Children's Home run by Young Foundations Limited in Darlington

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted brought forward this inspection due to receiving 37 notifications from the home since the last full inspection, a number of which were in relation to allegations against staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the full inspection, the home has experienced an unsettled period due to staffing vacancies, including the deputy manager post. This has now been recruited to but has only recently been filled. The result of the disruptions has been a lack of a coordinated, proactive response to issues within the home. Young people have not progressed overall due to a lack of leadership from trained and supported staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Throughout the inspection, there was evidence of discrepancies in records and a lack of management oversight. In addition, there was evidence that policies and procedures in terms of reporting incidents were not being followed consistently. An allegation was noted in incident records that had not been notified to Ofsted. The impact is that the regulator is unable to determine if appropriate action has been taken.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In some cases, young people’s needs were identified in relevant reports prior to their admission to the home, but these were not fully transferred to plans for their continuing care. None of the four young people admitted since the last inspection were in education, the earliest being admitted in June. In addition, there were no plans in place to meet educational needs by the staff, so daily routines had not been established. The impact of this for young people is that they will experience difficulty developing a routine once placements are identified, increasing the risk of absences.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are at risk from a lack of appropriate and effective risk assessments. Notably, impact risk assessments, while identifying individual risks, did not correlate to potential shared risks of those already resident. This limits the ability of staff to manage the risks presented effectively. In addition, the property was undergoing major repair, with significant use of scaffolding and potentially dangerous equipment. The event had been ongoing for a number of days. However, this had not been risk assessed by the manager, leaving young people vulnerable.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recruitment practice is robust. However, there are no induction records or training plans to verify that induction had taken place for staff, including senior staff acting up in the deputy role. Records of supervision are insufficient to guide practice and sessions are not held regularly enough. The result is that young people with complex needs have their behaviour managed and responded to through inconsistent practice. The level of disruption and the number of allegations made against staff are evidence of this inconsistency. The result is that young people are unsettled, although individuals are making progress in some areas of their lives. A social worker said, ‘Staff are very insightful and nurturing around (name’s) needs.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is a continued failure by the registered manager to monitor and scrutinise the practice and records of the home fully. The local authority in which the home is based has not been notified that young people from outside the area have been admitted to the home in two cases. This limits the ability of the local authority to protect and provide services to the young people. There has been no report prepared that reviews the quality of care being provided, as required by regulation. The resulting impact is that the registered manager and registered individual do not have a clear, competent view of the practice and how to address shortfalls.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered individual and manager have not progressed sufficiently with the requirements and recommendations of the previous full inspection. Supervision practice has not improved and training for staff, while it has occurred, has been online and does not give staff sufficient training and development to address the needs of the young people. The training matrix was out of date and therefore relevant updates of mandatory training could not be succinctly tracked.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company and provides care and accommodation for up to five young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities and/or mental disorders.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/05/2016 Full Good 29/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/06/2015 Full Good 03/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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

8. In order to meet the education standard so that children make measurable progress towards achieving educational potential and are helped to do so. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans; (ii) support each child's learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; (vi) maintain regular contact with each child's education and

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Requirement Due date

training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to maximise the child's achievement; (vii) raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's education or training provider and the child's placing authority; (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; (ix) help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child's relevant plans; and (b) that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities

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Requirement Due date

and resources to support the child's learning. 02/12/2016 12: In order to meet the protection of children standard so that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe, in particular with reference to risk assessing, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (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; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health; 02/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: In order to meet the leadership and management standard, in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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 which the needs of children are best met; 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— (a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; (b) ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation; (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. Regulation 33(1)(a)(b)(4)(b) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person 11/11/2016 working there; (d) a child protection enquiry involving a child — (i) is instigated; or (ii) concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (5) A notification made under this regulation— (a) must include details of— (i) the matter; (ii) the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and (iii) any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the

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Requirement Due date

matter; (b) must be made or confirmed in writing. Regulation 40 (4)(5)(a)(b) The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children's home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (2) The registered person is not required to notify the local authority in paragraph (1) if that local authority is also the placing authority for the child in question. (3) A notification under this regulation must be in writing and must state— (a) the child's name and date of birth; (b) whether the child is provided with accommodation under section 20 or 21 of the Children Act 1989(a); (c) whether the child is subject to a care or supervision order under section 31 of the Children Act 1989(b); (d) the contact details for— (i) the child's placing authority; and (ii) the independent reviewing officer appointed for the child's

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Requirement Due date

case; and (e) whether the child has an EHC plan or a statement of special educational needs and, if so, details of the local authority with responsibility for the EHC plan or for maintaining the statement of special educational needs. Regulation 41(1)(2)(3) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. (2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, 21/11/2016 reviewing and evaluating— (a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). (4) The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

(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; and (b) make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (5) The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. Regulation 45 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications) - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance - detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see

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Recommendations

regulation 33 (4)(b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The home’s staff should recognise and celebrate the achievements of their children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.7)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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

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