Children's home run by Pebbles Care Limited in Hyndburn

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 declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection the home has been through a very unstable period, with two young people exhibiting challenging and often risky behaviour, for example going missing together, smoking cannabis and barricading themselves in rooms. Such behaviour has impacted on their safety and well-being and exposed them to unacceptable levels of risk. As a result, six breaches of regulation have been identified in this interim inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service does not consistently promote young people’s safety. The manager and staff team do not robustly manage all known risks. As a result, they have failed to demonstrate consistently good safeguarding practice to ensure that the safety and welfare of young people are maintained at all times. There has been a lack of consistency of staff meaning that they do not know the young people and their complex needs and behaviours. The manager has failed to ensure that staff working in the home have the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to meet the needs of the young people. As a result, young people are not always supported or protected effectively. For example, not all staff have the training, qualifications or experience to meet the young people’s needs. New staff members have not yet completed behaviour management or emergency first-aid training. This means that they do not have the knowledge or skills to recognise and be alert

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

to signs that young people may be at risk. Furthermore, on occasions new members of staff had been rostered on the rota with agency staff, meaning that there was no one on shift who knew the young people well or who were adequately trained. This is not effective safeguarding practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are not making progress across all areas of their development. For example, some young people do not make educational progress and do not receive at least 25 hours of education a week. Educational records are unclear and staff do not record the actions that they take to support young people to progress or their interaction with education providers. There are no robust plans in place to help promote young people’s engagement in education. Over time this significantly impacts their future life chances.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Poor behaviour management compromises young people’s progress, safety and welfare. Inconsistent and ineffective boundaries, a relatively new staff team and staff who don’t know the young people mean that staff have not always responded effectively to behaviour. On occasions, staff have not responded to conflict appropriately and have failed to use de-escalation strategies to good effect. For example, young people barricading themselves in rooms, gaining entry to the office and having access to car keys. There is clear evidence that young people are able to identify the staff members who are not aware of how to manage them. This results in repeated incidents of challenging behaviour which staff are unable to manage safely.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been nine missing-from-home episodes since the last inspection. Records demonstrate that staff take action to ensure young people’s safe return. This includes following young people when they choose to leave the home without permission. When staff cannot account for young people’s whereabouts, staff follow individualised protocols for reporting their absence to the police, and work with the police to secure a safe return home. Staff undertake follow-up de-briefs with young people. This helps them to understand the reasons why young people choose to go missing and is a key opportunity, along with independent return interviews, to gather information and help everyone to understand the push-pull factors behind missing episodes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The current manager has been in post since December 2016. She started in the post at a point of significant difficulty within the home, with increased risk-taking behaviours among the two young people in placement. She was appointed on an interim basis and has since tendered her resignation from the post. The responsible individual has recently appointed an experienced manager to take over the running of the home. This will ensure that there is no period of the home being without a manager. The responsible individual will oversee the transition between managers and this will ensure the opportunity for a smooth transition.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does not have a system in place which ensures that the quality of care is effectively monitored and reviewed. She has not responded robustly to the recommendations of the independent visitor. For example, she has not ensured that records are reviewed and evaluated. Furthermore, the manager does not have an effective system in place to ensure that documents which inform staff’s care of young people are clearly updated and maintain appropriate information. Case files are cumbersome and poorly organised. This has a direct impact on the quality of care that each young person receives as planning is not effective and is it difficult to locate pertinent information.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In conclusion, there is a marked decline in effectiveness of this home since the last inspection. An improvement plan has been identified to try to improve safeguarding practice, encourage better outcomes for young people and promote more effective leadership. Senior managers have advised that they are in the process of recruiting experienced staff and have already recruited an experienced manager to step into the registered manager role in the very near future. This is essential given the current wide range of concerns to be dealt with in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/08/2016 Full Good 02/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/10/2015 Full Requires improvement 27/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

(1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

(i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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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

(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 possible. 06/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(v) staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to risk management and behaviour management strategies. 06/04/2017 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(vi) staff take effective action wherever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare.

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to effective implementation of agreed risk management and behaviour management strategies. 06/04/2017

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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 ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 06/04/2017

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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—

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Requirement Due date

(1)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 06/04/2017

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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—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(e) ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. 06/04/2017

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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

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

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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