Children's Home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Nottinghamshire

This monitoring visit

Ofsted was informed of concerns from the police about the care provided to young people at this service. This monitoring visit was undertaken to assess whether young people were being protected in line with the regulations. Some regulatory requirements made at the last inspection were not fully inspected during this monitoring visit and therefore remain. Following this monitoring visit, one further requirement has been raised about leadership and management, which has been escalated to a compliance notice. Moreover, one requirement from the last inspection, relating to the safety of young people, has been escalated to a compliance notice. Young people have not been kept safe since the last inspection on 6 December 2016. Issues regarding young people’s safety were raised at the last inspection, yet sufficient action has not been taken to protect young people since then. Young people have continued to put themselves at risk and staff have been unable to

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This monitoring visit

support them to improve their behaviour. Young people feel unsafe and are unsafe, and the level of risk that they face at the home is high. Young people have engaged in risk-taking behaviours such as barricading themselves in bedrooms and going missing. One young person recently told staff that they had been hit by a car when they were missing and under the influence of alcohol. One young person has recently used a ligature to self-harm. There is a volatile relationship between some young people at the home, and they have also injured each other. All staff spoken with agree that the mix of young people living at the home has led to young people being unsafe. The current mix of young people is stated by staff to be ‘toxic’. One staff member said: ‘I fear that something is going to happen, no matter how many warnings, and it might be something massive.’ The police also raised concerns to Ofsted and to placing social workers about the mix of young

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This monitoring visit

people. They stated that it is ‘only a matter of time until there is a serious incident’. During the inspection, two social workers confirmed that young people have not been kept safe. Their comments include: ‘They can’t be safe together; they have gone missing, stolen cars, alcohol, drugs’, and ‘XX is not safe since the time she’s been there. I have had lots of concerns.’ One young person in placement told the inspector that they felt unsafe around the other young people. The manager showed the inspector a letter written in December from another young person. In this letter, the young person clearly indicated that they were struggling to cope with the dynamics at the home, explaining the negative impact that this had had on them. The registered manager and organisation have failed to take swift enough action to protect young people sufficiently, and young people’s views about their own safety have not been responded to quickly enough.

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This monitoring visit

While staff have done their best to manage young people’s behaviour, they confirm that their approach has been inconsistent. Their comments include: ‘We tend to look at it like it’s survival’, ‘staff are not experienced, they are crumbling’ and, ‘there are too many inconsistencies’. Staff’s ineffectiveness with regard to how they manage young people’s behaviour has been allowed by managers to continue, promoting a feeling of helplessness in the staff team. Staff clearly do not know how to stop young people’s risk-taking behaviours. The registered manager and the organisation have failed to lead staff effectively through this unsafe situation. Consequently, young people’s risk-taking behaviours have continued.

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This monitoring visit

Two social workers reported that young people had told them that they have both been sleeping in one young person’s bedroom. This behaviour has also been observed by the police. One staff said: ‘This has been happening almost every night since 21 December’. Staff feel powerless to manage this and other risk- taking behaviours, such as young people barricading themselves in bedrooms on numerous occasions.

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This monitoring visit

The manager demonstrated that she has made efforts to work with one young person’s placing authority to end their placement. She explained that the local authority has been ineffective in finding a new placement, hence the young person is ‘drifting’ and remaining unsafe. However, it is nine weeks since the last Ofsted inspection at which concerns were raised, yet the situation remains the same.

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This monitoring visit

During the inspection, a young person was observed to produce a naked flame from a lighter. Their risk assessment clearly states: ‘Should not have a lighter around the house.’ The risk assessment also documented previous fire-starting risks with regard to this young person. Appropriate action was not taken by staff to protect this young person. All those who use the building are at risk of harm due to fire, because staff do not consistently follow risk assessments. One young person’s bedroom was found to be unsafe. The manager told the inspector that it ‘was not fit for humans’. There was a large hole through to the bathroom. The edges of the hole were sharp, where tiles were broken. Plasterboard, tiles, screws and other debris remained on the floor. There were trailing wires across the floor from an extension lead. The young person is at risk from these hazards, should they trip or stand on something sharp. The young

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This monitoring visit

person had slept in the bedroom while it was in this condition during the previous night. Social workers reported that contact visits are not well managed. One young person was taken to a friend’s address rather than to the meeting place that the social worker had agreed. Another young person was taken to an address without the staff making a background check, and the young person went missing upon their arrival. Staff do not appear to understand what they must do to ensure that young people remain safe. Generally, the staff team is inexperienced, and many work at the home only for a maximum of four months. One member of staff reported that they are ‘not experienced and struggling to cope’. Staff are struggling to deal with the level of significant incidents at the home, and leaders and managers have failed to take appropriate action to rectify this.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned, and provides care and accommodation to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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 protection of children standard, the registered person must: (2)(a)(v) ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. 10/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

* 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must: 2(b) ensure that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and protect each child effectively from harm. 10/03/2017

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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 is required to: (1)(b) enable, inspire and lead a culture that promotes young people’s welfare. 10/03/2017

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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: (2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 10/03/2017 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 is required to: (2)(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.

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to decision making and reflection in relation to placement matching. 10/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to ensuring that risk assessments are promptly updated after significant incidents and that the records of daily logs are detailed. 10/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that the home is a homely and domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

This is in particular relation to decorating the annex in the back garden, and the main building entrance, landing and hallway.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

to 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

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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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