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

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 address all the matters identified at the previous inspection that resulted in an inadequate judgement. The registered person has not met 10 of the 16 statutory requirements that were set following the full inspection on 10 August 2016. In addition, new areas of concern have been identified at this inspection.  Staffing arrangements continue to lack consistency with the absence of any full-time members of residential staff. These impact negatively upon the quality of care that young people receive. The registered person has failed to develop care planning documents. The staff team lacks direction on how to provide care and set boundaries for young people.  Risk management is poor. The registered person has failed to identify risks sufficiently to set out clear and effective preventative strategies to keep young people safe.  Risk-taking behaviour by young people is minimised. There is a lack of

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

recognition of safeguarding concerns by the registered person leading to a failure to follow policies and procedures. Consequently, safeguarding incidents are not reported to the police, and other agencies, including Ofsted.  The registered person has failed to effectively lead and manage the day-to- day operation of the home.  There is a continual failure to complete full and satisfactory checks on staff before they work at the home.  There is an absence of systems for effective monitoring of care practices. Without these, the registered person is not fully aware of the failings within the home as identified through the inspection process.

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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 In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must— (2)(c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. In particular, remove excessive signs and notices and redecorate where signs have been removed. 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. In particular, 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, report young people who go missing to the police and arrange return home interviews as specified in the policy for when young people go missing. 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must— *(2)(a) lead and manage the 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 14/10/2016 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) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in

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Requirement Due date

which the needs of children are best met; and *(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

14: The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure that children— (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home. (2)(c) The registered person must ensure that each child's relevant plans are followed.

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers (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) The requirements are 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)) 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy 14/10/2016 (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— (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— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— (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; and (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the

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Requirement Due date

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

36: Children's case records (1) The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which— (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. In particular, 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)) 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if any incident occurs as described in (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this regulation. (Regulation 40 (4)(a–e)) 27/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports (4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit 14/10/2016 (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care (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 six months. (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)) 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

47: Financial position (3) The registered person must provide HMCI with such information as HMCI may require for the purpose of considering the financial viability of the home, including— (a) the annual accounts of the home certified by an accountant; and (c) information as to the financing, and financial resources, of the home and the registered provider. In particular, the current accounts. (Regulation 47 (3)(a)(c)) 14/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a statutory requirement notice.

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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 19/01/2016 Full Requires improvement 30/03/2016 Interim Not judged 10/08/2016 Full Inadequate

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Inadequate

This inspection visit follows the inspection undertaken on 10 August 2016 when Ofsted judged this home to be inadequate. As a result of that inspection, a restriction of accommodation notice was served. This prevents any new admissions of young people to this home. Following this inspection, a further notice of restriction is issued to prevent any new placements for an additional four weeks. The manager has not sufficiently improved the quality of care at this children’s home. Ten of the statutory requirements that were set following the previous inspection remain unmet. There is a lack of urgency, and insufficient action taken, to address the numerous concerns raised. Therefore, young people remain vulnerable at this home. Care planning is weak. The registered person has not obtained a local authority care plan for one of the two young people, although the manager has requested this. In addition, the registered person has failed to ensure that staff are provided

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Inadequate

with written guidance setting out the details of how the staff team must deliver care to each young person on a day-to-day basis. Information is passed through handover meetings, staff meetings and a weekly report that takes a retrospective approach to developing strategies. In addition, the availability of each team member, the shift patterns worked and the size of the team result in serious weaknesses in the dissemination of information about the approach to take to support and care for each young person. The casual approach to staffing arrangements is unacceptable. The staff team’s ability to develop good-quality relationships with young people and provide a consistent approach to their care needs is limited. Young people are exposed to excessive numbers of adults coming in and out of the home throughout the day and night to care for them. Young people do not know which staff will be on duty on any given day.

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Inadequate

Young people are supported to attend appointments with healthcare professionals but the promotion of a healthy lifestyle is poor. The staff have a relaxed attitude to young people smoking, giving young people messages that this behaviour is acceptable. For example, pouches of tobacco on the table in the lounge were visible throughout the inspection and there has been no action taken in response to young people smoking in their bedroom. Young people are consulted about food and activities. There has been a delay in providing education for one young person and this has led to a disruption in their daily routines, resulting in them often not getting up until late in the day. A programme of support to get up earlier each day, over a week, has enabled the young person to get back into better routines and ready to do some school work. The environment has improved with some damage now repaired. Doors have been

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Inadequate

replaced and many signs and notices removed. Some redecoration should be undertaken where signs have been removed from doors. Unnecessary signage is still present, such as the certificate of registration which is displayed in the hall rather than the office, a sign on the toilet door and notices on the refrigerator to record the temperature and a reminder to keep food covered. The level of signage detracts from a homely environment.

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Inadequate

Risk management lacks depth and detail. It continues to be poor. The manager and staff fail to identify risks and therefore do not have clear preventative strategies in place for the young people. Written risk assessments fail to provide sufficient information to adequately protect young people. For example, following an incident of going missing from care, a young person’s risk level was reduced from high to low. Since the previous inspection, there have been two incidents of young people going missing from this home. The manager minimises the risk and seriousness presented by such behaviour, despite a young person being missing from care for over 48 hours. The manager fails to report young people who have gone missing to the police and other agencies such as social workers and Ofsted. Following an incident of going missing, arrangements are not routinely made for young people to have a return home interview. This poor level of practice is not in accordance

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Inadequate

with safeguarding policies and procedures. In response to young people going missing, the manager arranged for waking night staff to be present. This strategy reduces the risk of young people leaving the home during the night. The manager and staff fail to provide young people with clear boundaries. The large number of casual staff who make up the residential staff team hinder the delivery of consistent care and support. The record book of sanctions shows that young people are given a consequence after an incident of going missing. This is ineffective behaviour management which does not take into account the possibility that young people may be at risk of exploitation. In contrast, an incident of smoking in a bedroom by a young person received no sanction, despite the possible risk of fire and potential consequences for health. Since the previous inspection, the record book for sanctions has improved to have

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Inadequate

the pertinent headings so that staff may record details as required by the regulations. However, three entries in the record book have been incorrectly recorded. Staff lack the knowledge and skills to support young people with their behaviour and the manager fails to monitor behaviour management records to identify such shortfalls. There is a continued failure to adopt robust recruitment procedures. Since the previous inspection, the manager employed a consultant to audit staff personnel files. This good practice has led to the production of a single central record of staff and their suitability checks. Despite this development, recruitment records and the staff rota demonstrate that three staff members commenced working before the manager had received a second reference for each of them. Inadequate recruitment and vetting procedures place young people at risk of being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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Inadequate

Improvements towards fire safety have occurred since the previous inspection. Fire doors have suitable fittings to contain smoke and fire should there be an incident. Staff are now trained in fire safety and the manager has taken action to remedy the failures reported by the fire officer when he visited in May 2016.

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Inadequate

The manager is registered with Ofsted as the manager and the responsible person. She has experience in both social work and community work, holding a social work qualification. The manager set up this organisation to provide community support and residential care. There is a failure to lead and manage the day-to-day operation of the home effectively. The manager recognises that she is unable to adequately fulfil her dual role and is actively recruiting for a manager to enable her to take a more strategic role and remain as the responsible person for the organisation. Staffing arrangements are inadequate. Although there are some efforts to recruit new staff, there has been no change to the staffing structure since the previous inspection of 10 August 2016. A large number of staff are employed on a sessional basis. Staff work around their other jobs, picking up shifts two or three times each week. There are no full-time permanent members of staff. In addition to the

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Inadequate

manager, and a deputy, there are 13 sessional staff, five of whom work more regularly than others to provide some consistency of care for the young people. Despite this large number of sessional staff, a deputy and the manager, agency staff are also used regularly at the weekend. The manager is unable to ensure that the large number of sessional staff receive regular supervision. This level of support has occurred for some staff but not for all. The manager reports that she is aware of this shortfall. The staff rota clearly reflects the lack of any consistent working patterns for staff members. The manager fails to adequately prepare and support new members of staff despite reporting that there is an induction programme to follow. The manager has failed to monitor care practices, records and the running of the home effectively. A requirement from the previous inspection was for the manager to submit a report reviewing the quality of care covering the period from January to

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Inadequate

June 2016. The manager has yet to provide this report and continually fails to demonstrate that she has effective monitoring systems in place given the regulatory failings identified at this inspection. A monitoring visit by an independent visitor has occurred since the previous inspection, though this lacks depth and scrutiny. For example, the visit occurred in the week after a young person had been missing from the home and the report fails to identify this risk-taking behaviour. The absence of significant information within the report does not enable the independent person to form an opinion as to whether young people are effectively safeguarded. There is a continual failure by the manager to notify Ofsted of serious incidents where the safeguarding of young people is of concern. In addition, social workers report that they are not fully informed of all the incidents that concern the safety and welfare of the young people.

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Inadequate

The manager has met six of the 16 requirements from the previous inspection. This lack of progress is poor. There is an improvement with staff development through the completion of online training for fire safety, food safety, awareness of self- injurious behaviours and safeguarding. Four staff members have completed training regarding the sexual exploitation of young people with further training planned for December 2016. All staff have completed first aid training. A register is now held to record each young person that is in placement at this home and the local authority has been notified that young people are placed at this home from another local authority. The recommendations from the fire officer are met and the manager has notified Ofsted of a change of director within the company.

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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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