Children's home run by Searchlight Care Services Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent

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:

 Staff do not respond effectively when young people go missing.  Not all staff are adequately trained.  Staff do not meet all of the current young person’s health needs.  The systems governing the storage, recording and handling of medication are not robust.  The quality of staff supervision is variable.  Management oversight and monitoring processes are not always effective.  Some aspects of record keeping are poor.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff have good relationships with the present young person.  The current young person is making good progress in some aspects of his life.  Staff have developed effective relationships with other professionals.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

10. The health and well-being standard In order to meet the health and well-being standard, with particular reference to health conditions, the registered person must ensure that— (1)(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met. 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

11. The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationships standard, with particular reference to supervision, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a)(x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to assessing harm and going missing, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a)(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; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to training and monitoring and review systems, the registered person must— (2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and 26/08/2016 skills to meet the needs of each child; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(b)) 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)) 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 26/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person's report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 26/08/2016

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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 staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Ensure that when a young person returns from being missing staff display a supportive approach, actively listening and responding to the child's needs. This will have a greater chance of preventing the child from going missing again and safeguarding them against other risks. (Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care, page 14, paragraph 28)

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Only one young person has been accommodated for a number of years. They are from the local area. The home is operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

25/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

The current young person has a good relationship with the managers and the staff team. He communicates well with them and is confident that they hear his opinions. This improves the quality of his day-to-day experiences and ensures that he receives individualised care. A social worker comments, ‘He is really settled.’ The present young person is making progress in some important areas of his life. For example, he completed some exams. This has secured him a place at college or the option of a work placement. This is a significant achievement. However, staff are not fully equipped with the skills and knowledge that they need to support the young person in other aspects of his life. For example, the majority of staff have had no formal training in understanding attachment theory and different attachment styles. This affects their understanding of the impact that this may have on the young person’s emotions, behaviour and relationships. This is

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Requires improvement

particularly important when he experiences difficult periods. Staff do not consistently meet the current young person’s physical health needs. For example, they are unclear whether the young person has asthma. Due to this, they do not know whether he requires his inhalers or how they should administer them. One of the inhalers was also out of date. Consequently, it may be ineffective should the young person require it. In addition, some of the recording processes relating to medication are poor. Specifically, two records stated different amounts of paracetamol tablets were being stored in the home. This was the result of several recording errors by staff. Because of this, it is unclear how many paracetamol tablets the young person received and on what date. This could have serious health implications for the young person. The deputy manager took action to begin to address this during the inspection.

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Requires improvement

The present young person attends a range of positive activities and clubs, providing him with opportunities to socialise with his friends. His independence skills are also developing. He has a particularly sound knowledge of the bus routes he requires! This helps to prepare him as he approaches adulthood and has given him increased confidence. Judgement grade

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Requires improvement

The current young person has been missing on three occasions this year. Staff do not always take effective action during these incidents. Specifically, they do not follow the home’s missing child policy, which states that staff should go looking for him. This reduces the chances of locating the young person and potentially extends the period that he is away from the home. Written guidance for staff in this area is poor. This creates confusion regarding how often they should try to contact the young person when he is out. In addition, a significant number of staff (including the home’s deputy manager) have not undertaken any specific training relating to young people who go missing. This affects their confidence, skills and ultimately their response. Records show that the reaction of staff is variable when the young person returns from being missing. At times, staff do not respond with a supportive approach or actively listen to the young person’s needs. These shortfalls

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Requires improvement

affect the quality of the support that the young person receives and have the potential to place him at risk. Managers do not always identify, understand or manage risks effectively. For example, there has been no assessment of the risk of the young person self- harming, despite some potential concerns in this area. An assessment of the risk of child sexual exploitation is only partly completed. Other risk assessments are not up to date. These deficits create uncertainty and fail to provide staff with effective guidance. Consequently, they do not consistently make arrangements to reduce the risk of harm to the young person. The present young person rarely displays challenging or aggressive behaviour. This is partly due to the relationships that he has with staff. Staff reward positive behaviour and support the young person to think about his conduct. This has helped the young person to become increasingly reflective, having a greater

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Requires improvement

awareness of his own actions. Sanctions are used in response to some negative behaviours. Staff do not consistently evaluate the effectiveness and any consequence of the use of these measures. This does not allow them to understand whether the measures are working or whether the response of staff at these times needs to change.

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Requires improvement

A suitably qualified, experienced registered manager has been in post since 2010. Since April 2016, there have been significant changes to the staff team, including a new deputy manager. Overall, the emotional impact of these changes on the current young person was well managed by a staff team that generally prioritises his needs. The registered manager delegates some of the responsibility for monitoring the home to the deputy manager. Not all of the auditing and review systems work effectively. For example, the oversight of key documents, including the records of the present young person’s medication, is not yet robust. As a result, the deputy manager did not identify or address the medication shortfalls highlighted in this inspection. In addition, the deputy manager’s lack of confidence and training in relation to young people who go missing, did not allow him to effectively review or evaluate the records from these incidents. The home meets the overarching aims

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Requires improvement

of its statement of purpose. However, these shortfalls have prevented managers from making continuous improvements in the quality of care provided. An independent person visits the home every month. His reports focus on the previous month’s records, incidents and events. As a result, he does not give key issues adequate attention, in a timely way. For example, during his visit on 17 May 2016, the independent person focused primarily on issues in April 2016. This did not give sufficient oversight to significant incidents on 8, 12, 14, 15 and 16 May 2016. This does not allow him to set out an informed opinion as to whether the current young person is effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes his well-being. This shortfall further hinders effective management oversight. It reduces the ability of managers to understand the young person’s progress and the home’s strengths and weaknesses fully.

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Requires improvement

The quality of record keeping is inconsistent. Some records are hard to read. The language of other records is unhelpful to the young person, who may wish to access his records in the future. The majority of staff are appropriately qualified and hold the required level 3 diploma or equivalent in residential childcare. One member of staff is currently undertaking this qualification. There are plans in place to make sure that he completes this within the required timescales. Staff are positive about the support that they receive from the registered manager and the deputy manager. Supervision sessions are regular. However, these are not always of adequate quality. Specifically, sessions do not always discuss the young person’s needs sufficiently. They are not always used to reflect on significant incidents or staff practice. Because of this, staff are not consistently provided with supervision that enables them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the

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Requires improvement

current young person’s behaviour and to help the young person to do the same. Staff and managers have developed good relationships with a range of professionals and are confident to challenge other agencies when required. They also work closely with the present young person’s family when this is appropriate. One relative stating, ‘I know the staff and can call them and speak to them. They have been really brilliant.’ This ensures that communication is effective. This helps the young person to receive consistent messages.

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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 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

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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 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

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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

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

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