Children's home run by ABC Care and Education Ltd in Lancaster

Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean that children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and /or their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress.

p.2

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Safeguarding procedures are not always followed, which leaves children experiencing, and being placed at risk of, significant harm. When safeguarding incidents do occur, there is not always a robust response from staff.  Boundaries are not consistently applied for young people, and sanctions imposed by some staff can be undermined by others, which leaves the young people feeling unsafe and confused. The inconsistency has resulted in young people often behaving with disrespect and distrust towards staff.  The former registered manager has not provided strong leadership to the home, which has left staff and young people feeling vulnerable, unsure about expectations and without clear direction. Staff and young people have felt unsupported by the home’s management.  Young people do not always make continuous progress from their starting points. Engagement in education and general engagement in the placement

p.3

The children's home provision is inadequate because:

can be poor. Some young people are significantly disengaged from the placement and rarely leave their rooms.  Positive relationships do not always exist between the young people in the home, and numerous incidents arise from conflict between them, including incidents of self-harm, missing from home, damage, restraint and violence.  The staff team requires significant development in order to be sufficiently skilled to provide a good level of care. There have been several instances when disciplinary procedures have been implemented due to poor or unsafe practice, which has an impact on outcomes for young people.  Notifications and monitoring reports are not always sent to HMCI, which prevents the regulator from having robust oversight of the home. When internal monitoring has taken place, the home’s weaknesses have not been identified and no development plan to address any concerns has been implemented.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 Senior managers in the organisation have responded in a timely and appropriate manner to a serious safeguarding issue, resulting in the dismissal of the former manager of the home.  The new acting manager is showing signs of being a strong leader, which is having a positive impact on the home in all areas. Staff morale is improving as a result, and young people reported feeling safer.  There is a clear plan in place to develop staff and to address any areas of weakness. The acting manager understands the home’s weaknesses and has, with support from the head of care, devised an improvement plan. The acting manager is highly motivated to drive improvement.  The home has developed some positive links with external agencies, and young people are accessing support for their specific health needs, on a regular basis.  One young person is making recent good progress through improved attendance at education.

p.4

The children's home strengths

 There is a significant reduction in the level and frequency of damage to the home.

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which 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

12: The protection of children standard * (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure (2)(a)(iii) that staff have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm (2)(a)(v) that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (2)(a)(vii) that staff are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies (2)(b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 28 July 2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must (1)(b) enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children's home that promotes their welfare. 28 July 2016

p.5

Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust 18 August an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults. (1)(a)(b)(c)

p.5

Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (4)(e) 28 July 2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to HMCI. (7)(a) 31 July 2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (4)(a) 31 August

p.6

Requirement Due date

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard In order to meet the enjoy and achieve standard, the registered person must ensure that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. (1) 28 July 2016

p.6

Requirement Due date

* Compliance action is being taken in relation to this requirement.

p.6

Information about this children's home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to accommodate three young people aged nine to 17 years. The home offers care to young people who have emotional and behavioural problems. It offers emergency, medium- and long- term placements.

p.7

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.7

Recent inspection history

20 October 2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

p.7

Recent inspection history

31 July 2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.7

Inadequate

Young people living at this home show mixed progression and outcomes, with some achieving good progress across a number of areas while others’ progress falters as they disengage from the placement, staff, education and activities. Their lack of engagement leads to disruptive and destructive incidents, and they cease to make any positive progress. The quality of care provided to young people has been inconsistent, particularly in respect to imposing sanctions and the implementation of boundaries. This has had a negative impact on the young people, and often they do not have positive day- to-day experiences of care. Relationships between staff and young people have been affected by inconsistency. Young people expressed that they did not always trust managers, and feel that their care is compromised by a lack of honesty and integrity. Young people can also experience poor relationships with their peers, and bullying has

p.8

Inadequate

been a feature over the inspection period. Efforts of the staff team to resolve conflict and to improve young people’s relationships have not been successful, and numerous incidents have arisen from young people’s negativity towards each other, including bullying, physical violence and the misuse of social media. Attendance at education is problematic for some young people, and two young people have completely disengaged from their provision, resulting in their time at the home being unstructured. Young people who are preparing for independence are finding many of the challenges insurmountable and are, therefore, withdrawing, resulting in their spending days alone in their rooms, not engaging in any meaningful way. Positively, one young person placed is doing extremely well in all areas of development: engaging and making progress in education, participating in healthy activities and addressing some emotional needs.

p.8

Inadequate

Young people reported that they are often listened to and that staff actively encourage them to voice their views. Key-worker sessions are used thoughtfully and productively, and a residents’ meeting allows for any issues to be raised and discussed. Young people know how to complain and have done so on a number of occasions with some evidence of staff progressing the concerns. Judgement grade

p.8

Inadequate

While some risks for young people are identified and well understood, on some occasions, managers and staff have not followed procedures and have taken actions that have exposed young people to serious harm. A critical incident where a young person was directly exposed to adults that may have put them at risk of sexual exploitation, is an example of extremely poor and un-coordinated practice. Risks for some young people do not reduce significantly, and young people have continued to place themselves in harmful situations, for example, through missing from home, child sexual exploitation and drug and alcohol misuse. Young people are well educated about internet safety, yet continue to misuse social media, which places them, and at times, others in harmful situations. Missing-from-home episodes are routinely reported to the police and there is a joined-up approach to managing incidents. However, there was a delay in

p.9

Inadequate

reporting one missing incident to the police, which had an impact on the timeliness of the police response. When missing from home incidents occur, the home is proactive in trying to ensure that the placing authority arranges independent return interviews. For young people whose risks are not reducing or who display very high risk-taking behaviours, the home participates in multi-agency meetings to try to identify ways of reducing risk. This joined-up approach has been successful with one young person in placement, whose risks have reduced. However, the impact of the incident where a young person and potentially the rest of the group have been exposed to unknown adults, is such that the judgement for safeguarding is inadequate. Self-harm is a specific risk for some young people, and negative relationships and disengagement from the placement have contributed to the prevalence of this issue. The home manages the incidents well and seeks appropriate medical and

p.9

Inadequate

police assistance when required. Support is available to young people who self- harm. This is being successfully delivered to one young person. Young people reported not having felt safe when the former registered manager was in post. The inconsistency of decision-making and some errors in safeguarding judgement left them feeling vulnerable and insecure. They were able to address this through the complaints procedure, and reported feeling safer now that an acting manager is in post. There have been a number of allegations against members of staff where the procedure for managing allegations has been followed. In one incident, the outcome of an internal investigation is not clearly recorded. The impact of this is not greatly significant as the police and designated officer outcome is recorded, but it would assist in evidencing that a robust investigation with a clear outcome had taken place. Behaviour management has been inconsistent and not clearly communicated

p.9

Inadequate

throughout the staff team at times. This has resulted in confusion for the young people about expectations and has, at times, damaged relationships between staff and young people when young people have felt that sanctions are not fairly or consistently implemented. There is evidence of improvement in this area, following the acting manager taking up post. There have been occasions when key agencies have not been informed of safeguarding incidents, including the designated officer and the regulator, which shows a lack of transparency, hinders joined-up working and allows risks to continue un-checked.

p.10

Inadequate

The post of registered manager is currently vacant. There were a number of serious concerns about the actions of the former registered manager of the home in relation to incidents between February to April, which led to their dismissal in April 2016. Although there is currently a suitably qualified acting manager in post, an application has not yet been received for their registration. Whilst the acting manager has shown dedication and commitment towards improving the home and prioritising the needs of the young people, the inadequate judgement is a reflection of the management of the home since the last full inspection, including during the period when the former manager was in post. The needs of young people have not always been a priority and significant errors in safeguarding practice have resulted in them not always receiving care that promotes their safety. Young people have not made continuous progress under the

p.10

Inadequate

leadership and management of the home and have not benefited from consistency in their care at times, which has had an impact on their well-being and sense of security. While staff have received regular supervision, there has been a culture in which staff decision-making has not always been respected, and staff have felt undermined and unsupported by the manager. Current support and supervision arrangements are much more robust and there is a proactive approach to improving accountability and to involving staff in the decision-making in the home. Monitoring activity has taken place both internally and externally. However, reports have not always been provided to the regulator, preventing the regulator from having good oversight of the home. When internal monitoring has taken place, there is no evidence of any understanding of the home’s weaknesses or areas for development, and consequently no improvement plan. The acting manager and

p.10

Inadequate

senior managers at the home now have a good understanding of the home’s weaknesses, and have a development plan that includes additional supervision and training for staff. In addition to the above, on one occasion, a significant event relating to the welfare and protection of the young people in the home has not been notified by the manager to the regulator. The home has maintained positive relationships with partner agencies, attending a number of multi-agency meetings in respect of all three young people who have resided in the home since the last inspection. External agencies spoken to reported positively on the home and the good communication that is maintained in respect of the young people. The home has made a positive response to the two requirements made at the previous inspection. Minutes from children looked after reviews are now on file and if not received within a certain timescale are chased by the home. Training for staff

p.11

Inadequate

now includes the areas of self-harm and child exploitation online protection, with the responsible individual and head of care undertaking training in this area to a level at which they can deliver the course to staff. This inspection has resulted in a further seven requirements being made in respect of the breaches to regulations highlighted by this inspection. One of which, regulation 12, is the subject of a compliance notice.

p.11

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.12

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.12

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.12

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.13

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.13

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.14

Information about this inspection

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

p.14

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.14

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.14