Children's home SC432140

Inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Staff fail to provide young people with daily routines. Lack of communication and interest from staff leaves young people wandering aimlessly around the home or spending significant amounts of time unoccupied on sofas or floors.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The progress of young people is poor. Targets are set at a basic level and are not specific to each young person. The responsible persons do not measure progress which means young people are not developing to their full potential. One social worker stated that young people were contained rather than developed.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 The management of shifts and staffing is chaotic because no member of staff has responsibility for the organisation of shift planning and care staff responsibilities. Rotas do not reflect staffing on duty. Consistency of care for young people is poor as staff often move around the homes on site.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people are not supported to develop skills that will assist them to move on. Young adults live in the home with no formal plan for their future. The responsible persons fail to persistently challenge local authorities when they fail to meet their statutory duties.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Some young people are required to share a bedroom; a partition wall designed to promote privacy and dignity is described as ‘cell like’ by the responsible individual. Parts of the home are unwelcoming and need improvement. Over-use of locked doors means children and young people do not always have free access to the kitchen or garden. 

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Staff are not clear about their responsibilities to safeguard children and young people because there is no child protection policy in place. Safeguarding concerns are not managed effectively to promote the welfare of children and young people. Staff are not recruited via vetting practices designed to protect children and young people.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Behaviour management plans are written by the school and fails to consider how children and young people should be supported in the home. They do not explicitly inform staff how best to care for children and young people. Records relating to behaviour management are poor and do not meet the regulations.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Staff supervision and appraisal is ineffective. Some staff on casual contracts have not had an induction into their new role. Not all permanent staff are qualified despite them being in post for five or more years.

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The children's home strengths

Young people are engaged in education and have good attendance.

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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

*6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must ensure 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;

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Requirement Due date

(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

(a) Understand and apply the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

(b) Ensure that staff- (i)understand and apply the home's statement of purpose; (ii)protect and promote each child's welfare; (ii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child's needs as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking into account of the child's background (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; (vii)provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live their comfortably; (ix)make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child's relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

(c)Ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to- 09/09/2015 (i)Meet the needs of each child; and (ii)Enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home;

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Requirement Due date

In particular that children and young people do not share bedrooms, are engaged in activities, are treated with dignity and respect, improve the quality of the environment, ensure care plans reflect the needs of children and young people and review restrictive practices.

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Requirement Due date

* 34: Policies for the protection of children

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children's home from abuse or neglect

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)) 09/09/2015 9: The enjoy and achievement standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the enjoyment and achieve standard the registered person must ensure that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular the register persons ensures

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) that staff help each child to (i) develop the child's interests and hobbies (ii) participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child's interests and preferences 09/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(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 (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare (c)that the premises used for the purpose of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded 09/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture that: (1) (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential (b) promotes their welfare (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 (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills 09/09/2015to meet the needs of each child 09/09/2015 (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child (e) ensure that the homes workforce provides continuity of care to each child

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Requirement Due date

23: Medicines The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular that a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child as per the medication policy.

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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 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

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Requirement Due date

details of the child's behaviour leading up to the incident

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, 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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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(ii)(iv)(vii)(c)) 09/09/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other person without delay if a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated or concludes, or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Information about this children's home

The home is situated in the grounds of a special school for children and young people aged between 4 years old and 18 years old who have learning disabilities. Care is provided in three homes that is registered for a maximum of 25 children and young people. Children and young people receive assessed packages of care including 52 week care, 39 week care and short breaks.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/01/2015 CH - Interim Sustained Effectiveness

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Inadequate

Children and young people live in a chaotic environment because staff fail to provide them with routines to their daily life. Rotas are inaccurate and do not represent which staff are working in which home. Staff are not clear which child or young person they are caring for. This impacts negatively on the ability of staff to build positive relationships with young people.

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Inadequate

The nurturing environment described in the statement of purpose is not evident. Largely, staff fail to provide children and young people with care and attention. One member of staff did not know the age of a young person they were caring for while others collectively failed to provide support to one young person who was lying and lacking dignity in the corridor.

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Inadequate

Some children and young people are not provided with privacy because they are required to share a bedroom with a peer. Waist-high partition walls divide the bedroom which the responsible individual describes as having ‘a cell like appearance’. The responsible persons do not take young people’s individual needs into account when planning who will share a bedroom. Currently two young people with contrasting needs share one bedroom. The bedroom is split so half has personal items and pictures on the wall while the other half is bare to meet a specific need of one of the young people.

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Inadequate

Additionally, the bedrooms of children and young people who reside in the home for 39 weeks of the year are used by others in their absence. There is no indication the children and young people have been asked if their bedroom may be used by their peers during their holidays.

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Inadequate

Children and young people have poor day to day experiences in the home. Lack of interest from staff means they accept children and young people lying on corridor floors, entrance halls and sofas. One parent said, ‘I think my son is bored here; I gave him an iPad to help with that but it’s not charged most of the time’.

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Inadequate

Despite targets being set for children and young people, there is no indication of them progressing or achieving. Family members are not familiar with goals their child is working towards. Reviews of targets do not take place by the responsible persons. There are no clear aspirations in care plans for children and young people to support their next steps.

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Inadequate

Staff do not prioritise supporting children and young people to become more independent. Children and young people’s self-care skills are not regularly reviewed; as a result some of them continue to receive support with showering when they have the ability to do this independently. One young person’s grandparent said, ‘staff do not have time to encourage independence like I do at home’. Care plans do not identify how young people’s independence skills are to be developed.

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Inadequate

One young adult who is 18 has no plan on how he will move on in his future, so staff cannot prepare or make him aware of the changes he faces in the coming year. The responsible persons have not challenged this key omission, and now another young adult is in the same situation.

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Inadequate

Care plans do not inform staff about how to care for children and young people. A significant lack of information about children and young people’s past experiences militates against staff planning properly tailored care. Additionally, staff have little idea of the impact of these experiences on children and young people.

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Inadequate

Restrictions in the home do not provide children and young people with the freedom they are entitled to. During the inspection, a kitchen door was locked and access to outside space was restricted by an external door on a key fob system.

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Inadequate

One of the homes is of particularly poor quality. Office style strip lighting, shared bedrooms, lack of curtains in a large living area and a bed pushed up to the wardrobe contribute to the feeling of an uninviting home.

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Inadequate

The responsible persons fail to protect children and young people as there is no child protection policy. As a result, staff lack clarity about their responsibilities to safeguard children and young people. The responsible persons do not have a robust system in place for the management of safeguarding concerns, increasing the vulnerability of children and young people living in the home.

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Inadequate

Safeguarding concerns identified by staff are not routinely passed to the responsible persons for action. Some safeguarding forms are kept on children and young people’s files without being reported. Information is not always shared with the social workers. Procedures to report safeguarding concerns are ineffective. A supervision record highlighted concerns about one young person which the supervisor failed to act on. The absence of a child protection policy results in poor practice and staffs inability to safeguard effectively.

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Inadequate

The responsible persons do not ensure staff understand their responsibilities in relation to ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015)’. One social worker stated, ‘staff are reluctant to monitor safeguarding concerns’.

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Inadequate

Children and young people receive insufficient support in relation to self-harming behaviour. Care and behaviour management plans fail to identify triggers to this behaviour or strategies to reduce incidents. No timeline is available to monitor incidents of self-harm and the impact on the young people. Responsible persons view self-harming as an accepted behaviour rather than ensuring children and young people receive specialised support.

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Inadequate

Behaviour management plans provide insufficient information to meet the needs of children and young people. Care staff implement plans written by education staff which are not specific to the home in which children and young people live. Young people, parents and social workers have not been consulted about the best way to manage inappropriate behaviour.

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Inadequate

Behaviour management records are weak and the registered persons fail to monitor them with a level of objectivity that will improve care and practice. Minimal information is available about significant incidents. When a physical intervention occurs, the duration of the hold is not recorded. Records written by the staff indicate the young person’s welfare is not paramount; young people are often not consulted with or checked how they are feeling following an incident.

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Inadequate

Staff do not understand their responsibilities or protocol in relation to children who go missing. Some staff refer to children or young people as ‘running off’; however, the responsible persons have no record of any missing incidents. The interim manager advises every home has a missing record; however, staff were unable to locate this. Due to this ambiguity children and young people have not received return home interviews.

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Inadequate

Strategies to reduce the number of medication errors are ineffective. The interim manager has introduced a new medication policy that staff do not follow. Signatures are missing throughout the medication records and on the day of the inspection one young person’s medication had not been signed for.

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Inadequate

The responsible individual fails to recruit staff in a manner which protects children and young people. Lack of interviews, identification checks, reference checks and verification of references show an inadequate understanding of safer recruitment.

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Inadequate

The registered manager is currently absent from her post with no indication of when she will return. An interim manager has recently been appointed to increase the management capacity of the home. Monitoring of the quality of care provided to children and young people by the leadership team is weak and ineffective. Analysis and reflection is not embedded in practice, meaning learning for the responsible persons is limited. Consultation with children and young people, key family members and local authorities does not take place. The interim manager plans to improve practice in these areas.

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Inadequate

The progress of children and young people is restricted due to the poor leadership and inconsistency of staffing. A parent said, ‘there is a complete lack of leadership and expertise in autism; some staff are kind, caring and skilled but not supported by experts’. Another parent said, ‘I don’t know of any independence work they do with my child; I would really like him to learn cooking and do laundry as he is capable of that’.

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Inadequate

The responsible individual does not lead a home that works transparently with parents and professionals. A high proportion of them felt communication was poor, with one parent saying, ‘the only way I know how my child is doing is if I ring every night’. Social workers also say, ‘I don’t get information’. Parents feel that if they make a complaint then communication with them by the staff is reduced further. The responsible individual fails to ensure children and young people receive care from staff who are qualified, supported and developed. Induction to the home is not consistently provided to all new staff. In addition, some staff fail to complete their required qualification in a timely manner; leaders do not challenge this slowness. Staff appraisals do not take place. One member of staff said, ‘I have worked here 10 years and never had an appraisal’.

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Inadequate

The interim manager could not produce the staff training records during the inspection. Supervisors report that they have not received supervision training for a number of years. Records identify infrequent supervision that fails to challenge practice and act on safeguarding concerns when they arise. Supervision is therefore an ineffective tool to help staff safeguard children and young people.

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Inadequate

The responsible individual does not advocate for children and young people to improve their quality of life. Inadequate care planning within the home remains unrecognised. Children and young people who are due to move on experience poor planning that the responsible individual does not challenge. Leaders show an inability to persistently challenge local authorities when they fail to meet their statutory duties.

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Inadequate

The statement of purpose does not reflect the care received by children and young people. The ethos of the home states that, ‘ every child deserves to feel valued and live in a safe, structured and caring environment, where we create opportunities for young people to achieve their personal best’. The children and young people who live in this home do not receive this.

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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

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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