Children's home SC434100

This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted an inspection of this children’s home on 7 July 2016 which resulted in a judgement of inadequate in all areas. Prior to this inspection, Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice on 4 July 2016. This monitoring visit was undertaken to assess if the restriction of accommodation notice had been complied with and if there were any additional concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The service manager, Steven Gisanrin, as well as the new manager, Lloyd Clarke, were present throughout the monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

One of the reasons for the restriction of accommodation notice was unauthorised contact between the young person in placement and her father, despite bail conditions restricting contact. Contact occurred on 12 June 2016, 4 July 2016 and 17 July 2016. The home has stated that it was only made aware of the full bail conditions around contact on 31 July 2016.

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This monitoring visit

Monthly progress reports for the young person were reviewed as part of the visit. The case file for the young person did not contain any reports beyond the end of May 2016. Copies of the monthly progress reports for June and July were provided at the end of the inspection. The June report does not mention the visit by the young person’s father on 12 June 2016. The July report details the visit on 4 July 2016, but does not mention the visit on 17 July 2016.

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This monitoring visit

The progress reports do not evidence that significant progress has been made in the care of the young person. Boundaries and routines remain erratic, with the young person often going to bed after midnight and not getting up until late morning.

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This monitoring visit

Attendance at education is poor, with no evidence of any sustained improvement. In the weeks prior to the start of the summer holidays, attendance at education was very poor. On most days, the young person would refuse to attend tuition and, on the odd occasion when she did attend, it was only for a 10 to 15 minute period.

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This monitoring visit

The service manager, Steven Gisanrin, stated that he felt that the home’s previous reporting of the use of cannabis by the young person had been over-reported and that, often, the young person had just been smoking roll-up cigarettes. It was pointed out to Mr Gisanrin that the smell of cannabis is very distinctive and would be difficult to mistake. The daily observation sheets indicate that on 15 July, 16 July and 30 July staff observed the young person smoking cannabis in the garden of the home. The confusion around the extent of the young person’s cannabis use is concerning. Either staff are unable to differentiate between cannabis use and normal smoking, or the home is trying to minimise the extent of cannabis use. Two notifications have been received since the last inspection. The first of these involved an assault by the young person on Steven Gisanrin on 11 July 2016. The young person was trying to gain access to the staff office and, when she was

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This monitoring visit

refused entry, she became angry and punched Mr Gisanrin in his face. This resulted in the young person being restrained on the ground and then again in the office. The recording of the restraint is very brief. The record was completed by Steven Gisanrin and also signed off by him, as the person monitoring the record.

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This monitoring visit

The second incident occurred on 1 August 2016, when the young person assaulted a member of staff at the home and caused injuries to her head of such severity that they required calling an ambulance to the home and the member of staff attending hospital. The incident occurred due to the young person taking photos with her mobile phone of the member of staff. The member of staff attempted to push the phone away, and this resulted in an assault on her.

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This monitoring visit

These two incidents raise issues around the home’s ability to manage challenging behaviour and the training that staff have received to provide with them with the necessary skills to deflect and defuse volatile situations.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s behaviour management and risk assessment form was provided at the end of the visit. The report has been updated on a number of occasions, most recently on 2 August 2016. The updated sections on offensive weapons and theft contain no information on preventative steps already in place or on further preventative steps to reduce the risk.

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This monitoring visit

The section on physical aggression towards adults instructs staff to avoid holding the young person during restraint, so as to avoid injury to the young person and to prevent allegations against staff.

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This monitoring visit

The section on the risk of sexual exploitation states, under the preventative steps already in place, that the home’s wi-fi system is secure and prevents the young person from accessing websites that could put her at risk. In further preventative steps, it lists that staff are constantly monitoring her whereabouts and ‘constantly escort and supervise YP at all times’. The daily log sheets do not support that the young person is supervised at all times. The evaluation plan is a series of bullet points that do not provide any analysis of the overall level of risk.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children's home, providing care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

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

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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