Children's home run by Total Care Matters Limited in Nottingham

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:

 Staffing arrangements are not always sufficient to respond flexibly to children’s and young people’s needs, or to unexpected events which occur in the home. In addition, the staffing arrangements as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose do not accurately reflect current staffing levels.  Following a recent increase in challenging behaviours by children and young people, staff have struggled to de-escalate aggressive and destructive incidents in a timely manner.  As a result of damage caused in the home, the physical environment is not as welcoming and comfortable as it should be.  Partnership working needs to develop. Some professionals express dissatisfaction with the level and consistency of communication that they have with the manager and staff team.  Greater challenge is required of placing authorities when children or young people are not receiving the help and support that they require from

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

external agencies.  Although all children and young people engage in full-time education, there are occasions when some are late for school.

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The children's home strengths

 Children and young people are at the centre of practice. Their views contribute to the running of the home and they are fully involved in the preparation and review of their placement plans.  From children’s and young people’s starting points, incidents of them going missing from home significantly reduce and risks in relation to child sexual exploitation also reduce.  The management team is aware of the areas of weakness and are implementing plans to swiftly address the shortfalls identified.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to involve each child's placing authority effectively in the child's care, in accordance with the child's relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)) 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must— ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)). 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person must— ensure that staff de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (2)(xi)) 1 August 2016

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (2)(d)) 1 August 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  When the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child's needs during their time in the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child's needs. Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would, with specific reference to escalating concerns when there are delays in specialist therapeutic support being provided ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 12, paragraph 2.8).  The registered person must ensure that the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education or training, with specific reference to ensuring that children arrive punctually at school each day ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 28,

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide accommodation for four children and young people with emotional or behavioural issues. The home is privately owned.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

18 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

20 January 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Children’s and young people’s experiences are variable. External factors, relating to some children’s and young people’s past experiences, which are beyond the manager’s and staff’s control, have resulted in a surge in significant incidents and difficult dynamics developing between peers in the home. Some children and young people are feeling frustrated and this has placed a strain on them emotionally. One young person commented: ‘I want to move because the atmosphere in the home has changed. I have been kept up at night and then I am grumpy and tired.’ The manager is aware of the current difficulties and an action plan is in progress to address this concern. Children’s and young people’s recent escalating behaviours have resulted in some damage in the home. Although staff members work hard to clean up mess and remove hazards created, the home is not as welcoming and comfortable as it should be. Despite the above shortfalls, the majority of children and young people make

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Requires improvement

progress in many aspects of their lives. An independent reviewing officer said in respect of a young person: ‘From her starting point she has done well. Staff have ridden some difficult times and provided her with stability for the first time in her life.’ All children and young people attend full-time programmes of education. For some, who previously did not attend at all, this is significant progress and has resulted in improved life chances in later life. A young person said: ‘I have done well. I have completed my functional skills and I have got into college.’ However, one young person is sometimes late for school. This has the potential to impact on her educational achievement. Children and young people are encouraged to be healthy and active. One young person said: ‘We have healthy snacks and the staff encourage us to stop smoking.’ Another young person commented: ‘We do some nice activities, such as swimming,

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Requires improvement

trampolining and going to the park.’ When a specific health need is identified, the manager chases placing authorities to help ensure that specialist help, such as therapy, is provided. However, in one situation, this challenge could have been escalated to a higher level to help minimise any delay in a specialist service being provided. Staff support children and young people moving into the home well. One young person recently admitted to the home said: ‘I was made to feel welcome when I came. I was shown around, told about the rules and I was given a guide all about the home.’ This guide, written by children and young people who have lived in the home, provides new residents with a clear picture of what it is like to live in the home through the eyes of their peers. Good preparation and a warm welcome helps to ensure that children and young people have the best opportunity to successfully settle into the home.

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Requires improvement

Staff support older young people to develop practical life skills and emotional resilience in preparation for adulthood. Since the last inspection, one young person has successfully moved into their own accommodation and secured employment. One older young person who recently moved into the home has commenced her own individually adapted programme of independence work. She said: ‘I have started doing my own shopping and we have a plan to help get me ready for independence.’ As a consequence of skills acquired while living in the home, transitions are smoother and young people have a better chance of success in adult life. Children and young people are consulted about their day-to-day care. One young person said: ‘We have young people’s meetings and I feel listened to. I know how to complain. If I was unhappy, I would fill in a complaints form or contact Ofsted.’ Children and young people are also involved in the preparation and review of their

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Requires improvement

placement plans. This helps to motivate them as they are working towards goals that they have set themselves. It also provides them with a sense of control over their lives and helps to raise their confidence and self-esteem. The manager and staff understand how important it is for children and young people to maintain links with their families. As a result, staff work closely with parents and relatives to support these relationships where appropriate. Practical help is given to facilitate contact for those placed some way from the home. An independent reviewing officer said: ‘Staff promote contact no matter what the distance involved is.’ This helps to enhance children’s and young people’s sense of identity.

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Requires improvement

While some children and young people report feeling safe as a result of the positive relationships that they have with some staff members, others report feeling unsettled and insecure due to the recent deterioration in group dynamics. One young person said in respect of the home: ‘I want it to become a calm house again. It feels scary sometimes as I don’t know what will happen next.’ In response to this concern, the manager has taken action. By balancing the complex needs of all children and young people, he reached the decision that it would be in one young person’s best interest to move to an alternative placement. This, as well as individual and group work undertaken with all children and young people to improve relationships and create a more settled and harmonious environment, is work in progress. The home has systems to promote positive behaviour. This includes incentive systems and individualised behaviour management plans, which are updated after

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Requires improvement

any significant incidents. Despite having such systems, there has been a recent increase in incidents of challenging behaviours by children and young people, which staff have, at times, struggled to de-escalate in a timely manner. Again, an action plan to address this is work in progress. Despite the above, recourse to physical intervention is rare. On the one occasion since the interim inspection, when physical intervention was necessary as a last resort to ensure safety, a debrief followed with the young person and staff members involved. In this instance, the manager analysed the effectiveness of the intervention, thus ensuring that practice remains effective in this area. Detailed risk management plans in respect of children’s and young people’s individual difficulties and vulnerabilities, such as going missing, risk of sexual exploitation or self-harm, are regularly reviewed and updated. Staff implementing

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Requires improvement

these plans help to promote children’s and young people’s safety and well-being. Despite some children and young people having a significant history of going missing prior to living in this home and being assessed as being at risk of sexual exploitation, incidents of going missing from care are infrequent. On the five occasions when children or young people have gone missing since the last full inspection, staff have implemented individual missing from care procedures. This resulted in children and young people being promptly and safely located and welcomed back into the home. Work undertaken with children and young people about the dangers of going missing are a significant protective factor which safeguard children and young people living in this home.

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Requires improvement

The newly registered manager is on target to complete the required management qualification within the timescales stipulated in the ‘Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015’. A recently appointed operations manager provides the registered manager and his deputy manager with managerial support. This newly formed management team has been very reflective during this inspection and have implemented a plan to address the shortfalls identified. This is work in progress. On occasion, staffing arrangements are insufficient to enable staff to respond flexibly to unexpected situations. For example, on one recent occasion two staff members, who were working overnight, were struggling to de-escalate a very challenging situation and the on call back up system was not effective. This left staff feeling unsupported and struggling to respond to the needs of all children and young people present. Additionally, on this occasion, the home was not being

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Requires improvement

staffed at the level stipulated in the home’s statement of purpose. Although in this instance there was no evidence to suggest that children’s and young people’s safety was jeopardised, insufficient staffing levels to meet the specific needs of all children and young people has the potential to do so. Levels of communication between staff, managers and partner agencies are inconsistent. While some partner professionals report that levels of communication are good, others express concern that they are not always informed about significant issues in a timely manner. One professional said: ‘Information sharing is inconsistent and sometimes the information provided is unclear.’ Further development of practice in this area is required to improve the effectiveness of partnership working. The staff team is relatively inexperienced. Only one staff member, other than the management team, has the required qualifications. All staff who are not in their

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Requires improvement

probationary period are however working towards this qualification within agreed timescales. In addition, the mandatory and additional training that staff members undertake helps to equip them to meet the individual needs of the children and young people living in the home. More in-depth training is due to be rolled out in the very near future in relation to trauma based behaviour, understanding and responding to self-harm and suicide idealisation and additional training in relation to attachment theories. This will help to enhance staff knowledge and insight further and provide scope for improvements in the quality of care. Staff knowledge and development are also promoted through attending regular team meetings and as a result of receiving regular formal and informal supervision. These support systems provide staff members with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and the needs of children and young people. They also help to

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Requires improvement

ensure that practice in the home is monitored and that staff are given the opportunity to develop their practice. Systems to monitor the progress that children and young people make are effective. Data collected daily is used to monitor and evaluate patterns and trends in behaviours and the progress that children and young people are making in the different areas of their development. Consequently, leaders and managers are able to demonstrate the impact that living in the home is having on each child or young person. Internal and external quality assurance monitoring systems identify strengths in the home as well as weaknesses. Minor shortfalls are promptly addressed. Both systems provide for consultation with children and young people, family members and professionals. This ensures ongoing assessment and analysis in order to drive improvements.

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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 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. 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 that 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. 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

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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