Children's home 1220818

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 .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is no longer working at the home. This is a change since the last inspection. An interim manager is in place and is in day-to-day charge of the home. Another manager from within the organisation supports this person. These arrangements are still new but are influencing some positive changes. There has been some progress in meeting the shortfalls from the August 2016 inspection. The majority of requirements have been met, although there remain some areas in need of further improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, three young people have come to live at the home. The management ensured that compatibility with existing young people was partly considered. However, this compatibility process is not yet fully effective. This is because the staff‟s skills and abilities are not formally considered when considering placements. Furthermore, the compatibility process used by the management relies on a number-based system which does not allow for evaluation of potential risks, or full explanation of how these will be mitigated. This means that the system is not easily understood, or translated into a format that enables the staff to be aware of potential areas of conflict between young people. This is a repeated requirement from the August 2016 inspection. A further repeated requirement relates to ensuring that all files are up to date. Some young people‟s files still do not contain the required information, although the management team is actively

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

sourcing this information from placing authorities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of sanctions is appropriate and fairly applied. However, the staff team are inconsistent in their recording of sanctions. This means that the use of these measures is not fully evaluated or considered by the management in the home. Restraint recording has improved, and restraint is used only as a last resort when all other attempts to manage behaviour have been attempted. The recording of incidents are, on the whole, improved. There has been one occasion where a potential injury to a young person was not accurately recorded and so was not considered when a further incident took place. There was no demonstrable impact on the young person as a result. Young people report that they feel safe in the home and have no concerns. Education has, for some young people, improved since the last inspection. However, not all young people have appropriate educational arrangements in place. The staff team is making some attempts to provide routine and consistency

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

where young people are without a school place. These attempts are negatively affected because there are no clear plans or expectations. This results in inconsistency and a continuing failure to ensure that all young people have clear routines for educational attendance. Where young people have not attended school for some time, prior to being placed at the home, there have been no attempts to ascertain any underlying causes or factors. As a result, the educational progress of all young people is not yet good enough.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a reduction in significant incidents in the home. This can, in part, be attributed to a more settled and consistent staff team. The staff are clear in their roles and responsibilities, and call the police only when other options have been exhausted. Staff are now better guided, and new training packs, including details of how to provide effective key working support, are now being used. It is too early to evaluate the full impact of these changes. However, staff report that the home is making improvements and that they are clearly supported. Young people express similarly positive views: „Since I have moved here, I have got to like it. The staff are alright, it is fair‟ and, „I like it here‟. Social workers also report positive views about the home: „The young person looks to the staff for reassurance and I can see that he is growing as a young person due to the environment he is in.‟

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Information about this children’s home

A large national provider operates this privately owned children‟s home. It is registered to provide care for five young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The statement of purpose states the service will maintain no more than a four-year gap between the oldest and youngest children.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 25/07/2016 Monitoring N/A 18/07/2016 Monitoring N/A

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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

In order to meet the education standard the registered person must ensure that staff— (2)(a)

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Requirement Due date

(iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and

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Requirement Due date

(iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, with particular reference to planning and admissions, the registered person must ensure— (2)(b)

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Requirement Due date

(i) that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and that these are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate that a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home‟s workforce plan. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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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 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 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, 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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