of rotas were missing, historic admission registers archived elsewhere. Notifications are incomplete or delayed. One significant notification gave partial information that did not describe the seriousness of the incident. Another was significantly delayed as the manager did not consider a young person missing for seven days as serious. Records of incidents, and restraint do not give a cohesive complete story of what happened, who took part, or how managers followed up on practice or safety matters. Records of serious incidents, after which young people have been arrested, are sometimes not made for over two weeks. This delay impacts on the authenticity and reliability of the record.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Health plans are insufficiently personalised to make clear individual needs. Young people do not always get to their appointments for mental health services. Their written health plans do not describe the external mental health services that they should be using. The actual plan of dates and times of appointments are not clear. Consequently, on one occasion, a mix up by staff over dates and delayed action, meant that a young person missed a crucial appointment.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are positives: two current young people report feeling comfortable in the home and feel calmer and settled. For one young person, it is their longest placement. Young people feel staff care about them and they are excited about plans for birthday celebrations. They also celebrated very different, happy Christmas because of staff efforts. Staff are accepting and understanding as young people come to terms with identity and self-esteem. Young people clearly enjoy good relationships with some staff based on respect and good communication. They are developing responsibility and cooperation: they take part in chores and are beginning to look after their bedrooms. The costly damage to the house by young people has stopped. The registered person, in the December review of the quality of care, reflected that it had been a difficult year as new company changes took effect. These have been positive. The responsible individual has responded promptly to concerns raised by

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted during the inspection and has already drawn up an action plan. He has also subsequently informed Ofsted that the registered manager has now resigned. The service has the capacity for improvement with effective leadership.

p.4

Information about this children's home

This children’s home provides care for three children or young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The original company has been purchased by a larger private company and this new organisation has lodged an application to register the home under Compass Children’s Homes ownership.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

11/08/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

p.5

Recent inspection history

07/07/2014 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

6. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, in relation to health plans, 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. 31/05/2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

8. In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to securing statuary entitlement to education, so that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2 (a) (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 31/05/2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

11. In order to meet the positive relationships standard, with respect to skilled behavioural intervention, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2) (a) (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. 31/05/2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard, with respect to implementing safeguarding procedures and risk assessments, the registered person must ensure staff: (2)(a) (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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 30/04/2016 (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

p.6

Requirement Due date

13. In order 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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 31/05/2016

p.7

Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard, in respect of decisions about appropriate admissions and delivery of placement aims, the registered person must ensure that that children: (1) (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 31/05/2016

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. Specifically, the register of children and a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c) Schedule 4) 31/05/2016

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. Specifically, implement the actions to reduce risk. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) 30/04/2016

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from 30/04/2016 abuse or neglect; and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. It must include (b) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located; and provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34( 1)( 2)(b)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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 all elements of this regulation. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(b)(c)) 30/04/2016

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the quality of care review system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (5)) 30/06/2016

p.8

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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 .

p.9

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,

p.10

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

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

p.10