Children's home in Preston

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . Since the last full inspection on 10 May 2016, the registered manager has successfully addressed the vast majority of the shortfalls. However, this inspection identified breaches of regulation relating to health and safety in the home. These have not had a negative impact on young people, but demonstrate that the home still requires improvement. Arrangements for staff training have resulted in the current staff team now having the training as outlined in the statement of purpose. This ensures that staff have the appropriate knowledge and understanding to promote young people’s welfare. Care planning for young people is significantly improved. All young people admitted to the home now have clear and detailed care plans, placement plans and risk assessments. Care plans are highly individualised. This enables staff to fully

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

promote the well-being of young people. Ofsted now receives the required documents, as required under regulation. This improvement enables the regulator to review the home’s performance. The independent monthly monitoring reports fully comply with regulation. Additionally, the registered manager has submitted the amended statement of purpose and his six-monthly monitoring reports. The locality risk assessment includes the views of relevant persons, ascertained by consultation. Records of safeguarding incidents, notifications and updates to professionals are detailed and provide an accurate account of actions taken and outcomes. Ofsted receives notifications in a timely manner. These measures ensure transparency in safeguarding practice. The registered manager has ensured that young people have access to the kitchen at all times. Staff and young people prepare nutritious meals on a daily basis. Young people confirm that they are able to prepare and eat healthy snacks in

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

between main meals. The recommendation to improve physical intervention records has not been fully met, and the records require further improvement. Physical intervention records have not consistently included the views of young people. They fail to capture the impact of the incident on the young person. The home has admitted and discharged several young people since the last inspection. Young people newly resident to the home benefit from planned transitions. Records show that managers and staff have persevered and shown commitment to work with young people who display risky and challenging behaviours. When behaviours are beyond the scope of the team to safely manage, managers and staff endeavour to provide a positive and planned move from the home for the young person. These arrangements enable young people to understand and participate in their care planning. However, admission records are incomplete and do not show up-to-date or full information, as required by

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

regulation. Currently, the home accommodates three young people. They each have education provision, good healthcare arrangements and a range of social activities. When young people have been at risk of anti-social or criminal behaviours, appropriate levels of supervision have led to a reduction in risky behaviours. Fire safety arrangements are inconsistent. The fire risk assessment does not reflect current fire risks posed by the behaviours of young people. Additionally, young people newly resident to the home do not undertake fire evacuations in line with the provider’s policy. Arrangements for ensuring the maintenance of the home are ineffective. They do not ensure that timely or good-quality repair and remedial work are completed. For example, at the time of the inspection, an electrical socket remained damaged. The maintenance book shows that this had been faulty for a period of 13 days. There was no plan to rectify the hazard. A window frame on the first floor remains

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

damaged, and there is no recorded plan to repair it. General maintenance issues included a loose stair carpet and worn floor surfaces in the games room. Additionally, there was discarded litter around the exterior of the building and on a young person’s windowsill. The furnishings of the home are not of a consistently acceptable standard. One young person who has known issues with anger management has wholly inadequate bedroom furniture. The young person does not have sufficiently robust furniture to meet his needs. Overall, the decoration of the home is variable. Superficial decoration has improved the overall appearance. However, ceilings are water marked where there have been leaks. The registered manager is clear about what immediate and long-term action needs to be taken to drive improvement.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home, registered to provide care for five children and/or young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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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12: The protection of children standard

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure:

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12: The protection of children standard

(2)(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. 27/02/2017

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12: The protection of children standard

The registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as is reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in the case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d)) 27/01/2017

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12: The protection of children standard

The registered person must ensure the home takes adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including updating the risk assessment where risks are identified. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 27/02/2017

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12: The protection of children standard

The registered person must maintain in the home, and keep up to date, the records in Schedule 4. This is with specific reference to a record in the form of a register in respect of each child. (Regulation 37(1 (2)(a)(b)) 27/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases, children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than five days after the incident of restraint (Regulation 35(3)(c)). Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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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 whom 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, 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

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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