Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicester

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:

 Children and young people have regular unsettled nights. During this time, they go off site in search of cigarette butts, smoke cannabis or are disruptive and disrespectful towards staff. This has led to an unwillingness to participate in activities during the day. It has also impacted on staff, as they feel tired for their shift the next day.  The holiday period has been poorly planned. Risk assessments for the holiday are not comprehensive.  A young person has lost a considerable amount of weight as he is skipping meals. Staff have not considered reviewing his diet or how to increase his calorie intake.  A late decision to send an agency member of staff home left children and young people and the member of staff vulnerable and led to a safeguarding incident.  Children and young people are at risk from a range of hazards around the home. Security of the home needs reviewing within the location risk

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

assessment.  Recent historical risks are not identified within the care planning documentation. Staff do not talk to children and young people about the underlying causes of their behaviour, such as their anxieties. They only discuss the poor behaviour exhibited.  Children and young people do not always comment on the record of consequences. This means that it is difficult to capture their views.  Staff are skilled at working with parents and have good relationships with external professionals to ensure that children and young people benefit from their expertise.  Children and young people have made some progress particularly with regard to their education and rebuilding positive relationships with families.  The new management and staff team are enthusiastic and child focussed. The registered manager has good plans for developing the staff team, but this is hampered by a lack of senior childcare workers and the admission of

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

a third child. The registered manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has plans to address some of the shortfalls.

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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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6: The quality and purpose of care standard

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to taking account of a child’s background, the registered person must (b) ensure that staff— (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background 31/08/2016

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12: The protection of children standard

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to hazards in the home (2) the registered provider must ensure (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 31/08/2016

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12: The protection of children standard

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to ensuring the safety of children in the home (2) the registered person must ensure (a) that staff (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at 31/08/2016 risk of harm; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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13: The leadership and management standard

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to new staff and the planned holiday, (2) the registered person must (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 31/08/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home's care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. This specifically refers to recording children's comments in the record of consequences. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. When children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these, subject to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)  Ensure that the location risk assessment review includes the identification of any

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Recommendations

risks and opportunities presented by the home's location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  Ensure that staff have the skills to respond to each child's individual behaviour. When necessary, they should manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogues and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.14)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned home that accommodates up to six young people. The home caters for children and young people who may display emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

9/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Regular unsettled nights with all the children and young people impact on their daytime routines and willingness to engage. Some are skipping meals and sleeping half the day only to be wide awake again at night. A therapist said: ‘They are trying to adapt to all the changes. The new cohort of staff impacts on the child’s sense of security.’ An independent reviewing officer said of a young person: ‘He has also spoken to me about him wishing staff that have left would return.’ However, there is evidence of positive relationships between staff, children and young people. An independent reviewing officer said: ‘His keyworker is really open with him, and they have a good relationship.’ Staff are flexible about accommodating the differing interests of children and young people. For example, the one-to-one staffing ratio enables children and young people to do different activities. All children and young people have made some progress with regards to their

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Requires improvement

education, particularly attendance. However, one young person is not engaging well with school as he is distracted easily, and another has not attended his college open day or completed his work experience. However, he has enrolled on a college course and is clear that he will be starting college in September. Another young person will be starting mainstream school in September after not being in education at all prior to moving to this home. A young person who has lost a significant amount of weight skips meals and eats low fat products such as semi-skimmed milk, as this is what staff buy for the home. He has refused to visit the dentist since having teeth filled. He is, therefore, not taking a proactive role in looking after his day-to-day health and well-being. Staff encourage children and young people to attend to their personal hygiene and healthcare needs, but this is not always effective. Children and young people like living in this home. When a young person was

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Requires improvement

asked if he is staying here until he is 18, he said, ‘Hopefully.’ They generally get on well together, although one young person will regularly lead the other two into going off site during the night and smoking illegal substances, thereby, putting themselves at risk. Young people benefit from positive contact with their families and friends. Contact with families has improved through the diligence of staff who maintain good relationships with them. They support children and young people with positive contacts by facilitating contact and working with families to better understand their child. Children and young people are offered a range of activities, such as theme parks, the cinema, go-carting and football. They choose what activities they would like to do for the forthcoming week but, due to unsettled nights and changing their mind, they often do not participate in the planned activity, preferring to sleep in, during

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Requires improvement

the school holiday, and visit friends. The internal environment provides for a comfortable and spacious home. Children and young people have helped to choose new sofas and wallpaper. They have single rooms that are lockable, to ensure privacy.

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Requires improvement

Unnecessary risks were taken in the late decision to send home an agency worker when he was expressing that he could not control himself with the level of challenging behaviour and racial abuse he was experiencing. This was compounded by the decision made by care staff to leave the agency worker on his own with the children and young people in an attempt to settle them. This put children and young people at risk and resulted in a confrontation and a complaint from a young person. A young person said that they enjoyed messing about at night during the weekends when agency night staff work. Care planning does not provide details of children’s and young people’s recent histories. For example, details of previous risks of sexual exploitation and drug running are not included. This means that new staff will not be aware of these risks. Furthermore, the benchmark risk assessment completed for the police does

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Requires improvement

not hold sufficient detail of these previous activities prior to the children and young people moving to this home. This means that the police may not prioritise children who go missing as much as they might, had they had full details. This is particularly concerning due to the age and vulnerability of one child. However, the child was very clear that a reduction in his missing episodes is something that has gone well for him since moving to the home. An independent reviewing officer also confirmed: ‘Before, when he went missing it would be overnight and [he would be] found at train stations.’ Risk assessments are brief and do not provide staff with strategies to minimise risks. This is important, as a number of staff are new to the home and some are new to residential care. Thus, they do not necessarily have the experience to be able to formulate appropriate strategies to minimise risks. Furthermore, poorly

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Requires improvement

completed risk assessments do not promote consistency of practice. Staff complete direct work with children and young people about a range of issues that affect them. Direct work does not always address the underlying anxieties expressed by the young person. This has led to incidents such as fire setting. Fire setting was addressed in direct work, but the underlying anxiety was not. Children and young people regularly refuse to settle at night, despite the staff’s best efforts. A member of staff said: ‘It seems too much power and decisions have been given to the children, who now feel they can rule the roost, as they know all the things that adults are no longer able to do.’ Other, more serious, incidents such as threatening behaviour with weapons and shoplifting have, however, reduced. Staff very rarely use physical intervention but have received training, which has included de-escalation techniques. Consequences for poor behaviour are

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Requires improvement

appropriate, but children and young people do not always make comments on the record. This would ensure that their views are captured. Hazards around the home include potential weapons, trip and trap hazards. For example, there are garden hoses lying on the ground, a pipe, bricks, raised drain covers and doors that close too quickly, particularly the office door. Furthermore, children and young people climb on the shed roof, which is damp in places and therefore could collapse under their weight. Furthermore, nights are disturbed by loud cleaning practices and the staff toilet door, which bangs when it closes. The security of the site is compromised, especially at night, due to the isolated location and the drive gate not closing. This is included in the location risk assessment, which would ensure that risks are minimised. However, the company is currently waiting for quotations for new gates. Recruitment files are organised. Vetting procedures reduce the risk of unsuitable

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Requires improvement

adults working with children and young people.

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Requires improvement

The recently registered manager is not yet appropriately qualified but is taking the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare and expects to complete this by July 2017. An experienced deputy manager has recently been employed, but the home does not currently have any senior childcare workers. This has put extra pressure on the management team and shift leaders. The management team is starting to learn from incidents and to evolve practice. Staff present as enthusiastic and child focussed. However, progress has been hampered by a lack of senior childcare workers and, until recently, a deputy, as well as by the recruitment of new, inexperienced staff. Given the changes of staffing and a lack of a fully formed management team, the decision to admit a third young person into the home has made it difficult to maintain routines and structure. Despite this, the young person has settled well and made some good

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Requires improvement

progress. However, events over the last few months mean that staff are struggling to effectively manage behaviour at night, which is impacting on the children’s and young people’s experiences, such as routines like regular mealtimes and taking part in activities with staff. The impact of unsettled nights on the staff, including managers, is that they are tired, which is not sustainable and will ultimately impact on the experiences of children and young people. Furthermore, normal standards for the home are being compromised by unsettled nights, for example with children and young people smoking outside the front door. The discarded cigarette butts affect the overall presentation of the home. A lack of planning for the school holiday period means that children and young people are not invested in participating in staff-led activities. This means that staff are not prepared enough to be able to take the children and young people out on

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Requires improvement

day trips or trips away overnight. A holiday has been planned for all children and young people, but shift leaders expressed a lack of confidence about taking on this responsibility. Holiday risk assessments do not explore management cover or activities, leaving these to be completed during the holiday. This lack of planning could put children and young people at risk. Staff work well with parents to improve the experiences of children and young people. A parent said: ‘Staff make me feel welcome, and I’m getting to know them.’ Professional relationships are also very good. The management team works hard to ensure that support is provided to address the needs of children and young people. For example, the looked after children’s nurse will be working with them on sexual health, personal hygiene and smoking cessation. The local police visit to chat informally with staff, children and young people. An independent reviewing

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Requires improvement

officer said: ‘They are supportive of what the young person said and are working collaboratively with the social worker.’ The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He has good monitoring tools, which easily enable him to analyse trends and the progress of children and young people. He has a satisfactory development plan, which addresses some identified shortfalls. Plans to develop staff and move the home forward are good.

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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

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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