Children's Home run by Crossways Care Ltd in Somerset

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 manager’s monitoring of the home’s records requires improvement. This is a reoccurring weakness at the last three inspections. Complex recording systems have resulted in staff duplicating essential information in a wide range of records. This process results in inconsistency of recording. Senior managers have confirmed that new recording systems are due to be introduced.  Behaviour management records are not well maintained. Strategies for staff to manage risk-taking behaviours are not up to date. These documents do not provide staff with clear direction.  Sanctions imposed for unwanted behaviour do not provide the young person with an opportunity to consider the impact that her behaviour has on herself and others.  Information sharing between staff is not effective. The handover records do not provide factual, clear, concise information. This means that staff who have not been at the home for a number of days are not provided with

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

useful information that specifically details the young person’s engagement, behaviours and achievements.  Staff did not follow the missing from home protocol when the young person recently went missing. Staff did not engage her in a meaningful conversation about the incident, nor did they seek opportunities for her to speak to an independent person. As a result, staff do not know where the young person had been nor with whom. The safety and well-being of the young person on this occasion was not promoted. Overall, missing-from- home episodes have reduced significantly in the last four months.

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The children's home strengths

 The young person’s attendance and engagement at school are positive. As a result, the young person has recently completed four out of five functional skills exams.  The young person supported well by staff to maintain regular contact with her parents, relatives and others who are important in her life. Free time has provided her with the opportunity to develop her independence and to acquire a friendship group. Staff have undertaken necessary checks and risk assessments to keep the young person safe.  The registered manager and staff work collaboratively with the young person’s placing authority. As a result, the social worker is kept informed of the young person’s presenting needs and behaviours to ensure they are carefully considered and managed. The young person’s social worker spoke positively about the placement. She said, ‘The manager is honest in his approach. Communication is of a good standard. The care team manage, at

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The children's home strengths

times, some very challenging behaviour. Despite this, they look for the positives and focus on the young person’s achievements. All concerns are reported very quickly’.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to effective management monitoring and oversight, including making a prompt response to inspection findings and reviewing the safety of single person restraints, the registered person must (2)(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 the care provided in the home (2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 12 Aug 2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use and a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, the registered person or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so has spoken to the user about the measure and signed the record to confirm it is accurate In particular, they must ensure that any methods used or steps detailed to avoid the need to use a measure are actioned. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii) 12 Aug 2016

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Requirement Due date

46: Review of premises The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of 12 Aug 2016 children standard). (Regulation 46)(1))

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and that the principles set out in 9.5 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Ensure that any sanction used to address poor behaviour is restorative in nature, to help children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  Ensure that all children's case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular, ensure that care plans and personal journals detail the current needs and behaviours of the young person. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that staff are familiar with and adhere to the home’s policies on record keeping and that they understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

5 March 2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Requires improvement

The current young person has complex behavioural and emotional needs. Her outcomes are variable. Staff are not consistent in maintaining boundaries, for example, whether the young person is permitted access into the staff office. Some staff allow this and others do not. The young person is not learning to manage her behaviour or to consider the impact that her actions have on her safety and well- being. Staff do not use sanctions that are restorative; those imposed do not relate to the behaviour the young person displays. How well staff seek the views of the young person about the quality care she receives requires improvement. Records of key-worker meetings show discussions are adult led and do not demonstrate that the young person’s views, wishes and feelings are sought. In addition, the young person does not currently participate in weekly house meetings. The staff have not sought more creative ways to engage

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Requires improvement

the young person, nor have they considered the value in promoting the young person’s input in developing the home’s services. These missed opportunities limit the staff’s opportunities to learn from her feedback and to take necessary action. The young person benefits from receiving continuity of care from a dedicated staff team that understands her personal preferences and idiosyncrasies. High staffing levels ensure that the young person’s daily living needs are well met. The staff support and encourage the young person to attend school and to complete any homework, if required, and appropriate the staff stay at school and/or remain in the local area. Staff have successfully supported the young person to maintain regular contact with family members. Positive and respectful relationships are developing as a result. In addition, the young person said that she likes some of the care staff, naming two individuals, in particular, whom she enjoys spending time with.

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Requires improvement

Following a recent missing-from-the home incident, records show that staff did not follow the protocols that they have agreed with the local authority and police. Staff did not report the young person as missing within the agreed period. In addition, staff have not recorded actions that they took when the young person returned home. A return-to-home interview did not take place, nor did the staff seek opportunities for the young person to discuss the incident, with an independent person. This does not reassure the young person that staff are concerned about her safety and well-being. Although staff have received training in missing-from- home procedures and safeguarding, they did not apply this learning on this occasion. Staff have not fully explored strategies to persuade and prevent the young person from making impulsive and potential risky decisions. Some decisions made by staff fail to consider the young person’s safety and well-being. For example, the young

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Requires improvement

person’s free time is not structured. The staff transports the young person to the local town without establishing where she is planning to spend her time or with whom. The manager’s monitoring of records pertaining to physical intervention and sanctions requires improvement. He has not rigorously scrutinised records to ensure that they reflect the actual incident. Restraint has been used three times since the previous inspection in February 2016. The records of these incidents do not comprehensively detail staff’s actions, preventative measures used, or outcomes. Information is recorded in different records resulting in inconsistencies. For example, one record states that one member of staff used a single-side embrace on the young person. Another record for the same incident states that two staff guided the young person in a double-side embrace. The manager was directly involved in one incident involving physical intervention. He documented the

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Requires improvement

incident and also monitored it. This demonstrates that the manager is monitoring and evaluating his own practice and reduces independent oversight. Recruitment and vetting of new staff continues to require improvement. References are verified, but this is primarily a tick-box record, confirming dates of employment, disciplinary measures and sickness levels. The verifier fails to seek additional information on staff whose references provide limited information. For example, an individual’s personal skills and attributes are not explored or considered during the verification process. In addition, although the registered manager has undertaken training in safer recruitment, he is not actively involved in the selection and vetting of care staff who work in this home. The registered manager regularly reviews and updates the home’s locality risk assessment. However, this assessment does not sufficiently consider the impact of

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Requires improvement

transport links, local services and emergency services’ operational hours and response time’s in relation to the home. Staff monitor the young person’s access to the internet and use of social media. Daily checks are completed to ensure that the young person’s usage is appropriate and does not place her at risk of exploitation. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

Leadership and management have been judged inadequate at the two previous full inspections. Despite some improvement since the previous inspection, concerns remain in respect of the registered manager’s oversight of the quality of care provided. The registered manager’s scrutiny of records lacks rigour. He has failed to identify gaps and omissions in records and to maintain safeguarding records that detail the actions taken following a safeguarding referral in April 2016. Monthly visits are undertaken by the independent visitor. Reports are generally informative and include the views and experiences of the young person, the placing social worker and staff on duty. Recommendations for improving the home are clearly defined, but not consistently actioned by the registered manager. For example, in April 2016 the independent visitor noted that the staff had not made any progress to engage the young person in a restorative approach in respect of

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Inadequate

continued assaults on staff. In May 2016 a different independent visitor reported that records triangulate well together. This is contrary to the findings of this inspection. The two independent visitors’ monitoring activities conflict and do not provide the registered persons with a critical review for them to improve the quality of care provided. The central records of major sanctions and young people’s daily living records lack sufficient clarity and detail. The manager has not reviewed these records adequately. He has not critically evaluated information recorded by care staff or considered development opportunities or patterns and trends of behaviour. Team meetings now provide opportunities for staff to share information about their approaches to managing the young person’s behaviours and strategies on how best to support her. Staff are motivated and enthused. They spoke positively about the young person’s achievements and progress. A social worker also confirmed

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Inadequate

that she is pleased with the care provided and the progress that the young person has made. She is particularly pleased with how quickly the staff have got to know the young person and their upbeat attitude. She confirmed the registered manager communicated with her regularly and that information reports are of a good standard. A development plan is in place. This primarily focuses on the current provision, staff training and admission procedures. There is a lack of creativity and challenge for future development. The registered manager has acknowledged that significant improvement is required in his oversight and monitoring of the home. He said that, now he is only registered to manage one home, he is able to focus on addressing the weaknesses identified .

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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 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 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

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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

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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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