Children's Home run by Longdon Hall School Limited in Staffordshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . At the last inspection, Ofsted raised five requirements and one recommendation. The registered manager has taken sufficient action to address four of the requirements along with the one recommendation. The fifth requirement remains outstanding and Ofsted has made one additional requirement and one further recommendation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has addressed the education requirement that was raised at the last inspection. This related to making sure that older young people accessed suitable post-16 learning opportunities. As part of a well-planned and successful move to alternative accommodation, the young person who had been most affected by this shortfall has now left the home. Prior to the young person’s discharge, the registered manager worked in partnership with education professionals and specialist college placements. This meant that the young person was able to access a suitable provision and receive the bespoke support that they needed in order to make good educational progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have now completed appropriate safeguarding training and understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to this area of practice. This is because the registered manager assesses their knowledge and awareness of safeguarding and child protection issues during regular formal supervision sessions. Furthermore, team meetings are used to review any potential safeguarding considerations that may increase young people’s risk of harm. This comprehensive approach to identifying risk factors promotes young people’s safety and welfare.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in the use of physical restraint. Staff keep detailed records of these events. These documents demonstrate that this measure of control is necessary and is only used as a last resort to protect young people from harm. However, the registered manager has not signed these records to endorse their accuracy. Furthermore, records do not consistently confirm that young people and staff participate in debrief sessions after such events occur. This potentially hinders the registered manager’s ability to effectively monitor and evaluate all incidents of physical restraint. Internal and external monitoring systems have improved since the last inspection. Ofsted now receives the independent person’s review report within a suitable timescale. These reports include necessary comment relating to young people’s safety and welfare. The registered manager incorporates the content of these

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

reports into the home’s development plan and uses this information to review the quality of care that is provided by the home. However, the quality of care review report does not accurately reflect the service. This is because the registered manager does not focus her evaluation and analysis of the service on the strengths and weakness of the home. This is detrimental to the home’s capacity for continued improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has reviewed and revised the risk assessment that is in place in order to determine the suitability of the location of the home. This means that staff are able to consider potential risks in the community and surrounding areas when they carry out young people’s individual risk assessments. This promotes young people’s welfare and well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, all eligible staff had yet to attain the mandatory qualification for their role. The registered manager has not addressed this shortfall because not all staff have completed this course as required.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to make good progress in this home because staff provide personalised care and support. Internal care plans reflect young people’s specific needs, their vulnerabilities and their personal goals and wishes. Young people are encouraged to set their own targets and strive to reach their full potential. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements through verbal praise and personal rewards. This enhances their confidence and self-esteem and supports their journey to adulthood.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company owns and operates this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/05/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2015 Full Requires improvement 21/01/2015 Full Good

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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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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The registered person must ensure that the individual has attained the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’) or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, to 1st April 2016, or the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 01/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure; has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(b)(i)(ii)(c) 01/05/2017

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person is responsible for deciding what each quality of care review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing-from-care episodes or exploitation. They will also consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. There is no expectation that the registered person will review the home against every part of the quality standards every six months. Registered persons should use their professional judgement to decide which factors to focus on. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions that will be

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Recommendations

required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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 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 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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