Children's home SC062537

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:

 Young people’s views, wishes and feelings are not responded to robustly. For example, a young person raised a verbal concern with several members of staff. Their concerns had not been addressed either informally or formally utilising the complaints process

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 The home’s complaints system is ineffective because the manager does not record verbal concerns or give feedback to young people when they have raised an issue, and she has not addressed all areas of an external complaint. In addition to this, one young person did not know of any independent people who she could contact if she had a concern about her care. This does not ensure that there is a transparent system in place and has led to shortfalls in safeguarding young people.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Staff members were not clear about their roles and responsibilities in using the home’s whistleblowing policy. Therefore, they have not taken prompt action when a concern was raised with them.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people’s emotional health is not adequately assessed within their health plan and actions raised around their general health have not been recorded as being completed within the plan.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people’s files are not well structured. Files contain lots of old information. Therefore, this makes it difficult to know which document is the most relevant.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Young people’s placement plans, health plans, behaviour management plans and other documents are not updated regularly. As a result, staff members do not have the most current information to care for young people effectively.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 When young people are missing from the home, they still receive their pocket money and semi-independence money. In light of what the young person said that he spends this money on, no action has been taken to find alternative ways to ensure that he receives his entitlement but in a safe manner.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 The manager has failed to inform Ofsted when young people have been missing from the home for a significant period of time, when incidents have occurred that require police involvement or when safeguarding investigations have concluded.  The home has not been fully staffed for some time and this has led to a heavy reliance on bank staff and agency staff. There have been occasions when there has been no permanent member of staff on duty. This does not ensure that young people receive consistency of care. In addition to this, the home’s statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect the changing staffing structure in place.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 The manager’s quality of care report is poor because it is brief and she has not identified improvements or developments for the home. She has not included findings from consulting with young people, stakeholders and professionals. Further to this, she has not sent this report to Ofsted within timescales.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 Several shortfalls were identified in the oversight of the home’s records. For example, supervision records are not clear because they have not been signed by the staff member, manager or both. Comments are made when appointments are missed due to sickness or holidays, but there is no clear information of when the next supervision will be held. This does not ensure that staff members are fully supported in their role.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 At the home’s last inspection, a recommendation was made to ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the quality of care within the home. This report has not identified the shortfalls raised, and the recommendation has been repeated.

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The children’s home strengths

 Young people have made good progress within education. Several young people have sat their formal exams and are eagerly awaiting their results. They have ambitions for their future and are registered at colleges to pursue these.

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The children’s home strengths

 All professionals spoken to as part of this inspection said that the home communicates with them well, that the home keeps them informed of any incidents and that robust procedures are followed when young people go missing from the home.

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The children’s home strengths

 Young people behave well within the home. There have been no restraints and sanctions are minimal. When sanctions are applied, young people said that they were fair.

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The children’s home strengths

 Young people regularly see family and friends who are important to them. Good contact plans identify the arrangements and highlight any restrictions on unsuitable adults who have been identified by the local authority. Staff members have had training in supervising contact. As a result, young people’s contact is safely managed and their contact has increased over time.

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The children’s home strengths

 Young people take responsibility for their own key working file. They have decorated them to their personal taste and they have started recording their own key working sessions. Young people have completed an ‘all about me’ document, which includes photographs, art work, wish lists and their aspirations for their future. Further to this, young people complete their own goal planner with steps of how they can achieve their goals. This means that they are becoming more responsible in setting targets for themselves and are increasingly involved in their care.

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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

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. This is specifically in relation to updating the staffing information. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious and any other incident that they consider to be serious. This also includes notifying when a child protection enquiry involving a child has concluded and the outcome. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(d)(ii)(e)) 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children and include any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. In addition to this, the registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(c)(4)(a)) 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any 30/09/2016 complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which are kept up to date. This is specifically in relation to ensuring that young people’s files are well structured. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure: 10 (1)(a) that the health and well-being needs of children are met. This is specifically in relation to recording their emotional health and the support required. Additionally, records need to reflect the actions taken, progress made and any further support required. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: 12 (2)(a) that staff: (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: 12 (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. This is specifically in relation to risk assessing the young 30/09/2016 people’s entitlement to monies when missing from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: 12 (2)(a) that staff: (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. This is specifically in relation to knowing and following the home’s whistleblowing policy. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure: 14 (1)(a) that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. This is specifically in relation to updating their records and any action staff need to take to secure positive outcomes. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must ensure: 7 (1)(c ) that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must ensure: 7 (2)(d) that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about: (iii) what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. 30/09/2016

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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 any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the quality of care within the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The

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Recommendations

record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides accommodation for up to four young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Inadequate

Young people are admitted to this home in a planned way. The manager assesses whether the home can meet the young person’s individual needs and that she has all the necessary documents to inform this decision. The home receives up-to-date documents from the local authority when young people’s needs change and reviews take place within timescales, but the home has not ensured that old information is archived. This means that staff members may not have the most recent information available to them. This is extremely important because the home relies on bank and agency staff to cover shifts due to staff shortages. Young people’s information is not always updated. One young person’s placement plan had several aims, targets, objectives and actions recorded from July 2015, but the record has not been updated to show whether these have been met or whether further action was required. For example, the placement plan says that a

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Inadequate

positive handling plan will be completed once the staff team gets to know the young person. There is no further information as to whether this has been completed. This means that records within the home do not show the progress or action taken by staff to secure good outcomes. One young person has raised a concern with several members of staff about the differential treatment that she feels that she believes she receives from the manager. The young person shared their concerns in a letter to the inspector. Examples include not being allowed into the office when the other young person just walks in and stays in there and not being allowed internet access. Although, the young person continued to raise her concerns with staff it was evident that the young person’s concerns had not been treated as a formal complaint nor were they escalated appropriately to senior managers. Staff had not made use of the internal

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Inadequate

whistleblowing procedure. Consequently, the concerns held by the young person have not been appropriately looked into, addressed and a conclusion reached. The inspector has raised this with responsible individual. At the home’s last inspection, the manager was looking into whether a young person’s friend could stay overnight at the home. The manager had faced some opposition from staff members, and needed to consider a number of factors such as whether the home’s insurance covered this. Over five months has elapsed and the young person is still awaiting a reply. Members of staff said that they were unsure where this was up to. The young person said, ‘I stay out overnight at my friend’s all the time and I would love her to come here. There is a spare bed. I asked a member of staff again at the weekend and she did not know. I just want to know either way and why.’ This means that young people’s views, wishes and

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Inadequate

feelings are not always acted upon and that they receive a timely reply to their requests. In addition to this, a parent made a formal complaint about not receiving monthly updates, as promised about their child and that they did not receive sufficient information when incidents occurred. The parent also complained about the tone and manner of members of staff in their dealings with her. The manager followed the home’s procedure in addressing the complaint. The complaint was upheld and systems were put in place to ensure that the parent received information regularly. The parent received a formal letter explaining the action the manager had taken, but it does not show that all parts of the complaint were addressed, such as the staff’s tone and mannerisms. This does not show that verbal and formal complaints are robustly actioned, fully investigated and responded to. At the last full inspection, some young people were struggling to engage in

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Inadequate

education. Since that time, very good progress has been made. One young person has moved to a more suitable school that meets her individual needs. Her attendance has increased to 88%. She said, ‘I have settled well and I am doing great. I want to be a hairdresser or beauty therapist when I am older.’ The manager is also liaising with the school regularly as it has been identified that the young person struggles to return to school after holiday breaks. A plan has been put in place for a support teacher to visit the home prior to the start of the new term. Another young person has recently finished formal education and is awaiting the results from her exams. She said, ‘I am nervous but I hope I have done well. I am going to college in September to do childcare.’ Due to members of staff liaising with a wide range of educational professionals, such as the virtual head for education, one young person’s improved engagement with his tutors led him to

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Inadequate

sitting his exams. He is also awaiting his results and has ambitions to be a builder. As a result, young people’s education opportunities have improved and young people have ambitions for their futures. Generally, young people are in good health. The home ensures that young people’s physical and personal health improves. For example, one young person’s dental hygiene was not good and he refused to attend the dentist. The home worked closely with the specialist nurse, dentist and young person so that they understood his fears and they were able to reassure him. This enabled him to receive the treatment he required. However, his health plan does not show all the steps taken to show how this was made possible. For example, it says he requires eight teeth out and X-rays for the dentist to proceed with the necessary dental work. It does not say whether he attended and had this treatment. The next entry says that an

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Inadequate

orthodontist appointment had been made. This does not ensure that the records are kept up to date. In addition to this, there is one line in the health plan that states: ‘A referral made to Barnardo’s for emotional health and that the young person refused to attend’. There is no information about the young person’s emotional health that led to this referral or what further steps members of staff have taken to address this. This means that young people’s emotional health is not robustly monitored because members of staff do not have up-to-date information to support young people. Young people are being encouraged to be more involved in their care by taking responsibility for writing their own key worker sessions and setting goals for their immediate and long-term progress. They have completed an ‘all about me’ document that includes their likes, dislikes, personalities and future ambitions. One young person said, ‘This helps new staff get to know me quickly.’ Young people

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Inadequate

have also decorated these files to express their individual tastes. Young people have safe and increased contact with people who are important to them. This is because members of staff work closely with parents and the local authority and members of staff have received contact training for when they supervise contact. Contact plans explicitly show the agreed arrangements, support required and any restrictions on unsuitable adults. Therefore, contact is safely managed.

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Inadequate

Safeguarding arrangements are not robust. Members of staff have not used the home’s whistleblowing policy to address matters raised about the manager. The responsible individual for the home said, ‘This is disappointing as we have recently refreshed safeguarding training with staff, due to previous learning from another investigation.’ However, this training was only given to permanent members of staff and not to bank or agency staff. This is important as there is a significant shortfall in staffing and 50% of the staff team is made up of bank and agency staff. She also said that it was concerning that an agency member of staff had reported this to the relevant safeguarding department, at the weekend, and it had not been reported earlier by permanent members of staff. However, there was a quick response to the concern and an investigation had started on the morning of the inspection. Some young people have placed themselves at risk because they have been

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Inadequate

missing on several occasions and for long periods. The missing from home coordinator from the police said, ‘This home is really good at reporting, sharing concerns, looking for and instigating strategy meetings for young people when they are missing.’ Members of staff try to contact young people on their mobile phones to assess their whereabouts and safety. They liaise with parents and go out daily to places that they know that young people go to. However, one young person has been returning to the home to get his pocket money and semi- independence allowance and then he goes missing again. Before this episode of being missing from home, the young person told a professional that when he was missing from the home that he is drinking alcohol and taking drugs. This was shared with the manager and staff team. Members of staff have not considered alternative ways of ensuring that he has the means to return home safely, such as

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Inadequate

buying him a bus pass rather than giving him money. In addition, staff cannot assess his semi-independence skills, such as shopping, cooking and budgeting, when he is not at the home. The home has not altered behaviour management strategies to keep young people safe, in the light of the information shared with them and especially with regard to the risks associated with simply providing him with money without knowing what this is being used for. Generally, young people behave very well within the home. Young people have not been held for their or others’ safety since the last inspection. Members of staff have received training in this area if an incident were to occur. Sanctions are low and young people are given the opportunity to correct their behaviour or make amends, such as doing a household chore rather than paying for a broken item. Young people said sanctions were fair and, more importantly, that staff discuss

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Inadequate

better ways of expressing themselves. This means that young people are given the opportunity to explore their behaviour and make changes. Young people live in a well-maintained home, which has recently been redecorated. It is furnished to a good standard. The home has recently swapped the dining room, front room and quiet room around. This means that the lounge is now in the middle of the home and this still allows young people to talk with staff when they are in the kitchen. Young people personalise their bedrooms and like having photographs displayed throughout the home. This gives them a sense of belonging. Young people, members of staff and visitors to the home regularly complete fire evacuations so that they know what to do in an emergency. This ensures that everybody is safe if an emergency were to occur.

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Inadequate

The manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2008. She is well qualified and holds a leadership and management award at level 7. She has previously managed other settings and her experience in childcare has been gained by progressing from being a childcare worker through several positions into the management role. A well-qualified and experienced deputy manager supports her. This means that she is well supported in completing daily management tasks. However, recent shortfalls in staffing have meant that the manager and deputy manager have been covering the home’s rota. This means that the oversight of the paperwork and records has diminished, as evidenced throughout this report. For example, young people’s plans are not being regularly updated. This does not ensure that members of staff have the most recent information available to them to care for young people safely. The home’s statement of purpose clearly sets out the ethos, aims and objectives of

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Inadequate

the home. This ensures that young people, parents and stakeholders know what services and support they can expect to receive from the home, but it has not been updated with the correct staffing within the home. There is a significant shortage in staffing, and the home is relying on bank staff and agency staff to cover the shortfalls. There have been occasions when bank staff and agency staff have been on shift together, but the manager has tried to ensure that they are the same staff who know the young people well. The local authority did advertise some posts in January 2015 but felt that the quality of applications received was not good. Therefore, they re-advertised, completed interviews and have successfully appointed three new staff members. These new staff are completing an induction and it is envisaged that they will be in post by September 2016. In recognition of this, the responsible individual successfully

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Inadequate

sought permission from the governing bodyto restrict the occupancy at the home to the current young people living there, until the new staff are settled and confident in their roles. This will ensure that staffing levels are not stretched further and that young people receive consistency of care. A good area of practice is that a young person was part of the interview panel. A new member of staff said, ‘I thought this was excellent. She was confident and took notes. I believe this is important because young people often have a built-in sixth sense about people.’ The deputy manager said, ‘It was a good experience. Firstly, it shows how the young person’s confidence has grown, and secondly, the young person was able to ask us what we thought of an applicant’s answers and how this differed from hers. Therefore, it helped us look at things differently.’ As a result, the young person said that she felt included in the development of the home and that her input was

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Inadequate

seen as important. The manager has not ensured that all parties are made aware when incidents have occurred at the home. For instance, Ofsted did not receive notifications when young people were missing for significant periods of time and when the police have been involved with the home. Further to this, the manager failed to inform Ofsted of an outcome to a safeguarding investigation. This means that Ofsted were not aware of the actions that the home had taken to safeguard young people. Members of staff say that good handovers, staff meetings and supervision help them to care for young people. The staff meeting records are good and show that young people’s care is openly discussed, that they share plans for the forthcoming weeks and that policies and procedures are looked at, but the manager has not maintained the supervision records for members of staff. Information, signatures and explanations of why supervision did not take place are missing. As a result, it

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Inadequate

was not clear whether members of staff have regular supervision. This does not ensure that they have good support from the manager to care for young people effectively. The quality of care is not robustly monitored within the home. The manager’s quality assurance document is brief and does not clearly set out the improvements and developments required to secure improvement within the home. She has not consulted with young people, professionals or stakeholders on the care provided at the home. In addition to this, she has not forwarded a copy of this report to the responsible individual or to Ofsted within 28 days of its completion. This does not ensure that there is a robust system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the care provided in the home. At the last inspection, the home was asked to ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home, as an independent person, makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the quality of care within the

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Inadequate

home. Currently, elected members are undertaking these visits to the home and they have received additional training on how to assess care practices within the home. However, they have failed to raise or address the shortfalls identified in this report. Therefore, the recommendation has been repeated.

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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 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, 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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