Children's home run by Diverse Abilities Plus Limited in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Requires improvement

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

 The interim manager did not submit her application to become registered with Ofsted within the 90 days‟ timescale. The home has now been without a registered manager in post for longer than 26 weeks.  Staff caring for young people have made errors with the medication and feeding regime.  Recruitment and vetting details provided by an employment agency for relief staff are incomplete.  The manager does not engage staff in a debriefing discussion following the use of restraint on young people.  Not all staff have received positive behaviour training, including the use of physical intervention.  Independent visitor reports are not routinely submitted to Ofsted.

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The children’s home strengths

 Young people are making good progress in their development, acquiring new skills and being enabled to try new experiences.  Young people are supported to participate actively in day-to-day decisions about their stay. They are helped to understand how the home works and what staff will do to help them.  Young people enjoy good relationships with each other and benefit from access to a range of social, educational and recreational opportunities.  Young people‟s moves into the home and to future services are effectively handled. The manager ensures that young people attending the service on the same day are suitably matched.  Young people are treated with dignity and respect. They experience care that is sensitive and responsive to their needs and disability.  Staff have a good understanding young people‟s needs. They work effectively with outside agencies and families.  All stakeholders and parents contacted had positive views on the service.

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The children’s home strengths

 The environment is decorated and equipped to a good standard. It is being further expanded and modernised.

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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

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 ensure: (1) that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— (a) helps children to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (c) ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. 31/11/2016

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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) The registered person may only— (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (a) the individual is of integrity and good character; (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; (c) the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the 31/12/2016 individual in respect of each of the matters in schedule 2. 35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

35.—(1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‟s home; and (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— (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so („the authorised person‟)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

(7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‟s report to— (a) HMCI. 31/12/2016

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a short-break residential home for children and young people with severe physical and/or learning disabilities. It is run by an independent charitable organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children or young people. Day care for children and young people is also provided.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/12/2015 Full Good 23/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/08/2014 Full Good

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Requires improvement

The overall experience and progress of young people require improvement, because of weaknesses that need to be addressed to mitigate risk for young people, also because there has not been a registered manager in post since February 2016.

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, there have been three errors when staff administered medication and two tube-feeding errors. The manager has taken appropriate action to address the shortfalls in staff‟s practice. In each instance, parents were immediately notified and consulted on the next steps. There are no reported adverse effects for young people as a result of the errors.

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Requires improvement

Young people‟s experience and progress while they stay at the home are good. Young people develop skills to deal with changes in their life and help to build their confidence. A parent stated about their child, that the home is „one of the few places that his anxiety will allow him to cope with, at present.‟ Young people learn to interact positively and, where possible, play games together. They go on days out with staff and access amenities in the community.

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Requires improvement

Young people‟s education and healthcare neds are organised by their families and social workers. Staff provide good support to these arrangements and attend young people‟s important review meetings. They are knowledgeable about each young person‟s situation and provide an essential part of their care package.

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Requires improvement

Young people‟s care plans are detailed and kept up to date. They help to provide the local authority with information about young people and their move to adult services. Care plans include the necessary health information and parental consent to support young people during their stay.

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Requires improvement

Staff have good relationships with young people. They are attentive to young people‟s wishes and sensitive to their personal care needs. Staff engage young people in activities that they enjoy, such as baking cakes, playing on the outdoor equipment and listening to music. Staff are aware of the specific likes of young people and use them as motivators to ensure that they engage appropriately and enjoy their stay.

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Requires improvement

All of the families‟ feedback was positive and full of praise for the service provided to their children. Parents trust staff and feel confident that their children are safe while attending the home. One parent commented that she is „very impressed with the care provided‟ and another reported that staff „provide a very holistic package‟. The environment is decorated and equipped to a very good standard. Each bedroom is painted as a themed room, for example „the woods‟ or „the beach‟. Young people and their parents can choose the bedrooms that they prefer. Further renovation is being carried out to another large section of the premises, which will ensure that the young people who attend for residential care have sufficient space and separation from those who attend for day and evening care.

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Requires improvement

The manager does not obtain all the necessary recruitment details for agency staff used at the home. One agency does not provide confirmation that the staff member has provided a full employment history, and the other agency does not provide a full employment history and information to establish if two satisfactory references have been obtained. Consequently, not all possible steps are being taken to ensure that only suitable individuals work at the home.

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Requires improvement

The manager does not make a record of debriefing conversations with staff following the use of physical intervention. As such, it is not evident that each incident is reviewed to discuss staff‟s practice and alternative strategies that may have been available.

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Requires improvement

There have been eight recorded uses of physical intervention since the last inspection. The majority of these are low-level guides and not physical holds. The incident details are always sent to young people‟s parents and social worker. Young people who display challenging behaviour have a behaviour management plan and the necessary risk assessments for staff to follow.

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Requires improvement

There has been one recorded incident of a young person going missing from staff‟s care. The manager conducted a thorough investigation into how this occurred, which resulted in updating staff policies and procedures. As a result, there are improved safety measures for young people during their stay.

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Requires improvement

There have been no referrals to children‟s services or the local area designated officer since the previous inspection. All senior staff based at the home complete safeguarding training with the local authority so that they are able to lead the team effectively. Staff demonstrate a good working knowledge of procedures, and the safeguarding policy has recently been updated to ensure that it is now correct.

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Requires improvement

The renovation of the premises and the relocation of young people‟s bedrooms to the ground floor have increased the protection provided to young people in the event of an evacuation or fire. All the necessary physical and environmental checks of the premises take place at the appropriate timescales. There are good arrangements for storing medication safely. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers is inadequate, because there has not been a registered manager in post for more than 26 weeks. This is also due to the interim manager not submitting an application to Ofsted to become registered within the necessary timeframe of 90 days.

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Inadequate

In response to a requirement made at the previous inspection, the home is now inspected once a month by an independent person. However, the reports have not been submitted to Ofsted since May 2016. This weakness cannot ensure effective oversight by the regulatory body.

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Inadequate

The manager does not ensure that all staff have received behaviour management training that includes using planned or emergency physical intervention. Four low- level guides or emergency physical interventions have been made by staff who have not had sufficient positive handling training. All staff require this training to ensure that they are fully trained in restrictive physical intervention, as stated in the home‟s policy.

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Inadequate

The manager can demonstrate the positive impact that attending the service has for young people. They benefit from an enriching and social environment, developing their independence as well as being given opportunities for making choices.

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Inadequate

Staff have effective relationships with parents and carers, who feel confident in leaving their child at the home and understand what the service can offer. Staff are accessible and keep parents informed about their child‟s stay. Parents and carers are able to raise complaints. The manager takes robust action to address all issues of concern which are raised or identified.

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Inadequate

The manager and staff receive regular supervision that is focused on young people‟s needs and experiences. There are sufficient staff on duty who all feel supported in their role and well managed. Team meetings regularly take place to help staff to fulfil their role and keep up to date with healthcare practices.

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Inadequate

The manager and staff work effectively with placing authorities. Social workers praise the staff‟s knowledge of young people‟s needs. One reported that „staff are helpful‟ and „they always know what they are talking about at young people‟s reviews‟. Another commented that „staff are enthusiastic‟ and „young people are always made to feel welcome‟. Placing authorities have no concerns to raise, and feel that the home is a really good service.

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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. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children‟s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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