Children's home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottingham

Inspector Michael Mulvaney

Enforcement action since last inspection None

p.2

people living in the home are

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.

p.2

This children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 The Registered Manager does not take action on the feedback from the independent visitor.  The Registered Manager does not take action to prevent shortfalls in recording of important information regarding the children and young people in the home. As a result the progress of the young people cannot be clearly monitored and the staff cannot readily see the development of trends in behaviour.  The administration and recording of medicines is not properly monitored by staff.  The Registered Manager does not provide staff with regular supervision. As a result he cannot monitor the day-to-day practice within the home or challenge poor practice as it emerges.  There are omissions in the recording of restraint. As a result the children’s and young people’s views regarding the restraint and the views of the staff are not routinely logged. A consequence of this is that the Registered Manager is not able

p.3

This children’s home provision requires improvement because:

to ensure that the restraint was used appropriately.

p.3

The children’s homes strengths

 Children and young people have settled in this home as a result of the positive relationships they have formed with the staff.

p.3

The children’s homes strengths

 The young people have thrived in their education placement which enhances their opportunities to gain skills and knowledge.

p.3

The children’s homes strengths

 Contact with families has improved as a direct result of the work completed by the Registered Manager who supports and promotes contact.

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

11. The leadership and management standard

p.4

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person must ensure:

p.4

Requirement Due date

(x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same

p.4

2015

13. The leadership and management standard

p.4

2015

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must:

p.4

2015

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

p.4

2015

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1))

p.4

2015

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 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure and the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure (Regulation 35 (3)(a) (v)(vii))

p.4

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to offer care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/12/2014 Full Adequate 31/07/2014 Interim Sustained Effectiveness 26/02/2014 Full Adequate 14/10/2013 Interim Good Progress

p.6

Requires Improvement

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people in this home requires improvement to be good. Significantly staff do not monitor the administration of prescribed medication well. There are gaps in the recording of medication which indicate that the children and young people are either not taking important medication or that staff are not robustly recording its administration. This could have a serious impact if, for example, staff on the next shift administer further medication believing that children and young people have not taken what is prescribed. Children and young people have appropriate relationships with staff in the home. They speak highly of these relationships which are maintained through key work with the staff. As a result they feel supported. Children and young people are made to feel that this is their home. There is evidence that they are welcomed to the home when they first arrive. An easy-to-read

p.7

Requires Improvement

children’s guide is available to help them understand the home and to settle in. Children’s and young people’s progress is reasonable. Many arrive at this home having experienced a number of moves; early life experiences which lack consistent boundaries and emotional and behavioural difficulties. The individualised care plans and risk assessments are suitable to support staff to meet the needs of the children and young people. Some are in need of review and updating. Children and young people access community resources such as local church youth groups, ice skating and basketball. These help to build confidence and extend experiences. The staff work hard to involve the children and young people in these activities, often in their own time. Children and young people are maintaining their education and as a result they are likely to achieve their expected goals in line with their ability. Attending school

p.7

Requires Improvement

provides the young people with opportunity to extend their peer group outside of the home and help to develop their skills. The Registered Manager is committed to the education of young people, regularly attending and communicating with the school to promote this relationship. During this inspection he had convened an important meeting with the school to ensure that a young person’s needs were being met. All of the children and young people are supported to help and promote their educational attainment. A strength of the home is the work with families to promote contact. This has developed to include unsupervised contact and the home has worked well with the local authorities to ensure that contact is safe and meets the children’s and young people’s needs. Children’s and young people’s views are gathered through one-to-one meetings and in community meetings. These are led by the staff and include feedback to the

p.7

Requires Improvement

children and young people about things that they have done well and things that need to improve. An example of how the home responds to these views is that the children and young people asked for some sports equipment to be renewed. They, along with staff, went out together to buy the required equipment. The home has been successful in beginning to help the children and young people build trusting relationships with adults given the difficult early life experiences that some of them have had. The services provided by the staff are clearly listed in the Statement of Purpose which is reviewed regularly.

p.8

Requires Improvement

There are several issues, such as gaps in the recording of restorative justice, restraints and use of sanctions that mean that this area requires improvement to be good. Some of these issues have not been addressed since the last inspection.

p.8

Requires Improvement

Some young people have been restrained as a result of the challenge that their behaviour can sometimes bring. There have been three restraints since the last inspection. Staff work hard to de-escalate incidents using techniques they have learnt from training. These restraints though have not been recorded in line with the home’s policy on managing behaviour. Staff do not apply this policy at all times, and as a consequence the Registered Manager cannot review the restraint to ensure that it has been carried out appropriately or in a timely way. These issues were raised in the previous full inspection and to-date improvement has not been made.

p.8

Requires Improvement

Children and young people have settled well in this home having previously experienced a number of placement changes. Their behaviour has been such that other providers felt they could not meet their needs. However, since being in this home the children and young people’s behaviour has calmed and they feel able to remain in the home and share their concerns with their key workers.

p.8

Requires Improvement

Children and young people say that staff help them to feel safe in the home. There are very few incidents where they go missing, and when they do, staff are proactive in contacting the appropriate authorities. However, one recent incident was not fully recorded, although the staff did take all the necessary steps to ensure that the young person returned safely. Return interviews have been carried out from a person who is independent of the provider. Staff work to minimise incidents of negative behaviour and use restorative sanctions to promote more acceptable behaviour. This has resulted in a slight reduction in the incidents of damage to the home. There have been some gaps in the recording of how the sanctions have been responded to, and as a result the staff and the Registered Manager have not able to see developing themes or trends in how children and young people are responding to these sanctions.

p.8

Requires Improvement

If children and young people are considered in need of protection staff act appropriately to safeguard and support them, helping them to try to develop skills to enable them to be able to manage age appropriate risks themselves.

p.9

leaders and managers

The Registered Manager has a National Vocational Qualification at level 4 in Care and Management and been in post since March 2013. He is appropriately qualified and has a significant amount of experience in residential childcare. Appropriate monitoring and oversight of the home continue to be an issue, as highlighted in the last inspection. Staff are not supported through regular supervision and monitoring. This has been reported on by the independent visitor in the monthly report but this, along with other shortfalls, have not been acted on by the Registered Manager. The children and young people feel the impact of this in terms of the consistency and quality of care they receive from the staff. For example, healthy meals planned for at the residents’ meeting are often changed on a day-by- day basis to include unplanned unhealthy options. Some children and young people realise that certain staff will change from the plan and this leads to some conflict

p.9

leaders and managers

between the staff, who will stick to the healthy eating plan, and the children. Despite this issue there are good relationships between the staff and young people. Some young people have made satisfactory progress since living in this home. Education has been maintained and it is likely that they will achieve suitable outcomes from school which will help them to progress to further educations. This will help to provide a wider experience of education and develop skills. There are suitable assessments of the young people’s needs which are reflected in the care plans that are used. Some of these care plans are in need of revising and the Registered Manager has a plan in place to complete these reviews. Each young person has a placement plan that is monitored by a key worker. There is key work session within the home which makes sure that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to-day care of that child.

p.9

leaders and managers

The Registered Manager works extremely hard to keep the young peoples’ needs central to the practice of the home and his commitment is commented on by all stakeholders. He understands the importance to the young people of contact and feels that this along with good working relationships with outside agencies are the strengths of this home. He has a plan of work to focus on the recording issues which this inspection and his independent visitor has raised, to improve on the shortfalls. Partnership working is good and the Registered Manager has good relationships with the social workers and local communities. This helps to ensure that the young people are safe in the community. A social worker commented that the Registered Manager works really hard to ensure that information is shared and he ‘really understands the needs of the young people’. Some requirements set at the previous inspection have yet to be acted upon and

p.9

leaders and managers

therefore some are set again at this inspection, and this impacts on the quality of care provided to the children and young people. These include issues such as gaps in the monitoring of restraints, recording of sanctions and other issues regarding recording in young people’s files. All of these are significant and impact on the young people on a day-to-day basis. Good recording keeping is essential for monitoring the young people’s progress and to ensure that their care is meeting the highest standard.

p.10

leaders and managers

The Statement of Purpose reflects the services provided in the home and the young people meet the criteria for admission. The Registered Manager ensures that the care that is provided meets the children and young people’s heritage and cultural needs.

p.10

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.11

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

p.11

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.

p.11

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.

p.12

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 the Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards. 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 .

p.12

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, 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.

p.13

Information about this inspection

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 .

p.13

Information about this inspection

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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.14