Horsebridge House

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:

 The home was judged as inadequate at the full inspection in May 2016. Following this inspection, two compliance notices were issued. One compliance notice was issued in relation to regulation 12: the protection of children standard, and the other compliance notice was issued in relation to regulation 13: the leadership and management standard. Since the previous inspection, monitoring visits have been undertaken, and leaders and managers have taken steps to protect young people, and ensure that staff receive mandatory training and specific training to meet the needs of the young people.  At the time of this inspection, no young people were living at the home. Therefore, some steps that leaders, managers and staff have undertaken to improve the service have not been fully tested at this inspection.  Not all staff have confirmed their awareness and understanding of the home’s safeguarding policy in respect of the process to refer child-on-child

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

safeguarding concerns to the local multi-agency safeguarding hub and social workers in a timely manner.  The monitoring and surveillance system used in the home requires improvement in order to safeguard young people.  Ofsted has not been notified of all significant events in the home.  Young people are not receiving the education support that they need to meet their needs.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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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The education standard

8. In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (2)(a)(i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans (viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. 30/11/2016

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The protection of children standard

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard (with respect to following missing-from-home protocols), the registered person must ensure that (2)(v) staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children. In particular, each young person must have an individualised missing-from-home protocol that has been agreed by the local police. 30/11/2016

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The leadership and management standard

13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must (2)(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. 30/11/2016

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The leadership and management standard

Monitoring and surveillance 07/10/2016 24(1) The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if (a) the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children (d) the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regards to the child's need for privacy. In particular, staff must be aware of the home's protocols for the use of monitoring and surveillance, and the use of bedroom door alarms must not be used unnecessarily and their use must be kept under constant review.

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Fire precautions

25(1) After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must (a) take adequate precautions against the risk of fire. In particular, repairs must be made to a fire door, and a fire activation point must be securely fixed to the wall. (d) ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedures to be followed in case of a fire. 07/10/2016

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Policies for the protection of children

34(1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which (a) is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children's home from abuse or neglect. In particular, all staff must have an awareness and understanding of safeguarding concerns in respect of child-on-child safeguarding concerns, and refer to the local multi-agency safeguarding hub and the placing authority in a timely manner. 07/10/2016

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Notification of a serious event

40(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 31/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 9.60)

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Information about this children's home

This service is operated by a private company, which is part of the CareTech group, a national social care agency. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

16/12/2014 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Following the last inspection, the provider identified that they could not meet the needs of the two young people, and both young people have since moved. No young people have lived at the home since June 2016. As a result, young people’s experiences and progress cannot be fully assessed. Educational provision was a weakness identified at the last inspection. Leaders and managers took action to challenge and collaborate with their in-house education provider to ensure that young people’s educational needs were assessed, and an education plan was devised. However, the staff team was unsuccessful in encouraging one young person to engage with their education provision. In addition, weekly recording and evaluation of young people’s engagement in education is sparse. The manager said that the records should be more detailed to evidence staff’s encouragement and support of young people to participate in education.

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Requires improvement

There has been significant improvement in the home’s environment. It is presented in a homely manner and many areas of the home have been redecorated, and soft furnishing purchased. In addition, young people’s bedrooms have been redecorated, and soft furnishings and new bedroom furniture have been purchased. The main bathroom has been redecorated and is now more child friendly. The gardens to the rear and sides of the property are well maintained, and new fencing has made the garden more secure. Potential ligature points have been removed.

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, the designated officer and Ofsted have received a complaint in respect of an incident that occurred in April 2016, The designated officer requested that the head of service undertake an internal investigation and inform her of the outcome. This investigation has been completed, and the designated officer is satisfied with the outcome of the investigation. Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have made attempts to share a young person’s missing-from-home protocol with the local police. However, the young person left the home before this was shared and agreed. The manager has recently made contact with the local police missing-from-home co-ordinator. He said that any future missing-from-home protocols will be shared and agreed with the coordinator, if required. Leaders and managers have undertaken a review of events that led up to two young people missing without staff’s knowledge. The recommendations from this

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Requires improvement

review highlight the need for the home’s monitoring and surveillance to be improved, in order to keep young people safe. The manager is aware of these recommendations, and a date in September has been arranged for the home’s monitoring and surveillance system to be improved. In addition, the manager confirmed that bedroom door alarms would not be used unnecessarily, but based on risk. Since the last inspection, there have not been any referrals to the multi-agency safeguarding hub. All staff have received safeguarding training. However, not all staff have signed to confirm that they are aware of and understand the home’s safeguarding policy. Leaders and managers have not ensured that all staff have undertaken a fire drill. This is against the home’s policy. The manager confirmed that the policy states that staff undertake drills every three months. In addition, it was noted that there was damage to a fire door, and a fire call point was not secure. The manager took

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Requires improvement

immediate action to arrange for the repairs and a fire drill to take place. He confirmed that no young people would be admitted to the home until these repairs have been undertaken, and all staff have undertaken a fire drill. Two restraints have been recorded since the last inspection. There has been an improvement in the recording of the use of restraint. Young people now comment on any interventions that have been used. Restraint has not been used to enforce young people to comply. In addition, the manager has reviewed the home’s recording format for incidents and restraint, and considers that this will improve the scrutiny of such events. Leaders and managers have ensured that the home is safe and does not pose a risk to young people. Repairs to the home have been undertaken, and potential ligature points have been removed. A location risk assessment has been completed and identifies that the road adjoining the home is a potential hazard. Staff are

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Requires improvement

provided with guidance to ensure that the home’s gate to this road is closed when young people are accommodated. In addition, the manager said that planning permission to relocate the entrance to the home to an improved position has been applied for. The manager ensures that there is regular servicing of the home’s utilities, and that portable appliance testing is up to date.

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Inadequate

The primary reason for leadership and management to be judged as inadequate is there having been no registered manager in post since March 2015. However, since the last inspection in May 2016, a new manager has been appointed and he commenced his role on 1 August 2016. He is in the process of submitting his application to be the registered manager of the home. Leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of two significant events in the home in June 2016. The newly appointed manager is aware of this shortfall. Since his appointment and in conjunction with the head of service, the manager has completed an evaluation of the quality of care provided in the home. Leaders and managers are aware of the weaknesses and the strengths of the home, and an action plan has been developed to further improve. However, the effectiveness of the service provided to young people is dependent on leaders’ and managers’

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Inadequate

ability to sustain improvements. There continues to be regular external scrutiny by the independent visitor, and the manager acts on recommendations that are made. The home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed and is dated July 2016. This has been sent to Ofsted. The manager said that the home would be applying for a variation to reduce the number of young people to be accommodated at the home from four to three. Leaders and managers have provided staff with mandatory training and specific training, including safeguarding, de-escalation and restraint, first aid, epilepsy, fire awareness, food hygiene, self-harm and attachment. When staff have been sick or on annual leave, dates have been arranged for those staff to attend the training. The manager said that e-safety training has been arranged for all staff to attend in September 2016. The effectiveness of this training has not been tested in practice,

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Inadequate

as there have been no young people living at the home. Two of the five core staff members have undertaken the level 3 care qualification. Another staff member is expected to complete this in the very near future, and two staff members have enrolled to undertake the qualification. The manager has taken steps to ensure that staff receive regular supervision. Regular team meetings have been held, which demonstrates that staff have been supported in how to manage young people’s behaviours.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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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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