Children's home run by Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited in Tewkesbury

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.

p.2

The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Leaders and managers must ensure that staff, including agency staff, receive regular formal supervision and that effective records of these sessions are maintained.  The quality of the records maintained requires further improvement. In particular, records of restraints need to be comprehensive and consistent.  Leaders and managers should ensure that monitoring systems not only identify shortfalls in records but that these are then addressed.  Leaders and managers need to ensure that staff vacancies are filled. The use of agency staff has decreased and leaders and managers aim to eliminate the need for them.  Staff recruitment records should contain a risk assessment when a person has been subject to disciplinary proceedings in their previous employment.  There should be an explanation as to how the scores awarded to applicants’ responses to interview questions are used in the decision of whether to

p.3

The children's home provision requires improvement because:

appoint.  The home’s statement of purpose needs to be reviewed to reflect the staff and senior staff changes.  Maintenance records need to record when items were broken, when repairs are due and when a repair is completed.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 Young people enjoy living at the home. They build strong relationships with the staff who care for them. These relationships help them to settle quickly.  The staff team is very young person-focused and has the young people’s well-being and safety at the core of all its work.  Despite staff vacancies, leaders, managers and the staff team have maintained stability for the young people.  With staff support, young people have reduced their risk-taking behaviours since admission.  Young people are making good progress with their education from their starting points.  Young people benefit from taking part in a wide range of activities. These are fun as well as purposeful.  Contact between young people and their families has been maintained or re-established.

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard requires the registered person to ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. In particular, these should be substantive staff and not agency staff.

p.5

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard requires the registered person to understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and to use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home, and to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) 31 October

p.5

Requirement Due date

16: Statement of purpose The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)) 31 August

p.5

Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff 31 August The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records 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 effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 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’) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)) 31 August

p.6

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

p.6

Recommendations

 Ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. It will, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. In particular, repairs should be addressed swiftly and records maintained to support this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. In particular, the records of staff interviews should include an explanation of the scoring system used to decide whether to employ. A risk assessment should be carried out if a successful applicant has been subject to disciplinary procedures in their previous employment. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record-keeping and

p.6

Recommendations

understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, key-worker records should reflect more detail of the discussions that take place. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.7

Information about this children's home

This children's home is registered to accommodate four children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is owned by a private organisation that also operates other children's homes and a registered school in the locality.

p.8

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.8

Recent inspection history

20 February 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.8

Requires improvement

Young people have built strong relationships with the staff who care for them, including agency staff.These relationships are based on openness, honesty and mutual trust and respect. Staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs and of how these will be met. During the inspection, interactions between staff and young people were observed. These were positive and demonstrate a nurturing approach as well as lots of laughter. Young people make good progress from their starting points at admission. There has been a significant reduction in self-injurious behaviours, young people going missing from home and other incidents. The team develop effective bespoke plans to meet young people’s identified and emerging needs. Currently, however, records of key-worker sessions do not contain sufficient detail to reflect work undertaken in these sessions. Staff shortages and the use of agency staff have led to deterioration in some

p.9

Requires improvement

record-keeping. This does not appear to have had an adverse effect on the young people. Young people are supported by the staff team in maintaining and, in some cases, establishing contact with their families. The team has been very successful in this work. One young person praised the staff for the help that they have given them to regain contact with their family. This can involve considerable travel for the team and the young person. The majority of young people are engaged in education, and one young person has just successfully completed their college course. For some, engaging in education has been a major achievement as there have been long periods when they did not engage. Most young people attend the organisation’s own education provision, where individualised education plans are developed. At the time of inspection, one young person was in the process of re-establishing their attendance at school.

p.9

Requires improvement

Staff enable young people to take part in a wide range of activities that are fun and purposeful. These include activities in the local community, which increase their social skills and networks. One young person has had great success with their horse riding and they have entered and done very well in competitions. Another young person said that she was just starting to attend local clubs. She said that she was nervous about this, but felt that it would be all right, as the staff would support her. The healthcare needs of young people are met. Staff strive to instil in young people the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and the benefit of physical exercise. This work links with the menu planning and food choices. Currently, the home is catering for a vegetarian and a vegan. Staff are also trying to establish an appropriate sleep pattern for one young person, which is still work in progress. As

p.9

Requires improvement

well as input from the staff team, young people are able to access a range of in- house specialists and specialists in the community. Young people are proud of their home and some were keen to show the inspector the new large television that had just been delivered and their bedrooms. Each young person chooses the décor of their room and personalises it. All rooms are well furnished and equipped to a good standard. In one bedroom, there were two broken windows that were boarded up Records provided no information about the second break or when it will be repaired. Young people are now able to make phone calls without the permission of staff. They are provided with phone cards that contain their family contact numbers (when appropriate), social workers’ numbers, helpline numbers (including Ofsted’s), and the number of the children’s home. Young people are able to use these phone cards in the community as well. The home covers the cost of these

p.10

Requires improvement

The number of physical interventions and incidents has decreased. Records of these are not consistently comprehesive. The registered manager has highlighted these shortfalls but has not ensured that they are addressed. Staff record physical interventions in three separate records. By collating all three records, all the required information was found, with the exception of information about two events. Recruitment records for two members of staff were inspected on a visit to the organisation’s head office on 18 May 2016. These contained the majority of information required and demonstrated safer recruitment practices. Some minor gaps have been identified and are being addressed by the newly appointed human resources manager. These include the absence of a risk assessment should a candidate have been subject to any disciplinary procedures, and interview notes that do not contain an explanation of the scoring system used as part of the

p.10

Requires improvement

decision to appoint or not. The home maintains appropriate personnel files on all agency staff used, which protects young people from those who could do them harm. Young people feel safe at the home. All were able to name several staff members whom they would go to should they have any concerns or worries. These included some of the agency staff. The young people feel well cared for and know that staff have their best interests at the heart of all that they do. There has been a reduction in young people’s risk-taking behaviours. Staff effectively identify young people’s risk-taking behaviours and develop effective strategies to address and reduce these. Linked to this is the work that staff have undertaken with young people to develop their understanding of their behaviours and of self-management techniques. Staff use positive reinforcement to encourage positive behaviours, which has worked well. Young people said that this is a good

p.10

Requires improvement

system. Parents and social workers commented on how effective this work has been. Transition to the home is well managed and at a pace to suit the young person and their family. Impact risk assessments are very detailed and have proved to be effective in leading to a smooth move and settling process. Safeguarding and missing-from-home procedures are robust. The registered manager is the organisation’s lead on safeguarding and has built effective working relationships with fellow professionals including the local authority designated officer and the police. All staff receive regular safeguarding training. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home.

p.11

Requires improvement

Leaders and managers have not met both of the requirements from the last inspection. They have ensured that young people now have access to a telephone without redress to staff. They have not ensured that all employees receive practice-related supervision or have annual reviews of their performance. This is the third inspection at which this requirement has been made. There was an improvement after the interim inspection, but this has lapsed. In addition to this, the leaders and managers have not consistently addressed the action points raised in the independent visitor’s reports. These shortfalls do not demonstrate a drive to improve practice. Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the staff team. Currently, there are staff vacancies and the registered manager has needed to use agency staff to cover the rota and to meet the young people’s needs. The registered manager is using a core team of agency workers to cover these vacancies to

p.11

Requires improvement

provide continuity of care for the young people. The negative impact on young people has been minimal. Agency workers receive the same training as substantive staff and attend team meetings and handover briefings. Neither agency staff nor substantive staff are currently receiving formal supervision. The staff team is very young person-centred. Staff members demonstrate their commitment to young people and to their colleagues. Fellow professionals support this view. Staff said that they receive a lot of informal support from the registered manager and their peers, but would like formal supervision to recommence. Staff training is of a good quality and prepares the staff team and the agency workers for their roles. Additional training is swiftly sourced to address the young people’s emerging needs. The registered manager is appropriately qualified and experienced for her role. She has been the registered manager for this home since January 2012. Fellow

p.11

Requires improvement

professionals and parents praised her work and the support that she provides. They feel that the home is effectively managed, that the level of communication is very good and that the registered manager and the staff team are very committed to the young people. Although the registered manager was not present for the majority of the inspection, she demonstrated a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the home. There are plans in place to address these areas for improvement, which include staff recruitment. The statement of purpose needs to be updated to reflect changes in the staff team and senior management. The information on the home and the services it is able to provide is appropriate and reflects current practices. The registered manager has monitoring systems in place. These have not been consistently effective. They have identified shortfalls in records but have not then

p.12

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.13

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

p.13

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.13

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 whom 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

p.14

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 .

p.14

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,

p.15

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.15

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.15

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

p.15