Children's home in Belfast

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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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The matching of young people joining the home with those living there is not rigorous. It does not take account of the difficulties that the existing young people have and the impact that admitting additional young people will have on them.  Staff and managers fail to ensure that young people attend school consistently, and that there are effective strategies in place to encourage young people to attend school regularly.  Staff ability to intervene effectively to protect young people is not consistent. This has seen an increase in incidents and the need for physical interventions.  Staff are not taking a rigorous approach to counter bullying, which has resulted in an increase in the number of bullying incidents.  Staff do not encourage young people to participate in a variety of activities and interests.  Staff supervision of young people is not rigorous and means serious incidents occur.  Managers’ monitoring of the standards of care within the home is not

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

sufficiently robust.  Managers have failed to ensure that the home environment is suitable to meets the needs of young people. A considerable amount of damage remains to the fabric of the home that is not commensurate with the needs of young people.

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The children's home strengths

 The registered manager acknowledges the shortfalls and has strategies in place to address them.  The registered manager is reviewing staff skills and abilities and working with staff to improve practice.  Young people talk positively about their lives at the home.  Feedback from family members is positive about young people’s experiences.  Managers, staff and young people acknowledge the recent challenging experience and are looking ahead to welcoming new young people.  Positive relationships are seen between staff and young people living at the home.  The atmosphere in the home has improved.

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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 ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within 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, with particular reference to the kitchen area, damage to walls, and the furniture, decoration and play equipment in the garden, the registered person must— (2)(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— (i) meet the needs of each child; 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard so that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a)(x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that young people attend school each day. 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the enjoyment and achievement standard, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a) 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; 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) In order to meet the protection of children standard, children must be protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 30 June 2016 (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare;

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) T In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must enable, inspire and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

(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 statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

(b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

(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; 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner, which is consistent with its statement of purpose (Regulation 16(5)). 30 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed off the record to confirm it is accurate; (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)(ii)). 30 June 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10).  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, to ensure that staff have received counter-bullying training (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 53, paragraph 10.11).  Ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary, work to change negative behaviours In particular, to promote a healthy diet (‘Guide to the children's homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18).

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is run by a private organisation on behalf of a local authority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

9 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

25 June 2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

There have been significant changes at the home. The majority of young people have recently left and moved to new placements. This followed a significant period of unsettled and challenging behaviour resulting in numerous incidents and damage to the home. Young people’s placements were poorly planned. Their competing needs led to aggressive and destructive behaviour towards each other and adults, with a significant and negative impact on their emotional health. Despite staff’s efforts to support them and to address the issues, matters were not resolved until some young people left the home. Consequently, there has been a lack of steady progress and stability for young people. Because of these events, the home is currently accommodating one young person.

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Requires improvement

Staff and managers fail to ensure that young people attend school regularly. When the young person refuses to go to school, staff are not always effective in successfully addressing this and enabling him to increase his attendance. As a result, his education and learning is not always prioritised, leading to missed opportunities to improve his learning and academic attainment.

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Requires improvement

Staff support the young person to attend all routine health appointments. When more specialised services are needed, staff support him to attend these engagements, maximising health and well-being. However, when he has difficulty in choosing a healthy diet, there is a lack of a coordinated and consistent approach by staff towards promoting healthy eating, potentially impacting upon his overall health and welfare.

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Requires improvement

Staff involve the young person in decision making about the home. For example, in how his room is decorated and furnished. The young person said that staff listen to him and he is not afraid to express his views. Regular young people’s meetings, individual key-work sessions and day-to-day communication all ensure that he feels involved in the running of his home, increasing his involvement and self-esteem.

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Requires improvement

There are now positive relationships between staff and the young person. Staff are attentive, caring and motivated in their approach towards him. He confirmed that he is happy to talk to most staff and feels confident to tell staff if he is worried about anything.

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Requires improvement

Staff support the young person with age-appropriate responsibilities. For example, day-to-day chores in the home and helping with shopping. The young person learns essential life skills, helping him in his transition towards young adulthood. He commented:’ I like helping. I want to be a role model for when new young people come here.’

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Requires improvement

Staff support contact between the young person and his family. This ensures that he feels supported by the home in retaining family ties and promotes good communication. Family members commented, ‘He is well looked after. He seems happy and contented.’ Another said, ‘He is happy to see us and happy to go back to the home. That is a good sign.’ The young person talks very positively about his life at the home: ‘I love it here. I don’t want to leave. I am happy.’

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Requires improvement

Young people have not always been fully protected. Poorly planned admissions and the resulting dynamics between young people living at the home, until recently resulted in an increase in incidents, physical interventions and bullying between them. This did not promote their self-esteem and resilience. Despite efforts, staff were not always effective in preventing escalations of behaviour by young people, resulting in damage and aggression towards peers and staff. Staff’s ability to keep all young people safe was hindered by poor matching of young people’s needs. A young person commented that he feels better since his peers have left.

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Requires improvement

When incidents between young people have occurred, managers were proactive in working with social workers, police and other agencies to address difficulties and to support young people. Despite this proactive stance, change was not always achieved quickly, resulting in escalating incidents of risky behaviour by some young people, and in others experiencing distress and worry.

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Requires improvement

Staff do not always ensure that physical intervention records are fully completed. For example, the registered manager has not always reviewed records to make sure that they are accurate. This demonstrates poor managerial oversight by the registered manager and compromises young people’s safety.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager addresses all allegations against staff promptly and appropriately. Complaints, too, are investigated and the outcomes thoroughly recorded. This approach to allegations and complaints promotes young people’s welfare and well-being. They are reassured that their voice is heard and that their concerns are taken seriously.

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Requires improvement

Managers and staff work closely with local police to monitor and respond to missing from care incidents, promoting young people’s safety. Individual risk assessments identify key risks for young people, including risks such as exploitation and challenging behaviour. These are regularly reviewed and updated. There is evidence of managerial oversight to ensure that strategies are appropriate, up to date and responsive to young people’s changing needs. Health and safety checks are completed in line with organisational standards, ensuring that young people live in a home that is hazard free.

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Requires improvement

Managers ensure that safe recruitment practice is in place and that all staff are subject to essential checks before starting work, promoting young people’s safety.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post since 2015. She has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager acknowledges that the home has experienced considerable upheaval following recent admissions and discharges of young people, with an associated increase in incidents and challenges. She said that admitting a fourth young person at this time made the situation for young people decline further, with an increase in incidents, damage and peer violence.

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Requires improvement

The home was not operating in line with its statement of purpose, for example in providing a ‘settled placement and establishing a placement plan designed to meet the child’s individual needs’. The competing needs of young people prevented this work from being undertaken with each of the young people. Young people have left the home, and the environment and atmosphere are improved.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager liaised with other agencies and highlighted difficulties that were happening in the home in relation to individual young people during this period. However, change and effective resolutions to these difficulties were slow, with an associated impact on the welfare of young people.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers prioritise the needs of young people, but this is not always clear in records of action and review. For example, this inspection found that managers and staff failed to promote a healthy diet, and young people were offered a lot of fast food and takeaways, contrary to their stated aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the evidence concerning what activities the young person undertakes shows for most evenings they watch television and DVDs. This does not demonstrate the young person is encouraged to participate in varied activities and interests to enhance their development. It is not clear how shifts are planned and how tasks are distributed between staff to ensure that these matters are addressed. Staff recordings of Key-work sessions lack detail. There is little oversight by the registered manager or action taken to address these shortfalls in practice.

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Requires improvement

There has been staff turnover and a number of new staff have joined the home. The registered manager has appointed a deputy manager to strengthen and reinforce further the leadership team, and to improve the care offered to young people. Staff have either achieved or will be starting a level 3 diploma in working with children and young people, ensuring that staff have the right skills and knowledge to work effectively with young people and meet their needs, within the required timeline.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager is aware of the strengths and areas for improvement of the home, and has a plan in place to address deficiencies. This includes to improve the physical environment, where considerable damage was done over the past few weeks, and to ensure that the home provides a suitable positive environment for all young people. In addition, now the home is fully staffed, the registered manager is working to develop the staff team and improve morale. She is undertaking a skills audit of staff to understand their development needs further in order to improve practice. New staff have received induction training and are supported by more experienced colleagues to undertake their role within the home. Not all staff have completed counter-bullying training, which, in light of recent incidents at the home, will ensure that staff have the necessary skills and abilities to meet young people’s needs.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager ensures that supervision is undertaken with all staff. Supervision is seen to be reflective and supportive for staff, with a focus on the welfare of the young people who they care for.

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Requires improvement

Good relationships are developed with a range of other agencies. Feedback from professionals is positive about the quality of communication from the home, but less favourable about the difficulties presented by the mix of young people and staff’s ability to manage these appropriately.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager responded promptly to the requirement at the last inspection in relation to damage to the home environment. Since that time, further damage has been done to the home and garden area. This needs attention to ensure that young people live in a comfortable home, commensurate with their needs.

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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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘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 0300 123 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, 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 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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