Children's home in Hyndburn

Inspector Maria McGranaghan

Previous inspection judgement Declined Effectiveness

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Inspector Maria McGranaghan

Enforcement action since last inspection Two compliance notices were served on this home on 25 May 2016 under Regulation 12.

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people living in the home are

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

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This children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Relationships between young people and staff are poor which limits the effectiveness of boundaries and support provided for young people.  For most young people, educational attendance and attainment has significantly decreased, resulting in persistent non-attendance.  Specialist health management for young people with a growing drug addiction is not provided.  Staff fail to suitably monitor young people’s internet access, resulting in contact with family members where there are stringent restrictions on such contact.  Behaviour management systems are not effective in the management of young people’s behaviour.  Most young people do not engage with staff in order to work through their individual targets and goals.  Staff are inconsistent in the day-to-day care and management of young people.  Young people are frequently missing from the home. Steps to ascertain their whereabouts are unsuccessful.

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This children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Drug and alcohol use are a persistent theme for most young people in the home. Steps to address such issues and include external specialist agencies are not effective.  Young people have unlimited internet access throughout the home. They are not suitably monitored and access pornography.  Staff do not follow agreed plans within risk assessments and placement plans.  There are regular episodes of disruptive and aggressive behaviour resulting in staff being assaulted and damage to the home.  Staff do not ensure the safety of young people who gain employment. Staff are not aware of where they are working or who they are working for.  Young people with significant drug habits are provided with money despite the home’s agreement to suspend money.  The home has been without a registered manager for more than 26 weeks. Although the home has employed two managers, both have resigned from their post.  Regulation 45 monitoring is not completed or forwarded to Ofsted for review.

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This children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Regulation 44 external monitoring reports are completed, but have not been forwarded to Ofsted for review.  Mandatory training for all staff is not kept up to date. Staff have not received training around child exploitation or e-safety.  The responsible individual has not provided suitable managerial support during a time of crisis within the home.  The Responsible Individual does not effectively monitor or review the care practice in the home.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 A new safeguarding strategy has recently been developed to assist staff in taking the most appropriate action.  A drug use monitoring form is developed to assist staff in recognising when they should alert emergency services.  Records are now being reviewed and have been brought up to date.  Staff receive regular supervision.  New staff have been recruited to the home.

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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 with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

14 (1) (a) and 2 (e) (i) The care planning standard is that children—

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; (2)(e)that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— (i) the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1) (a) and 2 e) (i)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

8 (2) (iii) (x) Ensure staff understand the barriers to learning that each young person may face and take appropriate action to help the young person overcome such barriers; and, help each young person to attend education in accordance with the expectations in the young person’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (2) (iii) (x)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

11 (1) (b) (2) (a) (i) Ensure young people understand acceptable behaviour and that staff are able to meet each young person’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the young person’s relevant plan. (Regulation 11 (1) (b) (2) (a) (i)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

13 (13) (i) (b) (2) (d Ensure the children’s home promotes the welfare of young people; specifically, ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each young person. (Regulation 13 (13) (1) (b) (2) (d)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

12 (2) Ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged 26 August (b) and delivered so as to keep each young person safe and to protect each young person effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (2) (b)) 10 (1) (a) (c) Ensure with particular regard to the abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, the health and well-being needs of young people are met so that young people understand how to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1) (a) (c)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

27 (1)) Ensure an appropriately qualified and experienced manager is appointed to the home. (Regulation 27 (1)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

7 (1) (b) (c) Ensure staff engage with and take the views of children’s wishes and feelings in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1) (b) (c) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

44 (7) (a)) Ensure the independent person provides a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7) (a)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

45 (1) Ensure the registered person completes a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months. (Regulation 45 (1)) September

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Reg. Requirement Due date

26 (7) (b) Ensure the responsible individual has the capacity, experience and skill to supervise the management of the home. (Regulation 26 (7) (b)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

33 (4) (a)) Ensure all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4) (a)) 26 August

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Reg. Requirement Due date

33 (2) (a)) Ensure the registered person operates a disciplinary procedure which provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety and welfare of children. (Regulation 33 (2) (a)) 36 August

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff, and is kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, 9.34, paragraph 4, page 46)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person demonstrates every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, Standard 10.1, paragraph 1, page 51)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that young people are suitably supported and protected as they prepare for and undertake transition from the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, 3.27, paragraph 1, page 17)

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Recommendations

 In order to maintain children’s privacy and dignity, their bedrooms should not be entered without permission; specifically, bedroom locks must be functional to safeguard young people’s privacy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, , 3.20, paragraph 4, page 16)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that procedures setting out roles and responsibilities of staff when a child goes missing from care or away from home without permission are adhered to. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, 9.28, paragraph 6, page 45)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand there may be circumstances where a child can be prevented from leaving the home. For example, a child who is putting themselves at risk of injury, by using drugs or of sexual exploitation. Any use of restraint must be proportionate and in place for no longer than is necessary to manage immediate risk. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, 9.52, paragraph 6, page 48)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company and accommodates up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and learning disability.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27 June 2016 Full Inadequate 18 May 2016 Monitoring Visit Not Judged 22 March 2016 Interim Declined Effectiveness 27 January 2016 Full Good

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Inadequate

Most young people have lived in this home for several years. In March 2016, the interim inspection noted a decline in the care provided in the home. Since this time, two young people have been discharged and notice is served on the remaining young person. This inspection will focus on the overall experience of all residents since the last inspection of the home.

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Inadequate

The educational attendance and attainment of two of the three young people living in the home significantly deteriorated. Non-attendance and a lack of engagement with staff considerably impacted on the critical year 11 exams. Consequently, life chances are stifled because the young people did not undertake all the exams that they had been set, nor did they receive sufficient support in order to get them back on track. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Relationships between young people and staff have deteriorated. This is because many of the long-standing staff have left the home and new staff, including managers, have commenced employment and subsequently also left the home. As a result, young people experience a great deal of unsettling change and inconsistent practice. Where strong attachments had been formed, young people now struggle to develop new relationships or form trusting bonds with new staff. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Consultation with young people is deficient. Although young people are consulted on some matters within the home, such as young people’s meetings and a Sunday menu planning meeting, they are not included in planning matters pertinent to their care. For example, care plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans are developed without young people’s views and opinions. Furthermore, young people do not review these plans in order to recognise where they are making progress or indeed what needs to happen to help them make progress. This lack of consultation results in young people responding negatively to changes made in relation to their day-to-day care. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Healthcare planning remains an area for concern. Although young people are registered with local healthcare professionals, specialist healthcare concerns are not suitably addressed. For example, prompt action to engage specialist agencies to address increasing drug and alcohol use is not taken. When young people refuse to attend a specialist appointment, no further action is taken. Likewise, the emotional impact on younger residents of their peers being under the influence of drugs is not suitably considered. This lack of knowledge, skill and understanding within the staff team serves to compromise the health and well-being of all residents within the home. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Young people’s placement plans are developed by staff and reviewed by the placing social worker. Plans detail the day-to-day arrangements, risks and management plans specific to each young person. However, plans are not routinely followed by staff. For example, young people with time-limited and supervised internet access are not supervised and have unlimited internet access. Likewise, one young person established regular contact with their family via social media without staff knowledge, when family contact is strictly limited and to be monitored via the telephone. Furthermore, when a decision has been taken to withhold money from young people to safeguard their well-being, this is not consistently followed by staff. The manager said, ‘This has been an ongoing problem and I have tried to address it in supervision.’ As a result of all of this, young people receive inconsistent care which places them at considerable risk. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

When a decision is taken to discharge a young person from the care of the home, processes to ensure the safe transfer to alternative accommodation are not in place. For example, one young person who was upset and anxious about the move from the home absented herself at the time of moving. Consequently, once the young person returned, staff provided a taxi for the young person to travel alone to her new home. The manager said, ‘It is my understanding at that time the young person was presenting as aggressive and damaging staff cars. Staff did not feel it was safe to let her into the home because only one staff was in the building. This was poor practice.’ Suitable arrangements were not in place to ensure the safe and supported transition of this young person. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

The home is a large detached property set within its own grounds. On the whole it is maintained to a good standard and is suitably furnished. However, when repairs are required, these are not always addressed quickly. For example, the bedroom lock of a younger resident was damaged and this enabled older residents to enter his room and remove items. It also compromised his privacy and personal space. The manager stated, ‘We had informed maintenance but it took between three to four weeks before the lock was replaced.’ Consequently, young people’s privacy, dignity and the safety of personal belongings are not responded to within a timely manner. A recommendation is made to address this matter. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

At the last inspection in March 2016, the home was judged to have declined in effectiveness. Two compliances notices were served in relation to Regulation 12 with regard to the failure to safeguard and protect the welfare of young people. In May 2016, the home received a monitoring visit to evaluate the progress made in relation to the compliance notices and the ongoing safety of young people living in the home. Although some progress had been made, it was deemed that the home was not fully compliant and two further compliance notices were issued. These notices were reviewed as part of this full inspection.

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Inadequate

Care plans detail that internet access is both limited and supervised. However, young people are allowed unlimited access. Although the home has installed blocks for some social media sites, systems are not regularly checked in order to ensure that this security is maintained. Devices such as iPads and Wii U are regularly used in young people’s bedrooms without supervision and without the length of time young people spend on their devices being monitored. This has resulted in young people overriding security systems and gaining access to inappropriate sites, including pornographic sites. Staff say, ‘We know it is written in their care plan but it has never been enforced, it has never been an issue before.’ Staff have not received e-safety training and are not familiar with tethering and hot spot connections. Consequently, the manager has suspended internet access in the home. A requirement is made to

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Inadequate

Two young people present with growing risk-taking behaviours, including drug and alcohol use. Young people frequently use cannabis and illegal highs, resulting in them becoming disorientated and confused. At the last inspection, staff were asked to cease providing finances that supported this drug use. Although the manager addressed this with staff, there are some staff who continued to provide young people with money. A staff member said, ‘One young person would become so aggressive and threatening, staff were scared to say no.’ Such actions compromise the welfare and safety of young people living in the home. Young people do not benefit from a consistent, strong staff team. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Young people frequently absent themselves from the home. Protocols for reporting young people as missing are in place and followed by staff. However, there are inconsistencies in protocols for conducting a locality search. When a younger resident is missing, staff are proactive in searching the local area and travelling to known areas in order to locate them. When an older resident is missing, staff conduct a search some time after the young person has left the home. Staff say, ‘We will go out and look but we have to consider our safety and the level of aggression they show to staff.’ Consequently, staff are not effective in minimising the risk of young people becoming missing. Neither do they have good enough relationships with the young people in order to encourage their safe return. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Behaviour management plans are developed to assist staff in the management of unwanted behaviour. Plans include simple strategies for de-escalation of potentially explosive situations. However, plans are not undertaken with young people or agreements made with them about consequences for individual actions. Staff say, ‘Young people might do a job or miss out on something that is going on but we wouldn’t class that as a consequence.’ There are no systems in place to ensure a consistent approach to young people’s behaviour. One young person commented in a key work session, ‘I am frustrated by staff all having different rules.’ Since March 2016, young people undertaking ‘a job’ or missing out on an activity do not have this recorded in the consequence book. As a result, there are no records suggesting what has been an effective or an ineffective measure of behaviour management. A requirement and a recommendation are made to address these matters.

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Inadequate

All staff have received physical intervention training. Staff focus on de-escalation techniques resulting in no episodes of physical intervention of 12 months. Staff say, ‘Although we have had training this is something we don’t do. Some young people are too big for staff to manage while others can be very aggressive.’ The manager said, ‘Staff understand that the use of physical intervention can escalate a situation and I am not sure they are confident enough to manage these issues.’ Consequently, it is unclear if staff do not use physical intervention to benefit the young person or if this is because staff do not have the confidence to step into a volatile situation. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Risk management is deficient. Although plans are developed, they do not include relevant concerns about young people’s welfare being at risk. For example, a young person has gained employment, but staff are unaware of who he is working with or where he is working. Staff say, ‘He changes friends all of the time so it is hard to keep up with who he is with. We have asked him where he is working, but that changes too.’ Consequently, staff fail to take suitable action to ensure the safety of young people while away from the home. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Staff do not receive appropriate training in order to recognise and respond to matters involving child sexual exploitation. One young person with a history of being exploited was frequently missing from the home and using drugs. Prior to them being discharged from the home, attempts to ascertain their whereabouts were unsuccessful. Although risk assessments were updated, they did not recognise potential child sexual exploitation concerns or assist in reducing risk. A requirement is made to address this matter. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

A new manager was appointed to the home in April 2016. During the second day of the inspection, the manager resigned her position with immediate effect. The home is currently operating without a registered manager and has done so for a period exceeding 26 weeks. This impacts negatively on the quality of care within the home which is inconsistent and un-coordinated and, at times, puts young people at risk. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

The responsible individual has made the decision to close the home for a period of six to nine months with a view to re-evaluating the home’s financial position and the care it intends to provide. The responsible individual has put this in writing to Ofsted. All staff, placing social workers, education and interested parties have been made aware of this decision. The home will close once the final resident has moved out.

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Inadequate

Since January 2016, five staff members have resigned from their posts. This created a great deal of change for young people, particularly because they had formed trusting and stable relationships with those staff. Consequently, the home has functioned on a skeleton staff team. Both the manager and the responsible individual have undertaken regular shifts and bank workers have assisted to fill the gaps. A recent recruitment drive secured five replacement staff.

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Inadequate

External monitoring is undertaken on a monthly basis. However, reports from these visits are not routinely forwarded to Ofsted for review, although his monitoring does provide a good insight into the inconsistent practice within the home. The new manager has taken some steps to improve practice in accordance with the outcomes of external reports. However, she states that she is overwhelmed with addressing Ofsted compliance notices, and recommendations from a local authority commissioning visit while also attempting to bring consistency within the home. Failure to forward the external monitoring report to Ofsted means that the regulatory body does not receive a consistent overview of how the home is operating. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Internal monitoring under regulation 45 is not undertaken. The home has experienced a number of changes, including two new managers. Arrangements for internal monitoring to be undertaken by the responsible individual or senior staff member are not in place. The failure to review the care practice in the home results in no reasonable starting points for change being established. Consequently, the current plans for change are based on a reactionary approach to external monitoring concerns. A requirement is made to address this matter. Staff training and development is not sufficiently maintained. New staff have not undertaken mandatory training and refresher courses are not provided for long- standing staff. A range of online courses have been accessed by all staff. These include courses on eating disorders and health and safety. The responsible individual stated, ‘We only have one young person resident at the moment and therefore I

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Inadequate

cannot justify the cost of training. If this is a necessity, I will make sure it is done.’ As a result, staff are not suitably equipped with the up-to-date skills and knowledge that are required for them to work effectively with young people with complex needs. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

Staff are now in receipt of regular supervision. The manager is aware of areas for improvement and is beginning to address this on a formal basis. However, suitable action to address inconsistent practice is not taken. For example, staff continue to overlook agreed plans such as the use of internet and the receipt of money, where this has been deemed a significant risk. The manager said, ‘Because of staff shortages, I have tried to deal with things through supervision. When we have a full staff team things will be dealt with differently.’ Consequently, inconsistent and poor practice continues to be a theme within the home. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

The responsible individual has not taken an active role in the review and monitoring of the quality of care provided in the home. She has provided practical support, such as covering shifts within the home. Without effective management oversight throughout this period of crisis, the home’s practice has become ineffective. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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Inadequate

At the last interim inspection in March 2016, nine requirements and three recommendations were made to improve practice. Concerns around the home’s safeguarding practice resulted in two compliance notices being issued. The compliance notices were monitored in May 2016, when it was deemed that they had not fully been met and consequently were reissued. This inspection has reviewed the safeguarding practice in accordance with the notices and the previous requirements made of the home. While, initial actions taken, in the main, by the acting manager, mean that the notices are met, significant shortfalls remain. These include the instability of the home’s leadership, the inconsistency of care practice and the lack of a robust safeguarding culture. Six of the nine previous requirements are therefore restated. Seven further requirements and six recommendations are also made to address areas for concern as described in this report.

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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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 harmed or at risk of harm or 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 who it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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Information about this inspection

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