Children's Home run by Cornerstone Children’s Homes Limited in Stockport

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Young people are making progress in some aspects of their lives. However, there was limited evidence within the home to demonstrate their overall progress and experiences since moving in.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Some compatibility risk assessments were not completed with full and accurate information, and records lack important information about young people‟s previous history and current needs.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Care planning is not consistently effective. For example, one young person did not have all of the required information.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Managers and staff have not dealt effectively with complaints from young people or members of the community.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Although a range of risk assessments are in place to address behaviours, insufficient action has been taken to ensure their review and update.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Behaviour management is not consistently implemented or reviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures used.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Physical intervention has not always been recorded.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Although safeguarding training is up to date for all staff working in the home, the effectiveness of this training has not been evaluated.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The recording systems in the home are not robust. Records are not detailed and do not show young people‟s journey. Records are not always signed and dated by the author or reviewed by the interim manager.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The safe storage and recording of medication in the home needs to be strengthened.

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The children's home strengths

 Health is promoted in the home, and young people are helped to access additional resources to support their emotional well-being.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people develop good relationships with staff.

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The children's home strengths

 There has been a reduction in the number of times that young people have gone missing and in their offending behaviour since they moved into the home.

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The children's home strengths

 Safer recruitment practices are in place to ensure that young people are cared for only by suitable members of staff.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which 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

5. Engaging with the wider system to ensure children's needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(c) if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. 04/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(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 . 04/01/2017

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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:

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Requirement Due date

(1) that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential 04/01/2017 (b) promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child (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 (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) that each child‟s relevant plans are followed. 04/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

35. Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children's home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint, which may be used in relation to children in the home. The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2)) 04/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child, which include the information and documents listed in schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 04/01/2017 37. Other records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to maintaining accurate records of staff rosters. 04/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. The registered person must also ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(3)) 04/01/2017

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. Where the home has questions or concerns about a child's medication, they should approach an expert such as a General Medical Practitioner, community pharmacist or designated nurse for looked-after children. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.15.) In particular, this relates to the safe storage and recording of controlled drugs.

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to accommodate up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

05/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Young people are encouraged to build positive relationships with staff who care for them. They live in a stable home environment and benefit from having some consistency in their lives. Staff members know the young people well, spend individual time with them and strive to promote their welfare. When young people return home from school or contact, staff spend time with them and take an interest in how their day has been. Consequently, young people are able to develop an appropriate sense of permanence and belonging. A young person said, ‟Everything about the home is good and I get rewards for being good.‟

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Requires improvement

Young people are making progress in some aspects of their lives. However, there was limited evidence within the home to demonstrate their overall progress and experiences since moving in. For example, young people‟s placement plans, education plans and health plans either were missing, not up to date or lacked detail of their specific needs and progression. Furthermore, although the home had introduced individual daily achievement books and individual assessment and target plans, these were not updated consistently to show the progression and development of young people.

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Requires improvement

Some compatibility risk assessments were not complete with full and accurate information, and records lack important information about young people‟s previous history and current needs. Furthermore, care planning is not consistently effective to meet the needs of all young people. Local authority documentation is not routinely obtained, and placement plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans lack sufficient detail to inform and guide staff practice. For example, the local authority documentation for a young person who has recently moved into the home had not been obtained. There was no evidence that staff had challenged this or requested the relevant information, which they are legally required to hold for young people. Consequently, staff are not able to show that they are following the local authority‟s plan or whether they have been able to assess effectively the risk of harm to every young person.

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Requires improvement

Health is promoted in the home, and young people are helped to access additional resources to support their emotional well-being. This includes direct contact with the home‟s own therapist. Staff provide regular updates to the therapist and other health professionals, including the local authority‟s children looked after nurse. This helps to ensure that health assessments and interventions are complete and are up to date with relevant information. However, medication is not managed effectively in the home. One young person who recently moved into the home was prescribed a controlled drug. The interim manager was unaware that this was a controlled substance and failed to take effective action to record or store it appropriately. When this was brought to the attention of the interim manager during the inspection, she took action to rectify this.

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Requires improvement

Young people benefit from therapeutic support in the home. The staff team works closely with the company psychologist to complete six-weekly assessments and action plans. Key workers focus on particular issues for the young person which are identified from the assessment, and these are the basis of key-work sessions. Topics discussed in key-work sessions include staying safe, being healthy, anger management and the importance of attending health appointments. This means that young people have their therapeutic support based on their individual needs and delivered by their key-workers, whom they know well and build positive relationships with.

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Requires improvement

In the main, young people are supported well with their education and training, and staff promote young people‟s attendance and attainment. For example, one young person successfully completed his GCSE qualifications and is focused on his future career plans. However, one young person new to the home did not have an education plan in place and some staff members were unclear about what the expectations were for the young person during the school day. This means that young people do not gain clear expectations around the need to attend education. They are also not engaging in suitable structured activities during school times to promote their education and learning.

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Requires improvement

The home is currently supporting a young person in preparing for independence. Staff have worked well with the placing authority to increase the young person‟s confidence in the community and in using public transport. His family and friends live a distance from the home and, until recently, staff have always facilitated contact. However, more recently as part of the transition planning, the young person has been encouraged and supported to travel independently by train. This is initially with staff support, but with a plan to reduce this as the young person‟s confidence increases. This encouragement and support has had a positive impact on the young person and has made him less anxious when using public transport. In addition, he has become more confident and self-assured. This is beneficial as he moves into adulthood.

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Requires improvement

Young people communicate that they feel safe in the home and in their local community. They said, „I do feel safe here,‟ and „I‟m OK living here.‟ They are confident in approaching their key workers if they are worried about anything.

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Requires improvement

Young people do not identify bullying as an issue in the home and are fully aware of the home‟s complaints procedure. However, daily care records including young people‟s meetings showed that young people had raised concerns around the behaviours of other young people within the home. In addition, a local neighbour had complained to staff about the noise levels from within the home. During the inspection, discussions took place with the interim manager who reported that she had dealt with the issues as concerns and not complaints. However, there were no records to show that effective action had been taken to manage these complaints effectively or that when concerns are raised, either by young people or others, they are responded to appropriately.

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Requires improvement

Although a range of risk assessments are in place to address behaviours, insufficient action has been taken to ensure that they are reviewed and updated. Managers have also not considered historical and current risks for new young people when they move into the home. Furthermore, strategies to safeguard the individual young person, other young people in the home and staff are not fully explored. Consequently, the acting manager cannot be assured that all staff are aware of the risks associated with behaviours or whether additional safeguards are required to reduce risks to the young person or others.

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Requires improvement

The home‟s behaviour management policy is not consistently implemented. On occasion, responses to challenging behaviour do not provide a consistent, positive message to young people. This is because it is not always clear why measures were implemented or whether they are appropriate. For example, when monetary sanctions are applied, for the repayment of damaged items, the records are conflicting on how and when this will be repaid. Records also do not show clearly that the consequences given resulted in the young person learning from their actions. Managers do not have a consistent overview of the records or their appropriateness. This does not help staff to evaluate and identify the effectiveness of the measure used in helping young people make changes to their behaviours.

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Requires improvement

Furthermore, some records of physical intervention are unclear and do not provide all relevant information. For example, the duration of the intervention and the types of holds used. In addition, staff have failed to record all restraints that have taken place. During the inspection, it was clear that this was the result of some staff members‟ lack of understanding of what constitutes a physical intervention. This is in breach of the home‟s own policies and procedures and does not demonstrate that action is being effectively taken to minimise all risks. There is also a lack of consistent oversight of all records by the interim manager. This is a missed opportunity to monitor all measures used and identify any common themes and trends to help inform practices in the home.

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Requires improvement

Although safeguarding training is up to date for all staff working in the home, the effectiveness of this training has not been evaluated. Some staff spoken to during the inspection did not demonstrate a clear knowledge base of serious safeguarding issues, such as child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and self-harmful behaviours. This does not demonstrate that all staff members are fully equipped with the knowledge and skills to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns so that they can protect young people from risks to their welfare.

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Requires improvement

There are clear strategies in place to follow when young people go missing from care. Staff members are all fully aware of the procedures in place and respond appropriately when young people are absent without permission, as well as when young people are reported as missing from care. They take appropriate steps to escalate concerns, using the emergency duty team, allocated social worker and line managers. If appropriate, parents were also updated about all incidents. However, records do not always provide a full account of the incident, actions taken by staff, or details about the young person‟s return, including whether an independent return interview had been undertaken. This is a missed opportunity to gather useful information about the reasons why young people are going missing and to use any learning from these episodes to further reduce risks and ensure young people‟s safety.

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Requires improvement

The home has continued to develop positive networks with a wide range of agencies and professionals. For example, staff work closely with local authority designated officers, social workers, police and independent reviewing officers. There is regular communication about safeguarding issues, for example allegations about staff. This takes place in a timely way, sharing all relevant information. When staff had been moved from another home within the organisation to this home as part of an investigation, the interim manager informed inspectors that a full and detailed comprehensive risk assessment and direct support plan were compiled and shared with senior staff on shift. However, in one instance this had not occurred and senior shift leaders, who were identified as the support mechanism for a staff member, were not made aware of the agreed support plan. This leaves young people and staff vulnerable and does not follow the home‟s own safeguarding

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Requires improvement

A suitably qualified and experienced interim manager, supported by a deputy manager, is managing the service. The interim manager is the registered person for another service within this company and her application to register with Ofsted for this service has been submitted. Staff rosters and the home‟s logbook indicate that the interim manager does not spend sufficient time at the home to enable her to be effectively in day-to-day charge. Staff said, „She spends more time at the other home but she is available by phone.‟ Her responsibility for two homes is affecting her availability at this home, which, in turn, is compromising how the home fulfils its aims and objectives as outlined in the home‟s statement of purpose.

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Requires improvement

Although the interim manager demonstrates an understanding of young people‟s individual needs, shortfalls in care planning have compromised staff members‟ ability to respond effectively to young people‟s full range of needs. The monitoring and recording systems do not clearly document young people‟s starting points, which, in turn, impede how their progress is accurately appraised. Furthermore, documents are not consistently signed or dated by the author of the entry.

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Requires improvement

Staff are suitably qualified or working towards gaining the relevant qualification in children‟s residential services. Staff receive regular supervision that considers the needs of each young person and enables staff to reflect on their practice. Supervision records provide clear evidence of staff discussing practice regularly. However, not all records are signed and dated by the supervisor or supervisee. A member of staff said, ‟I receive regular supervision that allows me to talk about the young people, my practice and lessons learned, which I find really helpful.‟ In addition, staff are able to access therapeutic support relating to their work and any personal issues from the company psychologist. As a result, staff receive regular support to manage their personal and professional development.

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Requires improvement

Staff receive regular training to enhance their knowledge and skills. Despite this, some staff members were unable to identify or articulate the learning they have taken from the training or state how the training had influenced their practice. For example, despite attending child exploitation training, some staff were unable to identify the risk factors or their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting young people who were at risk of exploitation. The manager is not routinely evaluating the training provided to staff or the impact that it has on staff members‟ learning. As a result, staff members are not fully equipped with the relevant knowledge, understanding and skills to protect young people from all potential harm.

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Requires improvement

The monitoring and auditing systems in the home are not yet effective. Monitoring by the interim manager does not identify areas for development or identify strategies for continued improvement. For example, internal monitoring failed to identify the shortfalls raised at this inspection, such as ineffective monitoring of young people‟s progress and missing care plans from young people‟s files. Additionally, there is limited evidence to indicate that the manager or staff are challenging placing authorities when they do not provide care plans or other essential documents.

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Requires improvement

Professionals report positive relationships with the home. A social worker said, „I receive regular updates from the home and have developed a good relationship with the interim and deputy managers.‟ Records confirmed that staff do have regular contact with professionals to share information on young people, which promotes partnership working.

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Requires improvement

The home‟s statement of purpose has been updated to reflect the changes in the home, such as new staff. However, a copy has not been sent to Ofsted as required.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against „Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection‟.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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 looked after children and child protection.

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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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