Children's home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Cheltenham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged as declined effectiveness at the last inspection. The last inspection was an interim inspection. A notice was also issued restricting accommodation from 8 December 2016 until 2 March 2017 inclusive. At this inspection, Ofsted judges that the home has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Several young people have left the home since the last inspection. For some this move was well-planned. Other young people left the home quickly. Overall, this was appropriate given their needs. When possible the registered manager has offered ongoing support. One parent stated, ‘Even now, the registered manager is there for me.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The number of serious incidents has significantly decreased. This is partly due to a number of young people moving out of the home. However, the registered manager has also taken steps to strengthen the staff team and improve some aspects of the service provided. His oversight has improved and he has made sure that all staff now have clear guidance about their role and his expectations. As a result, the registered manager has met the majority of the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. This includes tackling issues related to staff training, admissions procedures, education, staff consistency, and some aspects of safeguarding.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person currently living in the home is making good progress. He talked positively about his care and the improvements he has witnessed. He stated, ‘The home is definitely getting better. The registered manager has been making improvements.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff have developed good relationships with some other agencies, including social care. One social worker highlighted this commenting, ‘The registered manager is very proactive… This is one of the best placements that I work with.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite these improvements, this inspection identified a number of shortfalls. The home’s day-to-day care routines still do not always afford some young people sufficient support. Specifically, on two occasions staff did not adequately supervise young people at night. This allowed the young people to access each other’s bedrooms. In addition, during these incidents staff did not take effective action to support a young person who stated he was leaving the home. Although this did not happen, the lack of intervention could have encouraged the young person to leave. In addition, at one point a young person refused to turn the volume on his television down. Two members of staff chose to turn off the electric supply to his room. This is excessive and unreasonable. Furthermore, the record of this incident is unclear because, for example, it fails to show when the power was restored. These incidents evidence that some staff do not understand how children's

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through their behaviour. This affects the relationships between some staff and some young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall, there are improvements to the support that staff receive and the guidance available to them. However, the registered manager did not provide the staff involved in these incidents with adequate supervision in a timely way. This denied staff of the opportunity to reflect, understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of the young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all staff have the skills or confidence required to support young people to explore personal, sexual and social relationships. Staff have not assessed what support would be appropriate in relation to a young person’s age and understanding. This has resulted in one young person experiencing a delayed response when he expressed a wish to talk about these issues, which are important to him.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager makes sure that young people are actively consulted. Responses to any complaints are generally thorough and detailed. In contrast, on one isolated occasion there was a significant delay before the registered manager responded to a young person’s complaint. This complaint was about the conduct of a member of staff. As a result, the registered manager failed to take the young person’s views, wishes and feelings into account.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and review systems have improved significantly overall. The registered manager is more aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. A manager from another service has also completed a ‘peer audit’ of the home. However, the feedback and report from this visit have not yet been shared. This delay does not allow the registered manager to make the best use of the information gathered. In addition, the registered manager is yet to complete a formal quality of care review since the last inspection. Because of this, he has failed to address the shortfalls raised previously in this area. Specifically, previous reports do not adequately monitor, review and evaluate the quality of care provided. In addition, they do not ascertain or consider the opinions of young people, their parents, placing authorities and staff. Improvements in other monitoring processes and engagement with young people, families and other professionals significantly

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most staff are appropriately trained and qualified. However, one member of staff has not completed the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare or a suitable equivalent within the required timescales. The registered manager has plans in place to tackle this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has improved the decor in several areas of the home. This includes the lounge. He has identified that additional work is required to create a homely atmosphere. This improves work to some bedrooms and the shower room. Progress in this area has been slow. A recommendation has been made to complete the work that has been identified.

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/05/2016 Full Good 25/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/06/2015 Full Requires improvement

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

7. The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard, with particular reference to complaints, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(c) children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives. 17/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful

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Requirement Due date

(ix) understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children

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Requirement Due date

(x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. 17/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(vi) staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare 17/03/2017 (b) the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. The registered person must ensure that no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) is used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19(1)) 17/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any individual who works in the home in a care role has achieved the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(5)(a)) 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(2)(a)) 17/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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(5)) 17/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that, for the home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children, it is homely. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15 paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that the registered person actively seeks independent scrutiny of the home and makes best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 55 paragraph 10.24)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 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 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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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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