Children's home run by Action in Care Ltd

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Previous poor management of the home resulted in a lack of robust systems to support and protect young people. The new manager is working hard to improve the home and is making good progress.  New staff bring a positive approach to the care of young people; they are in the process of induction and are yet to complete their full training.  The responsible individual requires training to equip him to carry out his role effectively.  Staff require induction in the whistleblowing policy to improve safeguarding.  Health and safety monitoring requires improvement, particularly in respect of fire safety.  Internal and external refurbishment of the home is in progress. The home environment is much improved but ongoing development work is required.

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The children's home strengths

  The new manager is bringing about a programme of improvement that is transforming all areas of the home.  New staff and improved working practices have raised staff morale.  A positive approach to working with complex and challenging behaviours results in good relationships between staff and young people.  Thoughtful use of rewards and sanctions, and a focus upon restorative justice, supports young people to improve their behaviour and develop self-esteem.

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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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority the registered person must ensure by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) 30/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once each calendar year (Regulation 46 (1)) 30/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered individual must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the individual has the skills needed for carrying on the children's home (Regulation 29 (1)) 30/10/2015

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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 must (2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child 30/10/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure staff are made familiar with the homes internal whistleblowing procedures through the induction process (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.9) ensure the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children and is a homely domestic environment (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

ensure that where children placed in the home are not participating in education, the registered person and staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28, paragraph 5.5)

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Information about this children's home

The children’s home is privately owned and is registered to accommodate up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/03/2015 CH - Interim declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement

The home is improving across all areas under new leadership. Recent management change is beginning to have a positive impact upon the progress made by young people.

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requires improvement

A programme to improve the home and garden area is underway; young people are contributing to this process and are selecting décor for their bedrooms. Young people with building skills have built a new barbeque in the garden and have helped to cook barbeque meals. The home requires further improvement and the process of refurbishment and redecoration is ongoing.

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requires improvement

A focus upon positive behaviour, introduced by the new manager, brings the introduction of rewards for positive behaviour. Young people are responding to individualised reward charts and are making positive progress. Staff support young people to reflect on their negative behaviour with a focus on restorative justice. One young person was able to offer an apology, another wrote a letter to those his behaviour had upset. Young people are learning to take responsibility for their actions and their behaviour is changing positively in response.

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requires improvement

Young people are building positive relationships with a high number of new staff. Careful consideration in shift planning means that experienced staff work alongside new staff to counter this imbalance. One young person says ‘the staff are really nice, they are kind and treat me like family’.

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requires improvement

Staff offer young people a range of opportunities according to their interests. They enrol at the local leisure centre and undertake group activities including paintballing. Despite activities being available, a number of young people decline to participate, resulting in missed opportunities for wellbeing development and engagement in the local community. The new manager and staff team are challenging this historic culture of ambivalence.

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requires improvement

Improved future planning for young people includes the introduction of an independence skills programme. The staff team is in the process of learning this new method, and young peoples’ progress is in its infancy. The manager is supporting staff in their use of new working practices and evaluating new systems.

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requires improvement

Staff work proactively with parents and support the contact arrangements of young people. Parents come to visit their children in the home and develop positive relationships with staff. Young people benefit from a consistent approach to care by their parents and staff.

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requires improvement

Settled young people engage in education with attendance in excess of 90 percent; they make educational progress in school and college settings. Staff liaise with educational establishments and support young peoples’ progress. For newly placed young people the home does not provide educational support where there is no provision already in place. This lacks ambition and fails to promote educational aspiration for young people.

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requires improvement

Young people have access to the health services that they need. Fruit and healthy snacks are always available and supplement healthy main meals; unhealthy snacks are limited. Food logs record eating habits and assist in diet planning for young people with specific dietary requirements.

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requires improvement

Staff support young people to make progress according to their individual care plans. They support some young people to seek voluntary work and employment other young people are supported to reduce their substance misuse or offending. Social workers commend the ability of staff to stick with and be positive in their work with young people with complex and challenging behaviour.

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requires improvement

A rolling programme of renovation and redecoration is improving the home environment, including a new bathroom and kitchen. Further redecoration and refurbishment is required and while the manager has a clear continuing plan for refurbishment, there is no timescale for completion. This risks drift in providing a physical environment that young people deserve.

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requires improvement

Health and safety checks take place, however fire drills and fire alarm checks are not regular or recorded. There is no record of whether young people and staff have undertaken fire drill procedures or understand procedures to follow in the event of a fire, resulting in a significant safeguarding risk.

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requires improvement

There is no risk assessment of the locality of the home, meaning that staff lack specific knowledge and information to safeguard young people outside of the home.

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requires improvement

Young people describe trusted relationships with staff, allowing them to share concerns and seek advice. Proactive work with external agencies enables young people to gain direct support and equips staff with information and advice. Effective links with substance misuse services, youth offending teams and the police are supporting the positive transition of young people’s behaviour.

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requires improvement

Young people are able to identify how new structures within the home are enabling them to make behavioural progress ‘there are new rules, it has got better the new manager is stricter and doesn’t let us get away with anything, that’s a good thing’.

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requires improvement

Safeguarding within the home has undergone much improvement since the last inspection.. Safeguarding policies underpin practice and give clear guidance in the reporting of concerns. Staff report safeguarding issues to the appropriate agencies without delay. Thorough recording means that the progress of safeguarding concerns and outcomes are clear. Bullying and discrimination policies are in place; young people report no concerns in these areas and feel confident about speaking to staff if issues arise. The manager consults with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to gain safeguarding advice. The LADO has attended a team meeting enhancing team safeguarding knowledge and awareness.

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requires improvement

New staff have begun induction training however key safeguarding training including whistleblowing is yet to be completed, this reduces their ability to fully safeguard young people and reduces the impact of overall safeguarding progress. Training is an ongoing area of development within the home.

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requires improvement

Young people who go missing receive well-coordinated responses. Newly established links with the local police missing person’s co-ordinator supports action planning for missing young people. Young people receive return home interviews; the home provides these when the placing authority is unable.

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requires improvement

Risk assessments now use an improved format detailing individual risks and action plans to minimise risk. The updating of risk assessments is in progress and requires completion for this improvement to benefit all young people.

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requires improvement

Searches of young people’s rooms are sensitive and a new room search policy improves clarity for staff and young people. Records of sanctions are clear with young people’s comment and management oversight. Management review results in sanctions that are effective and positively impact upon young peoples’ behaviour. Consequently, young people are learning to make better choices.

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requires improvement

All staff have up to date physical intervention training. Its use is infrequent. Where it does occur it is within regulation with clear records and includes management oversight and young people’s comment. This attention to detail serves to protect everyone involved.

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requires improvement

Recruitment procedures for new staff are much improved; this was a requirement from the previous inspection. Well-ordered personnel files now contain required information and checks. This practice protects young people from potentially unsafe adults. Judgement grade

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good

A new manager, in post since April 2015, leads this home with energy and enthusiasm. He is suitably qualified with extensive experience, and has applied to Ofsted to be registered. Under new leadership positive progress is evident in all areas, although improved working practices are yet to embed fully.

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good

The new manager has prioritised the overall quality and impact of the staff team. A high proportion of staff have left and new staff are in place. Careful shift planning ensures the presence of senior staff on duty across shifts, and enables new staff members to receive proficient induction and support. The home is fully staffed enabling young people to develop relationships with consistent committed adults. Young people say ‘I love the staff and they love me, they always have time for me, I can speak to them about anything’.

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good

Young people have individualised care plans that guide their care. Updating of care plans goes alongside young people’s reviews. Staff encourage young people to take ownership of decisions made about their care and support and attend their review meetings. Where decision-making is not in young people’s best interests staff challenge decisions and assist young people to access independent advocacy. A social worker comments ‘staff are very professional and on the ball, they are working in the best interests of young people, they advocated for him and this was the right thing’.

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good

Young peoples’ records include their achievements. Alongside this, a new memory book project keeps an ongoing record of each young person’s achievements, photos and memories. This promotes the development of young people’s self- esteem, an area of work that social workers value. A social worker says ‘they are helping him to have self-worth and to feel valued’.

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good

Proactive work with external agencies enables young people to receive the specialist support that they need. Staff work in partnership with substance misuse services, the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS), youth offending teams, sexual health services and the virtual school to meet young people’s holistic needs, as a result they are making progress.

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good

Management monitoring of the functioning of the home is helping to build ongoing improvement. Internal management review and monitoring is ongoing; regular, external monitoring enhances this. The manager actions recommendations made from monitoring to improve quality. Staff are now receiving regular high quality supervision complimented by clear written records. Supervision and induction covers staff role and responsibility; as a result staff have a clear understanding of the good practice standards that they need to work to. Staff report an increase in the support they receive under the new manager ‘I feel supported in my role now, I get supervision, I didn’t before. The staff work better as a team now, we work together for the children’. An improvement in staff morale and working practice is resulting in consistent boundaries for young people and their behaviour improving.

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good

A recent improvement in placement matching means that only young people assessed to be suitable move into the home; a new placement matching proforma considers the needs of new and existing young people. An induction programme for young people helps them to understand how the home works and to settle. This is a positive programme. Five of the seven requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection are met in full. Training is an area of ongoing development and this requirement is repeated.

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good

The current responsible individual does not have a background of relevant experience to equip him in his role; arrangements are in place to recruit a more suitable responsible individual. The new responsible individual will need to formalise their role with an application to Ofsted, and equip themselves with suitable training.

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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

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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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