Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited in New Forest

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home is good because:

 Young people live in a supportive environment, which provides them with consistency structure and routine.  Young people have made effective and sustained progress from their starting points.  Young people are supported to develop the confidence to trust staff.  The organisation and staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s risks factors and have implemented robust and effective strategies to protect them and minimise the risks to others.  The home has a high staffing ratio to ensure excellent monitoring and supervision of young people to protect them.  The manager and staff work closely with the organisation’s therapy team and education staff to ensure a holistic, consistent approach in supporting young people.  There has been a reduction in incidents of challenging behaviour for the majority of young people.  All young people are making progress in their education and working towards a variety of qualifications.

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The children's home is good because:

 Young people's mental and emotional well-being is supported and improved through staff liaising closely with the organisations therapy team  Young people have been able to establish friendships with their peers.  Staff support young people to participate safely in a range of activities at the home and in the local community. Young people are able to develop their independence skills in achievable steps.

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The areas still requiring improvement are:

 Young people have occasionally been restrained when their behaviour did not appear to meet the threshold of harm against themselves, others or damage to property. The registered manager had not addressed this at the time of the inspection.  Recordings of restraint do not evidence why staff have escalated the level of restraint they are using during an incident.  New staff have not undergone all the required employment checks.  The manager is not taking robust action to identify and rectify weaknesses to ensure young people receive an improving service.  Some staff have not had regular supervision.  Young people do not live in well-maintained accommodation.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to the manager’s oversight and monitoring of the quality of care provided, the registered manager is required to:

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Requirement Due date

(2) (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;

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Requirement Due date

(g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account

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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. 22/12/2015

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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 the details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; In particular, why there has been an escalation in restraint during an incident. (Regulation 35 (3) (a) (ii)) 22/12/2015

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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 the children's home provides a homely, domestic environment and that all areas are of a good standard of decoration and cleanliness (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 15 paragraph 3.9)  evidence how staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child: specifically ensure that medical advice obtained is used to inform risk assessment prior to the use of any prone restraint for a young person with a heart condition (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5).  ensure that the policy on the protection of children from abuse and neglect in relation to E-safety which provides guidance to staff on what to do if they suspect young people have been accessing inappropriate material on the

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Recommendations

internet (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 44 paragraph 9.19)  ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 45 paragraph 9.30)  consider formally the impact that any new placement will have on the existing group of children and evidence their judgement supporting compatibility with existing residents (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 56 paragraph 11.4)  any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the

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Recommendations

home's care. In particular, ensure the use of restraint is appropriate and neccessary (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 65 paragraph 15.5)  ensure that recruitment procedures safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular ensure all the required checks as specified in schedule two are completed (Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards, April 2015, page 62 paragraph 13.1)

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Information about this children's home

The children’s home provides residential care and accommodation for four young people with autistic spectrum disorders. The home offers an integrated service that includes therapy, education and care. The home is one of a number operated by a private provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people live in a supportive environment, which provides them with consistency, structure and routine. As a result, young people have made effective and sustained progress from their starting points. Their confidence has grown and they have made improvements in their education, social relationships, skill development and behaviour. All young people are making progress in their education and working towards a variety of qualifications. All young people have good attendance and for some this is a significant achievement, as previously they had not attended education for some time. Staff work closely with their education colleagues and share information on the young people’s well-being daily. They also devise strategies to address young people’s behaviour and reluctance to attend to support young people to achieve their educational capability. Young people’s health needs are met to a high standard and staff support young people to attend their doctors, dentist

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Good

and optician appointments. Young people's mental and emotional well-being is supported and improved through staff liaising closely with the organisations therapy team. This is enabling young people to address their behaviour, gain a more positive self-view and develop stronger emotional resilience. Staff support young people to develop their social skills in a safe environment. Young people have been able to establish friendships with their peers. Staff support young people to participate safely in a range of activities at the home and in the local community. This assists young people in extending their social experiences whilst boosting their confidence. When appropriate staff support young people to have regular interaction with their families and maintain meaningful attachments. Staff work closely with the school and therapy team to devise targets for the young people. This has been successful in supporting young people to

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Good

develop their independence skills in achievable steps. Young people are taking more responsibility for chores around the home, preparing meals and beginning to learn how to manage their finances. Young people are supported to develop the confidence to trust staff and relationships between young people and staff are both constructive and positive, with clear and sensitively managed boundaries. This has had a positive impact on young people’s behaviour, as there has been a reduction in incidents for the majority of young people. Staff provide individualised care as outlined in the young people’s comprehensive plans and risk assessments. Young people feel able to talk to staff about their worries and know how to make a complaint. Young people and staff use key sessions positively to discuss their wishes, concerns and to reflect on their behaviour. Young people do not live in well-maintained accommodation. Although young

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Good

people are able to personalise their bedrooms giving them a sense of identity and belonging at the home, there is a lot of damage to their rooms and communal areas. The carpets around the home are heavily stained. Many of the walls have holes in them. The bottom of fridges in the kitchen are rusted and there are a lot of insects and cobwebs around the ceiling. This does not promote a homely environment where young people feel valued and appreciated. The operations manager is currently in the process of identifying areas to that need remedying.

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requires improvement

Young people have been restrained when their behaviour did not appear to warrant it. One incident has been monitored by the registered manager who concluded that it did not meet the threshold for restraint. However, the registered manager has not addressed this with staff members through discussions, supervisions or team meeting. The oversight and review of restraint is generally strong but this has not been to the high standard throughout this inspection period. Some young people present with frequent challenging behaviours. The company has a rigorous system of training and oversight to enable staff to manage this. However, restraint practice in the home has been poorly documented and includes some questionable decisions. One young person, who is restrained using the high-risk strategies of supine or prone restraints, has a medical history of a heart condition. There was no evidence in the young person’s file to demonstrate that the use of restraint was safe. As a

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requires improvement

result, staff are not adequately informed as to whether the use of these strategies are safe although subsequent medical information indicates that there is no significant risk. A recommendation was made at the previous inspection advising the registered manager that records of physical intervention must explain why there has been an escalation in the strategies staff are using. However, this has not been achieved. Recordings do not evidence why staff have escalated the level of restraint they are using during an incident. This includes changing from using a ‘wrap’ to a ‘supine’ restraint with no explanation. This does not aid the managers monitoring of restraint and could mean that staff are escalating the level of restraint without cause to do so. It is noted that the actual incidents of restraint have declined in volume. There has been one incident of a young person leaving the home without permission. The home has clear protocols in place advising staff of what to do in

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requires improvement

the event that a young person is missing from the home. Staff are proactive in attempting to find the young person quickly on the occasions they go missing and report concerns to appropriate professionals. However, an independent return interview did not take place after the missing event. There is no evidence of staff challenging the appropriate authorities for this to take place. This could result in the reasons why the young person went missing not being established resulting in strategies to minimise incidents becoming ineffective. Some young people are at risk of accessing inappropriate material via the internet. Currently the home does not have a specific e-Safety policy in place to advise staff of the signs indicating young people may be accessing inappropriate material, what to do if this happens or who to inform (although this is covered in their induction training). The home’s current safeguarding policy refers to e-safety in the context

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requires improvement

of cyberbullying, not accessing inappropriate material. The policy does contain a link to the local children’s safeguarding board’s flow chart advising on what to do if a child is accessing inappropriate material. However, the registered manager was not aware of this information and has not disseminated this to his staff. Therefore, staff are not adequately informed of the action they need to take when they suspect young people are accessing appropriate material. This could result in staff not taking the appropriate steps to protect young people. Some new staff have not undergone all the required employment checks prior to starting their employment. This includes not exploring gaps in their history and references not being obtained for previous employment with children, young people or vulnerable adults. This means their reasons for leaving these roles were not established. As a result, recruitment procedures are not robust to ensure that

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requires improvement

only suitable adults are employed to work with young people. All staff have undergone training in safeguarding children and young people. As a result, any issues of a safeguarding nature are managed appropriately, with effective multi-agency working ensuring the safety of young people. Some young people demonstrate high-risk behaviours. The organisation and staff have an excellent understanding of these risks, have completed thorough risk assessments, and have implemented robust and effective strategies to protect young people and minimise the risks to others. This includes high staffing ratios to ensure excellent monitoring and supervision of young people to protect them. The manager has ensured that all health and safety checks are up to date and appropriate fire safety measures are in place. This ensures that any potential hazards are identified and minimised.

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requires improvement

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2015. He holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. He has numerous years’ experience in this field. The manager knows the young people very well and works closely with the organisation’s therapy team and education staff to ensure a holistic, consistent approach in supporting young people. The manager leads a team who has an excellent understanding of the high-risk and challenging behaviours displayed by the young people. They take effective action to protect young people, minimise the risks to others whilst providing a supportive environment where young people are able to develop and progress. The manager is a strong advocate for the young people and has challenged other agencies’ practice when they have not acted in their best interests. The manager has established links with the local police, youth offending team and fire service to provide education to young people around their

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requires improvement

risk taking behaviour. This has been successful in addressing young people’s fire setting behaviour. However, the registered manager is not currently involved in assessing and evaluating prospective new placements. As a result, there is no information in the young people’s files evidencing that the impact a new resident will have on the existing group of young people has been fully considered. It is also not evident if the manager has considered whether the new young person will be compatible with the service and existing residents. This could result in young people being placed in a home that is not appropriate to their needs or in unnecessary conflict between young people who because of their needs or personality are not compatible. The manager has not had oversight or carried out effective monitoring of restraint records. Although on one occasion, he did identify that a restraint on a young person by staff did not meet the threshold, other entries of a similar nature have

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requires improvement

not been closely analysed. The one identified did not result in any follow up action. The independent visitor who also scrutinises these records did not raise any concerns. Consequently the opportunity to ensure sound practice and recording has been allowed to drift. Other areas requiring improvement such as the quality of environment have not been addressed or identified within the home’s development plan. As a result, the manager is not taking robust action to identify and rectify weaknesses to ensure young people receive an improving service. Staff report feeling supported by the manager and feel they have undertaken the training necessary to meet the specific needs of the young people they support. There are systems in place to ensure that staff are up to date with current issues, and approaches to young people. These include daily handovers and team meetings. However, not all staff have received regular or recent supervision. This

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requires improvement

means that the manager is not providing them with the opportunity to discuss any concerns around practice, or the progress of young people.

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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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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