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:

Summary of findings  There is an overdependence on agency staff. This creates a negative impact on the quality of care provided. Leaders and managers have not ensured that agency staff, receive regular formal supervision and that good quality supervision records are maintained.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that monitoring systems such as the independent visitors report are used to improve practice by addressing identified shortfalls consistently. In addition the manager needs to complete a Regulations 45 monitoring report and submit this to Ofsted.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that all young people have access to therapeutic services, and as detailed in young people’s individual plans.  Impact risk assessments are not available for all young people.  Safeguarding records do not include an audit trail of any internal investigations carried out.  Interview records do not contain an explanation as to how the scores

p.3

The children's home provision requires improvement because:

awarded to applicants’ responses to interview questions are used in the decision of whether to appoint.  Practices within the home are not in line with those stated in the home’s statement of purpose.  The house requires some attention. Refurbishment plans do not contain timescales for improving the property.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 Despite a number of staff changes, young people have built positive relationships with the staff who care for them.  Young people’s negative and risk-taking behaviours have reduced. For some this means a decrease in the intensity of an incident rather than the frequency.  Since the appointment of a new manager, there have been some improvements; these need time to embed.  Young people are doing well in their education. This includes a marked increase in attendance and attainment.  Young people enjoy a wide range of activities. These are not only fun but purposeful.  Substantive staff receive regular supervision which includes reflective practice.

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop. In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to ensure that staff meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. This includes the engagement of young people in therapy where this has been identified within their Looked After Children plans as well in the home’s care plans. (Regulation 11 (1)(2(a(i)) 30 October

p.5

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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 that 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. In particular, the manager should ensure that action points 30 September raised in the independent visitor’s reports are consistently addressed. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h))

p.5

Requirement Due date

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. In particular, information within this document should be reflected within the practice in the home regarding the use of agency staff, providing a stable staff team, for all staff on duty to be trained in the organisation’s chosen physical intervention technique and for all professional visitors to be asked for identification on arrival at the home and for this to be recorded in the day book. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)) 30 October

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. In particular, this relates to those agency workers who are carrying out regular shifts to cover staff vacancies. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c)) 30 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every six months. In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating: the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). 30 September The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality

p.6

Requirement Due date

of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1) (2(a, b, c)),(3) (4(a, b))

p.7

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the children's home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. It should, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. In particular, repairs should be addressed swiftly, health and safety equipment should not, where possible, be of an institutionalised standard. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child's assessed needs as recorded in the child's relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. In particular, an impact risk assessment should be completed for all new admissions and be made available at the point of inspection. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.7

Recommendations

 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 particular staff members. Also, either records of internal investigations in light of safeguarding concerns need to be included in safeguarding files or information in safeguarding files should identify where these records are stored. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.7

Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and 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.9

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.9

Recent inspection history

19 August 2015 Full Requires improvement

p.9

Recent inspection history

17 February 2014 Interim Inadequate Progress

p.9

Requires improvement

Young people have made progress from their starting point upon admission. Incidents of missing from home and self-injurious behaviours have decreased. Young people’s local authority care plans, states the need for therapeutic input and stability. Currently, two out of the three young people placed are not effectively engaged in therapy. Key working records lack details of work undertaken, which inhibits effective evaluation of the session. Each young person has an appointed key worker with whom they meet regularly. Staff shortages and the use of agency staff have potentially affected this. There has been an improvement since the appointment of the new manager. Despite the changes in staff and use of agency staff, young people have built positive relationship with the substantive staff team and the core team of agency staff. Interaction observed between the staff and young people was positive. Conversations were relaxed and demonstrated staff’s commitment to the young

p.10

Requires improvement

people they care for. Staff were observed giving young people hugs, doing their hair and being reassuring. Some of the language staff use with young people can, on occasions, be institutionalised. For example, talking about a young person’s contact time, rather than just when they see their mum. The accommodation, in places, lacks a comfortable, homely, family style. The manager has a refurbishment plan in which the young people have been involved. There are no timescales for work to be completed. In one bedroom, the window restrictor is of an institutional style. This should be replaced. Young people attend the organisation’s own education provision. They are making good progress in their education since admission, All young people had previously missed significant periods of education. Attendance at school ranges from 85% to 94%. The young people’s achievements and attainments have also increased and

p.10

Requires improvement

staff ensure that these are celebrated. Young people benefit from taking part in a wide range of fun and purposeful activities in the home and in the local community. This increases their confidence and social networks. The activities are age appropriate and include young people’s existing interests as well as enabling them to try new things. Staff support young people to maintain contact with their families. This can include supervising visits as well as provided transport. Staff are very aware that family contact can be a time when young people become upset or distressed so arrangements are made to reduce this as much as possible. Staff ensure that young people attend healthcare appointments as well as developing their understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Staff have access to the organisation’s therapists but, as stated previously, engagement by the young people has not been as the placing authorities would has directed.

p.10

Requires improvement

Clear safeguarding and missing from home are procedures in place. Staff demonstrate a good working knowledge of the procedures. However, on arrival at the home, inspectors were not asked for their identification. One safeguarding record did not contain full information of the internal investigation or sign post where this information could be found. There are no recorded incidents of young people going missing from the home since March 2016. There are very detailed behaviour management plans for young people which are developed in conjunction with the organisation therapists. These provide clear strategies to be used to address and reduce young people’s negative and risk- taking behaviours. These have been effective but this effectiveness could potentially have been increased if the homes staffing arrangement was less turbulent. Where restraint is used, it is proportional to the behaviours being demonstrated and for the minimum amount of time. The manager routinely

p.11

Requires improvement

monitors these records in addition to having discussions with staff. Recruitment records were inspected at the homes 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 an explanation of the scoring system used as part of the decision to appoint or not. The home maintains appropriate personnel files on all agency staff used, this protects young people from those who could do them harm. Young people said that they feel safe at the home most of the time. They don’t like it when ‘there are lots of different staff’. All of them were able to name a number of staff who they felt comfortable talking to and who they would go to with any worries. Young people said they like the staff who care for them, including the

p.11

Requires improvement

agency workers. One young person said ‘things are better now we have our own manager’. Staff complete a range of risk assessments to protect young people. These include activities as well as behaviour risk assessments. At this inspection, the manager was unable to locate the impact risk assessment for a young person who was admitted to the home prior to his appointment.

p.12

Inadequate

The statement of purpose does not reflect current practices within the home. This includes the ratio of agency staff to employed staff, the frequency of staff supervision, the provision of therapeutic services for young people and that all professional visitors must produce identification to be recorded in the day book. There continues to be a reliance on agency staff to cover staff vacancies. There are four care worker vacancies and one senior vacancy. These are being filled by agency staff, the home’s sessional staff and staff from other homes of the organisation. The manager is using a core team of agency workers to provide care for the young people to attempt to minimise the impact on the young people. Both staff and young people reported that the home has been through a period of instability but this is improving. Staff are now receiving supervision from the new manager which is of an appropriate quality. This includes reflection on their practice and incidents they

p.12

Inadequate

have been involved in. Agency workers who carry out regular shifts are not receiving formal supervision, with one exception. Training provided for staff is of a good quality and prepares the staff team and the agency workers for their roles. Where required to meet a young person’s emerging needs, additional training is provided. The exception to this is restraint training. Currently, only one of the agency workers is trained. Due to the amount of hours agency staff are covering, this is insufficient. The new manager has a suitable qualifications and experience for his role. He is yet to submit his application to become registered with Ofsted. Since his appointment, there have been some improvements but it is early days. Fellow professionals commented on these improvements, especially around communication and working together. The systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided require

p.12

Inadequate

attention. The manager has not completed his Regulation 45 report, which is overdue. There is a lack of response from the team to the action points raised following independent visitors reports. Staff, including agency staff, demonstrate a good understanding of the young people, their needs and their plans. Systems, such as effective handovers and team meetings, assist in this process. Staff are young-person focused and the young people’s well-being is central to their work. The home has a suitable complaints procedure and this is adhered to in practice as evidenced in complaints records. Currently, there is an ongoing complaint from the local community. Leaders and managers of the home have met three out of the four requirements made at the last inspection. They have failed to ensure that the number of agency staff on duty does not exceed half of the staff on duty. On two occasions ratios were exceeded.

p.13

Inadequate

The restraint records now contain all of the required information and provide a clear picture to events which led to the need for restraint to be used. Young people are now receiving a debrief from staff who have not been involved in the restraint as well as with those who have. Staff rotas now clearly identify who is on duty and the hours they actually work. Independent visitor reports now include regular contact with young people’s social workers and their parents to gather their views on the care that the home provides. One recommendation was made at the last inspection with regards to young people having a return to home interview from someone independent to the home. This is now taking place.

p.13

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.14

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 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

p.14

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.14

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

p.15

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.15

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.16

Information about this inspection

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

p.16

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.16

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.16