Children's home run by The Ryes College Limited in Babergh

inspection

A compliance notice was served under Regulation 6 (the quality and purpose of care standard) and two statutory requirements under Regulation 6 and Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard). On 4 March 2016, Ofsted undertook a compliance monitoring visit which identified that some progress had been made. However, there was further work to be undertaken in updating risk assessments; ensuring they are followed by staff; and a continuation of improving the environment.

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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:

 Young people reported that they were being bullied. Although they told staff and staff challenged them, young people reported that it was still happening.  Staff do not celebrate young people’s achievements in a way that shows them that staff think this is important.  The home has CCTV on the landing and alarms on the bedroom doors but consent has not been obtained from social workers or parents.  The home is in need of redecoration in communal areas and some furniture needs replacing to create a warm, homely environment.  There are some monitoring systems in place but it is difficult to follow how progress is captured and patterns and trends are identified.  Supervision has been sporadic and the quality of some recording is poor. There are gaps in some staff appraisals.  There are clear risk assessments in place but some staff failed to follow these, leading to a serious safeguarding incident.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff are committed and work hard to give young people positive experiences.  The young people have good relationships with a stable, experienced and dedicated staff team.  Staff understand the importance of young people attending activities in the community to build their self-esteem and social skills.  Young people say that they like living in the home and they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset.  Staff challenge young people’s negative behaviours and discuss these in key work meetings.  There are comprehensive care plans in place, which support staff in working with the young people.  Young people have personalised their bedrooms, which are decorated to a good standard.

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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

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (b)) 15 July 16

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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 is required to:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 15 July 16

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. In particular, ensure that they are maintained to a good homely standard. 5 September

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. 15 July 16

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 15 July 16 In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure (2)(a) that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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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 recognise and celebrate the achievements of their children (Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.7). 

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Information about this children's home

The home is one of three children's homes run by a private organisation which also operates two schools. One of the schools is on the same site as this children's home. The home provides accommodation for up to six children who have learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

9 December 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

6 February 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

The home is in need of redecoration. There is no doorbell for young people or visitors. The entrance hall is dirty and uninviting. The bathrooms upstairs need redecorating and new flooring is needed in one. The flooring on the landings is in the process of being replaced. The young people’s phone room contained an old bed. The main corridor downstairs has been recently decorated; it is bright, clean and welcoming. The lounge, however, has patchy paintwork and lacks a warm, homely feel. The furniture is sparse, worn and does not match. There was no television as this was in a young person’s bedroom. The dining room also has patchy paint work. This does not help young people to feel valued.

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Requires improvement

Due to the majority of young people being new to the home, staff have not started to look at how they can support young people to develop independence skills. However, a young person who recently moved from the home successfully completed some independence skills, which supported him to manage his new placement.

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Requires improvement

There is little evidence of how young people’s progress and achievements are tracked. Staff do not fully celebrate achievements. This is something that they are aware of and they commented that the new manager wants to work with them and young people to look at ideas of how this can be achieved. Staff have begun to complete individualised positive comments books to start to address this issue.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s meetings have been sporadic and there is little evidence of how young people’s views are sought in the day-to-day running of the home. Managers are aware that this is an important part of gaining feedback and are looking at how young people can be encouraged and supported to attend.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s bedrooms are decorated to a good standard and they report that they have everything they need in them. There are large grounds surrounding the home, which are well maintained.

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Requires improvement

The young people have developed good relationships with a stable, motivated and positive staff team. A young person commented that ‘staff listen and support me’.

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Requires improvement

Young people are given a comprehensive child-friendly guide that informs them of the running of the home and of how they can complain. There is also a PowerPoint version available for young people if they wish. This helps them to understand what to expect. The young people all currently attend the organisation’s school, which is on site. Attendance has improved, with three young people having reached high levels of attendance.

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Requires improvement

The young people have regular key work sessions, which support them with different aspects of their lives. They commented that they like their key workers and feel that they can talk to them.

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Requires improvement

There is an advocate who visits the home on a monthly basis. The local police community support officer also visits regularly and the independent visitors make themselves available for young people. This gives the young people a variety of adults they can speak to about any worries or concerns.

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Requires improvement

Staff understand the importance of transitions both into and out of the home and the effect this can have on the group dynamics. Where possible, staff go and meet the young person and they will come to the home before moving in. One young person commented, ‘I came for two nights before I moved in and picked the colour for my room and brought some pictures with me. When I moved in, my room had been painted and my pictures had been put up.’ This showed the young person that staff care about them and want them to feel welcome.

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Requires improvement

The young people are offered a wide variety of activities in the community and staff see this as an important part of building their self-esteem and social awareness.

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Requires improvement

There is a robust medication policy in place, which staff follow. Staff are signed off as competent before they administer medication. All staff have first aid training.

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Requires improvement

There is CCTV on the landings so staff can monitor young people when they come out of their rooms and bedroom doors have alarms. There are, however, no consent forms in place from social workers, parents or young people.

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Requires improvement

One young person reported that he has been bullied on several occasions since moving into the home. He commented, ‘I have had stones thrown at my head and been called names, I have told the staff and they did speak to them but it hasn’t helped, I’m not worried about it as I’m used to being bullied. I feel safe because staff know what’s happening and they keep me safe.’ Staff are vigilant and record incidents of bullying and the policy has recently been updated, but it is not good enough that young people continue to feel bullied. There are good, clear individualised risk assessments on file. These also clearly state the risks pertaining to each young person and the level of staffing required. However, staff failed to follow the risk assessments for two young people, which led to a serious safeguarding incident. Managers took immediate action. They informed all necessary professionals, and are continuing to work with them during

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Requires improvement

the investigation. A social worker commented, ‘The manager and responsible individual have taken the incident very seriously; they have shared information and were quick to have a risk assessment meeting.’ Another commented, ‘this could have been avoided and things were going well up to this point. I do feel that he is being safeguarded now and staff acted quickly.’

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Requires improvement

Staff understand the risks associated with the internet and the individual risk assessments that are in place. A social worker commented, ‘staff understand the risks of young people using the internet and they are monitored.’

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Requires improvement

Incidents of young people going missing have dramatically reduced. Staff worked with one young person and his social worker to support him. He now has trust time in the community, which has reduced the incidents of him failing to return home. When young people do go missing, they are spoken to by staff on their return and an independent person meets with them. Young people know that staff will follow them if they leave the house unauthorised and will actively look for them if they fail to return while out in the community. This helps to give the message that staff care.

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Requires improvement

There are clear individual behaviour management plans in place, which support staff in identifying potential triggers for behaviours and how these can be reduced. There have been 30 physical interventions since the last inspection. The majority of these are very low level guiding holds for a short period. These have been recorded but records have not always been fully completed. This prevents robust oversight of incidents.

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Requires improvement

There have been three complaints from young people. These have been fully investigated and resolved.

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Requires improvement

Sanctions are fair and proportionate and young people are given the opportunity to comment and sign the records. This enables them to express their views about how they have been managed.

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Requires improvement

The local authority designated officer reported that staff work well with him and inform him of any safeguarding concerns and will follow actions and recommendations made. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, the manager has left the organisation. An experienced long-standing assistant manager has undertaken the role since April 2015, giving continuity and stability to the young people and staff. She has the relevant qualifications and is currently in the process of registering with Ofsted. A deputy who was previously a senior in the home supports her.

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Requires improvement

There were two requirements from the last inspection. The care-planning standard has been met. The regulation regarding supervision has not been fully met and will be repeated.

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Requires improvement

Staff have received limited supervision since the last full inspection and some recordings were of poor quality. Staff spoken to felt that this was not seen as an important part of working with young people. They commented that the new manager recognises the importance of supervision and they are confident that this will improve. A member of staff commented, ‘supervision was a bit hit and miss. Since the new manager has come it is seen as important, it’s formal every month and the notes are e-mailed to us.’ Another commented that ‘supervisions were lapse but are much better now. The manager spoke to us in a staff meeting about how important they are.’ Some staff have not had appraisals or they are not on file.

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Requires improvement

There are monitoring systems in place, but these are not always easy to follow. This means that the progress of young people, along with evaluation, patterns and trends, cannot be easily identified.

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Requires improvement

There is a dedicated, stable staff team in place. Due to a higher than normal need for staff at this time, extra staff are being used from other homes within the group. This means that agency staff are rarely used and young people can build positive relationships with staff who they know and trust. A young person commented, ‘staff are nice and kind. I can talk to them.’ Managers are in the process of recruiting three new staff members.

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Requires improvement

The manager, with support from the clinical lead, completes an impact risk assessment as part of the referral process. This ensures that compatibility and management of risks are considered in advance. The local authority is informed of admissions and discharges from the home.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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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