Children's home run by Positive Cycle Limited in Bristol, City of

Inspection date 10/08/2016

Previous inspection judgement Not judged

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Inadequate

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/or their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 The registered person has failed to implement the Children‘s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, resulting in 16 requirements being made at this inspection, demonstrating a limited understanding of the legislation concerned with operating a children‘s home.  There are too few full time, permanent staff. Staffing arrangements lack consistency and forward planning as a consequence, staffing rotas were found to be incomplete for the week following this inspection.  The registered person has failed to ensure robust recruitment procedures are followed. This failing was reported at the previous inspection in January 2016.  The registered person has failed to obtain detailed information on young people from their placing authorities to help inform their care plans and risk assessments, although the information has been requested. From the limited information provided, risk assessments do not incorporate all the

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

known risks for young people. This leaves young people highly vulnerable to risky situations and staff unclear about how to provide appropriate care.  The environment retains many features from its former function as a guesthouse. There are brass numbers on the doors. Signs referring to ‗guests‘ and ‗no smoking‘ are visible in most rooms, including young people‘s bedrooms. This detracts from a warm, homely environment.  Fire safety is compromised, with internal doors not being effective against the spread of fire and smoke as a result of painting over the fire protective strips. Staff have not received any training in fire safety.  The registered person has failed to ensure that staff are suitably trained. In particular, the staff team‘s skills and qualifications with regards to safeguarding, self-harm, first aid and fire safety are poor. There are insufficient staff trained in first aid. As a result, there is not always a suitably

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

qualified member of staff with first aid training on duty to provide appropriate care for young people.  The registered person has no systems in place to monitor care practices, the progress of young people or the staffing of the home. Without suitable monitoring arrangements in place, the registered person does not have a sufficient understanding of the home to inform an effective development plan.

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to- (i) meet the needs of each child, in particular, the excessive number of signs throughout the home should be removed and damage to doors and bathrooms repaired. 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(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, and in particular, to ensure that written risk assessments incorporate known risks. (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‘s child protection policies. In particular, return-to-home interviews should be arranged, as specified in the policy for when young people who go missing return to the home. 22/09/2016 (2)(d) ensure 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, in relation to fire safety.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

*(2)(a) lead and manage a home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‘s statement of purpose; *(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; *(d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; *(e) ensure that the home‘s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; *(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; *(g) (i) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met *(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

(3)(a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority the registered person must— 22/09/2016 (1)(a) take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children‘s home, and in particular, ensure that the recommendations are met from the fire-risk assessment undertaken on 24/06/2016. (c) make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. (2)(a) The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‘s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3) (3)(d) that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 12/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

(a) undertake appropriate professional development (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (the behaviour management policy) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

(b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (3) The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) within 24 hours of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— 22/09/2016 (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child‘s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (the user), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. In particular, this applies to the record of any sanctions. (Regulation 35 (1)(b)(3)(a)(i–vii))

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

(a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. In particular, this should include a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child‘s placing authority, and of the placement plan. (Schedule 3, 19) (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

(a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4, in particular a record in the form of a register showing in respect of each child—

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 (1)(a) the date of the child‘s admission to the children‘s home; (b) the date on which the child ceased to be accommodated in the home; (c) the child‘s address immediately before being accommodated in the home; (d) the child‘s address on leaving the home; (e) the child‘s placing authority (f) the statutory provision (if any) under which the child is accommodated. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 12/08/2016 (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

41: Notification with respect to children admitted into, or discharged from, a children‘s home

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children‘s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41 (1)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‘s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

(7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‘s report to— (a) HMCI; (b) upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located. (Regulation 44 (1)(7)(a)(b)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‗a quality of care review‘) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must— (a) 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. (Regulation 45 (1)(4)(a)) 22/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

(e) if the registered provider is an organisation—

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Requirement Due date

(ii) any change of director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the organisation, and in particular changes of any directors. (Regulation 49 (e)(ii)) 22/09/2016 * These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Children in residential care may be worried about being stigmatised or bullied by their peers for being ‗different‘ because of where they live. The home‘s environment and care should be designed to take account of this and staff should support children to talk about their concerns, and should help children in addressing any concerns they may have. In particular, staff should avoid wearing identity badges and keys around their necks. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 16, paragraph 3.13)

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Information about this children’s home

This children‘s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Inadequate

This home lacks effective management oversight. The manager is not fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and therefore does not take decisive action to remedy poor practice and address regulatory failings.

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Inadequate

At the time of this inspection, the two young people living in the home had been in placement for two and seven days respectively. The manager has not obtained full and satisfactory information about the young people. The placing authority had failed to provide key documents such as care and placement plans on the day of admission to this home. The manager had not received these documents at the time of this inspection.

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Inadequate

The lack of information impacts negatively on the quality of individualised care planning, assessment of risks and the ability of staff to know the individual needs of each young person living in the home. The manager does not act with determination when challenging agencies that are not providing the level of service that young people, and she herself, require.

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Inadequate

Young people say that they are made welcome here and receive a young person‘s guide to the home. They say that the staff have been able to answer their questions and have consulted with them over their choice of food and activities. Young people like their bedrooms, which have en-suite facilities. ‗It is the biggest bedroom I have ever had,‘ reported one young person.

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Inadequate

Damage to some areas of the home is yet to be repaired. Doors remain damaged where a young person kicked or punched them. Arrangements are being made for these repairs. However, a delay in responding to maintenance requests has led to a young person being without a towel rail and toilet-roll holder. The absence of these basic requirements shows a lack of care and attention.

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Inadequate

This home was formerly a guesthouse, and signs remain throughout the home from when it was used previously by paying guests. For example, signs on the back of young people‘s bedroom doors refer to ‗guests‘ and ‗no smoking‘. Unnecessary signs that provide information to staff are located in the kitchen and dining room. This excessive signage detracts from a homely environment. Similarly, staff were seen wearing keys and identity badges around their necks. The manager and staff fail to recognise the implications of this institutional practice and the stigma it poses for young people in residential care. Young people are supported well to maintain contact with family members who are equally welcomed to the home. Relatives report good communication from the manager and staff. Young people are encouraged to take part in activities in the home and in the community. The manager and staff support young people with

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Inadequate

their faith-based activities and ensure that their cultural and religious needs are met. This inspection occurred during the school summer holidays so young people were not in education and plans were being made for their return to school at the start of the new September term. Previously, young people not in full-time education have been supported with a tutor in the home to promote their learning.

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Inadequate

Risk management is poor. Referral documents identify specific risks associated with young people, such as self-harm and sexual exploitation. The manager has failed to ensure that all significant information transfers to individual risk assessments. Staff lack training and experience to recognise the risks posed to young people and consequently are unable to support and care for them safely.

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Inadequate

The manager has failed to adopt robust recruitment procedures and has permitted one member of staff to work without any checks on their suitability to work with young people. An inspection of recruitment records found omissions in application forms and a staff member with only one reference. For three members of staff, no records of their recruitment were available during the inspection. Inadequate recruitment and vetting procedures place young people at risk of being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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Inadequate

Behaviour management is ineffective. The record of sanctions imposed for young people highlights a punitive approach without any opportunity for restorative practice. In February 2016, a young person was ‗grounded‘ to his room for a day and not permitted out of the home on other days. This level of restriction fails to support young people in developing skills and strategies to manage their own behaviour. The manager has failed to ensure that any sanctions are recorded to meet regulatory requirements. Basic details, such as the young person‘s name, are not always included. Failure to monitor these records effectively has led to the persistence of poor care practices.

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Inadequate

The manager and nine staff are trained in how to restrain young people. However, the manager advocates strongly that this is not a method to be used to manage young people‘s behaviour and seeks to use an alternative approach.

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Inadequate

Incidents of going missing escalated for one young person who has since moved from this children‘s home. The manager attended risk-management meetings with the placing authority to work towards agreed strategies. Incidents of going missing failed to reduce and consequently the risks increased to the extent that a secure placement was identified. Records of going missing incidents provide a clear account of the circumstances when young people go missing, including a colour photograph to share with the police and other agencies. The records do not always report the time of return and the manager has failed to make arrangements for a return-to-home interview. This denies young people the opportunity to talk to a person who is independent of the home about why they went missing.

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Inadequate

The manager has failed to engage with the local authority‘s head of safeguarding after being advised on how to access training on preventing child sexual exploitation. Effective links with safeguarding agencies are essential for the safety and protection of young people.

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Inadequate

The fire and rescue service completed an inspection of the home on 16 May 2016 and found regulatory failures. The manager has rectified some of these by arranging to have a fire-risk assessment and by ensuring that the fire protection system is serviced. Arrangements are under way to repair or replace the seals on internal doors to protect against smoke or fire but staff have yet to receive any training on fire safety. The home occupies three floors with one central staircase, and therefore training in fire prevention is essential. Staff and young people know what action to take on hearing the fire alarm because they are shown during their induction to the home.

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Inadequate

The manager is registered with Ofsted as the manager and the responsible person. She has a qualification in social work and experience in community work. The manager set up this organisation to provide community support and residential care.

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Inadequate

Throughout the inspection, the manager failed to demonstrate her knowledge of the Children‘s Homes Regulations 2015. The high number of requirements from this inspection reflects this. Four requirements made at the previous inspection in January 2016 have not been met and are therefore repeated.

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Inadequate

Since the registration of this home on 30 June 2015, four young people have been in placement and never more than two at the same time. The manager has not maintained a register of young people as required by the regulations. There have been several months when the home has not been in operation. The manager has not yet recruited sufficient staff to permanent positions, instead relying on sessional staff. This impacts on the continuity of care for young people as staff are not able to commit to any regular work patterns.

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Inadequate

The development of the staff team is hindered by staff being sessional. Their availability for team meetings, supervision and staff training is restricted as most have additional employment. Some staff training has taken place but not enough to ensure that staff are suitably skilled and qualified to meet the needs of young people. Staff lack training in first aid, fire safety, risks of sexual exploitation and managing self-harm.

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Inadequate

The casual nature of the staffing arrangements was evident during the inspection as the rota for the following Friday afternoon and the subsequent weekend was incomplete. The lack of sufficient staff and the deficiency in the manager‘s planning for appropriate staff cover is not sustainable. The instability of the staff team prevents young people from receiving high-quality and consistent care.

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Inadequate

The manager has no clear monitoring systems in place. She reports that she is producing a monitoring report covering the first six months of the year but has yet to complete this. There is no evidence of the day-to-day monitoring of the home. The manager has failed to ensure that external monitoring by an independent person takes place each month.

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Inadequate

Since this home has been in operation, there have been two independent monitoring visits and only one of these reports has been supplied to Ofsted. This failure means that the manager has not had the benefit of any independent analysis or evaluation of the home to help drive and sustain improvement.

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Inadequate

The manager has not adhered to the regulatory requirement for notifications. The local authority for the area in which the home is located has not been notified of young people arriving at and leaving this children‘s home. Ofsted has not been notified when a serious incident has occurred involving the police, criminal damage and assaults on staff. The manager has failed to notify Ofsted of changes in the organisation such as new directors. The absence of these notifications leads to this home operating without statutory bodies knowing about the young people in placement and therefore unable to monitor their safety and welfare.

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Inadequate

In response to the requirements made at the previous inspection, the manager has updated the home‘s statement of purpose, although she has failed to submit this to Ofsted after its review. There are improvements to some documentation such as reference request forms, placement plans and records for when young people go missing.

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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 the ‗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 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 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, work- based 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

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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