Children's home SC063059

This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 29 March 2016, the home was judged as inadequate. A large number of failings were identified. This included a lack of effective action taken by managers and staff in response to serious safeguarding concerns. This left young people at risk of harm. There was also a lack of required care planning, as well as a lack of education and health documents available to inform practice. Risks to young people had failed to be identified, understood and managed. In addition, staff had not received training or supervision for several months, and the provider has failed to ensure effective and efficient management of the home. Three compliance notices were issued, under Regulations 12, 13 and 14.

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This monitoring visit

In order to evaluate progress made by the home in addressing the notices, an unannounced monitoring visit took place on 4 May 2016. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the home regarding three compliance notices issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These relate to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 14, the care-planning standard of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring, the inspectors found that young people are adequately not protected from harm. This is because staff have failed to respond effectively to the emerging needs of young people, when there have been declines in their safety, emotional health and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Following a safeguarding incident on 29 April 2016, where a young person had informed staff that they had accessed and downloaded pornographic materials on to their internet- enabled computer device, staff failed to take any action to safeguard the young person. Staff did not adhere to the home’s own safeguarding procedures and failed to alert other professionals to this issue. This demonstrates that staff lack an understanding of their responsibilities to protect young people, specifically to identify and respond appropriately to a safeguarding concern and to follow the organisation’s own safeguarding procedure, even though staff have received up-to-date training on safeguarding. This inaction therefore left young people exposed to a risk of harm. Staff also failed to update all relevant documentation, including risk assessments and daily care plans, in respect of this. When the inspectors brought this to the attention of both the acting manager and

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This monitoring visit

the responsible individual, they reported that they were unaware that the incident had occurred and that staff had failed to take appropriate action. Staff also failed to report the incident to the placing authority social worker and to other safeguarding professionals involved. This placed the young person at potential risk, as they are currently undergoing an assessment from an external professional to determine both the level of supervision required and their therapeutic needs. This assessment is in regard to the risks associated with their prior sexually harmful behaviours. The failure to share this information has meant that it was unable to be considered in the current assessment of the young person’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found a further example on 20 April 2016, involving a young person displaying sexually inappropriate behaviours, and making sexual innuendos, towards a female member of staff who was lone-working. Staff failed to update all relevant documentation, including daily care plans and a risk assessment, and all potential risks factors, including lone-working, were not considered. This placed both the young person and staff at potential risk. It is also in breach of the home’s own safeguarding policies and procedures, which stipulate that any safeguarding concerns need to be raised with the appropriate safeguarding professionals, and that all documentation needs to be updated to inform practice. Although the acting manager was aware of the incident, no further action had been taken to minimise the risks associated with lone-working. No direct work had been completed with the young person to help him to gain an understanding of acceptable and

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This monitoring visit

unacceptable behaviours. Therefore, the acting manager cannot be assured that all staff are aware of the risks associated with behaviours, or whether additional safeguards are required to reduce risks to young people or others.

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This monitoring visit

This is a further breach of the home’s own safeguarding policies and procedures. It does not ensure that young people remain protected from harm. Due to the ongoing safeguarding concerns, the compliance notice under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, will be reissued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the provider has made the decision to bring another acting manager in from a different home within the company. She had been in place for 12 days at the time of this inspection. The acting manager had taken appropriate action to begin a review of all of the current documentation. A team meeting and individual supervision sessions had taken place. The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss staff’s roles and responsibilities, and the expectations from the provider about delivering warm, nurturing care. The responsible individual has also written to all staff in the home about the home’s inadequate judgement, and clearly set out the expectations for all staff. A training matrix is now in place to ensure that staff have received training in safeguarding, first aid, medication, fire safety and physical intervention. This means that the provider has taken some positive measures to equip staff with the

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This monitoring visit

necessary skills and knowledge to meet the individual needs of young people. However, there is limited noticeable impact at present, as serious errors are continuing to occur as illustrated earlier with regard to a young person being able to download and view pornographic materials on an internet-enabled computer device. Staff failed to take any action. This does not demonstrate that training is informing practice appropriately and is safeguarding young people.

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This monitoring visit

There are now clear procedures with step-by-step guides for staff to follow when young people are missing from care, or if there are concerns that they may be at risk of child sexual exploitation. This demonstrates that staff have a clear guide to follow if issues become evident. Staff are also aware of their responsibilities in reporting any concerns. All staff had signed the documentation to say that they were aware of what action to take during and after incidents of missing from care and child sexual exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

Care planning documents, including placement plans, health plans and behaviour management plans, were in the process of being updated. However, not all historical and current issues had been considered. The new acting manager had already identified the failings and had discussed with key workers information that was still missing and needed to be included. She had taken some positive measures to involve the young people and staff in the development and review of all individual plans and had in place a new management audit tool to monitor progress.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, no young people have moved into the home. One young person moved to another home within the company, and staff arranged a planned activity before he moved on.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment and young people’s bedrooms have improved. Staff have worked with young people to make the improvements, and regular monitoring is in place to ensure that the living environment is maintained to a good standard. Fire safety issues have been addressed, and there are clear dates planned for fire drills and ongoing health and safety monitoring.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has also taken action to introduce a management monitoring system to provide a robust review of the home’s practices relating to the quality of young people’s care and to secure improvements in young people’s safety. A further inspection will take place to review how these improvements are being embedded to improve the quality of care provided.

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Information about this children’s home

 The home is a privately owned children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

 The home caters for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met 5. In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, to ensure that children’s needs are met, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff: (c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans 28 April 2016

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The quality and purpose of care standard

6. (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who: (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose (b) ensure that staff: (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of 28 April 2016 purpose (iii) 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 account of the child’s background.

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The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

7. (1) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who: (a) develop positive relationships with them (b) engage with them (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. 28 April 2016

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The education standard

8. (1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans 28 April 16

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The education standard

The protection of children standard * 12. (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make 24 June 2016 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 (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 (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and

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The education standard

delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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The leadership and management standard

13. (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that: (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (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 (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

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The leadership and management standard

development of the quality of care provided in the home (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous 28 April 2016 improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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The leadership and management standard

14. (1) The care planning standard is that children: (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose (b) that arrangements are in place to: (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed. 28 April 2016

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Medicines

23. (1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (2) In particular the registered person must ensure that: (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child (3) (b) may be safely self-administered by that child. 28 April 2016

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Fire precautions

25. (1) After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must: (c) make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention (d) 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. 28 April 2016

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Staffing of children’s homes

31. (1) The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. 28 April 2016 (2) The registered person must ensure that: (a) at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification.

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Employment of staff

33. (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees: (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. 28 April 2016

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Behaviour management policies and records

35. (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out: (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint, which may be used in relation to children in the home. (2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. 28 April 2016

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Notification of a serious event

40. (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if: (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 28 April 2016

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Independent person: visits and reports

44. (4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether: (a) children are effectively safeguarded (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well- being. 28 April 2016

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Independent person: visits and reports

* This requirement is subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. procedures set out in 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

regulates and inspects to 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, work-based 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

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Information about this inspection

Policy Team, 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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