Children's home SC022729

This monitoring visit

The home has had no children on its roll since 25 June 2015. On 8 January 2016, the responsible person informed Ofsted that the registered manager had resigned his registration on 31 December 2015. The responsible person has not informed Ofsted of the appointment of a new manager for this setting. Due to the fact that it was difficult to organise access to this home, telephone contact occurred with a member of staff who did not explain that he is the acting manager. He said that he could not facilitate a visit to the home and suggested this be arranged with the responsible individual. Telephone contact was attempted and messages were left with the responsible individual in order to organise this access. The responsible person asked for the visit to occur later in the week. However, he eventually agreed to be there at 4pm on Tuesday 31 January 2017 to provide access to the home. Neither the responsible person nor the acting manager informed Ofsted that

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This monitoring visit

a child was placed in the home. Two notifications received that day indicated that a child was in the home and the inspector brought the visit forward. The responsible person did not come to the home, despite having agreed to attend at 4pm. The current acting manager has commenced staff supervision and has a supervision plan in place for all staff. Records show that he is providing suitably thorough support to staff. There is no evidence of staff training and the acting manager said that this has not yet occurred. The acting manager could not show evidence of staff training in safeguarding; the use of restraint; first aid; the control of medicines; food hygiene; and other key areas. The acting manager has a list of staff who are trained as fire wardens. However, neither the training records nor the certificates were accessible during the inspection. During the inspection, it was not possible to view records on the child’s behaviour,

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This monitoring visit

daily routine, absences from the home, sanctions or rewards. Staff recruitment records, training records, the staff rota and the workforce development plan were not available when requested. It is therefore not possible to judge whether staff have the necessary experience, qualifications or skills to do their jobs. Due to the lack of access to recruitment records, it was not possible to verify that the registered person thoroughly checks all staff who are appointed and that they are suitable people to work with children. The young person has a daily plan of action. However, he is not yet engaging in this. There is no education programme in place for him and none has been planned by the placing local authority. The care plan says that he should have three hours of education each week and the daily planner states that he should have three hours each day. The acting manager has suggested to the placing authority that

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This monitoring visit

they approach a local specialist project more suited to the young person’s stated interests. This has not yet happened and the young person is not engaging in any education. The records on episodes of missing from carewere not available due to difficulties with the online system. However, the acting manager said that the young person had gone missing ‘about four times in ten days’. On two of these occasions, police arrested him for serious crimes in the community. The registered person did not inform HMCI of these incidents in a timely manner. Staff in the home are failing to provide appropriate boundaries to keep the young person and others safe. The failure to notify HMCI promptly weakens the effectiveness of this safeguard for children accommodated in the home. Police arrested the young person again on the night of this inspection. The assessment of the suitability of the location, independent person’s reports, and

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This monitoring visit

portable appliance test record were not available. The test records for gas safety and electric plant were significantly out of date. The acting manager has put in place effective fire safety procedures and a thorough walk-around health and safety check list, both of which he has carried out. Despite the acting manager’s thorough actions, he could not evidence that gas and electric equipment and portable appliances are safe. The responsible person e-mailed an updated statement of purpose during the inspection. This provided details of the appropriate person to contact with a complaint. However, the link to safeguarding policy led to an out-of-date policy that was due for review in 2015. The policy included contact details for staff who no longer work for the company and does not include all guidance required to keep children safe. There was noexplanation of how a person, body or organisation involved in the care or protection of a child can access the home’s child protection

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This monitoring visit

policies or the behaviour management policy.. The registered person has not ensured that an independent person visits the home at least once a month and has not sent a report on a visit since the visit that took place on 30 June 2016. The visitors’ book contains a record of visits up until October 2016, but the acting manager could not produce the reports from these visits. This important check on the continuing suitability of the setting to accommodate children has therefore not been made available to HMCI. There has not been a registered manager for this setting since 31 December 2015. The acting manager has not completed his registration with Ofsted, despite having submitted the initial application on 14 July 2016. In particular, the acting manager has not supplied a reference from his last employer. The failure of the acting manager to apply successfully to register removes the ability of the regulator to

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This monitoring visit

determine if the applicant is a fit person to manage the home. Risk assessments are inconsistent. They do not accurately record the young person’s risks and do not always match the information contained in the care plan. The care plan includes significant and confusing differences as well as assessments of the level of risk, which are in conflict with the evidence. The poorly constructed risk assessments and care plan compromise the safe care of the young person. The acting manager has improved the ambience in the home and has created a warm and welcoming environment. The young person has suitable furnishings in his room. The kitchen has a good range of fresh healthy food and the young person has access to drinking water, fruit juice and hot drinks. The young person is not yet involved in learning self-help skills. The acting manager has registered the young person with local health services including an optician, a general practitioner and a dentist. The young person has

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This monitoring visit

not yet attended any healthcare appointments, although the manager has appointments booked for checks at the dentist and the optician. The young person was at a youth offender team meeting during the inspection and did not return following this. A meeting the following day to gain his views could not occur as police had arrested him for attempted burglary and were holding him in custody. The acting manager is providing a comfortable setting for the young person. However, boundaries are ineffective and the young person has continued to offend, is going missing from the home and has not engaged with staff.

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home may only provide care and accommodation for up to three young people. The home may provide care for young people who display emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— (a) HMCI. (Regulation 44(1)&(7)(a)) 20/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

(2) If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— (a) the name of the person so appointed; and (b) the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(2)(a)&(b)) 20/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

(1) A person may only manage a children’s home if— (a) the person is of integrity and good character; (b) having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from disability) of the children— (i) the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and (ii) the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and (c) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has— (a) within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children; 01/04/2017 (b) worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and (c) by the relevant date, attained— (i) the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 5 Diploma’); or (ii) a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

(3) The relevant date is— (a) in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or (b) in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017.

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the person— (a) does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period; or (b) manages, or has managed, a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 28(1) to (4)) 12. The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard and in particular to ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe the registered provider must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

(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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so 20/02/2017 as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are

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Requirement Due date

located so that children are effectively safeguarded; (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; and (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner— (b) the children’s guide; (d) the policy for safeguarding children (see Regulation 34); (e) the policy for preventing bullying (see Regulation 34); (f) the missing child policy (see Regulation 34); (g) the behaviour management policy (see Regulation 35); (h) records of the use of measures of control, discipline or restraint (see Regulation 35); (j) other records (see Regulation 37); (k) the procedure for considering complaints (see Regulation 39); (l) records of complaints (see Regulation 39);

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Requirement Due date

(m) the independent person’s reports (see Regulation 44); (n) quality of care reviews (see Regulation 45); (o) annual reviews of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home’s premises (see Regulation 46). (Regulation 38(a) to (o)) 20/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (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 matter; (b) must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40(4)(b)&(e)(5)(a)&(b)) 20/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

6. The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality of care standard and in particular to 20/02/2017 ensure that care plans are accurate and provide staff with the necessary information to meet the young person’s needs as identified in his local authority care plan, the registered provider must ensure that staff: (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s

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Requirement Due date

background; (ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. . 8. The education standard In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to ensuring that young people are provided with educational provision appropriate to their needs, the registered provider must ensure 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; (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 20/02/2017 possible; (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 and resources to support the child’s learning. (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (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).

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Requirement Due date

(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 individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England)(‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

(5) The relevant date is— (a) in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or (b) in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (6) The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— (a) does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or (b) works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time 20/02/2017 basis.

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Requirement Due date

(7) The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if— (a) the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete; (b) full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2; (c) the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and (d) the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

(8) The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32(1) to (8))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation: Ensure that the statement of purpose indicates how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in its care. In particular, make sure that the statement of purpose includes details of how a person, body or organisation involved in the care or protection of a child can access the home’s child protection policies or the behaviour management policy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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 home since their last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. 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 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

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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