Children's home run by Leicestershire County Council in Blaby

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement 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 last inspection, the provider has identified potential shortfalls in staff practice. This has led to the suspension of four members of staff, including the registered manager, while investigations are carried out. The home’s assistant managers oversee the day-to-day running of the home in the manager’s absence, with the support of the responsible individual and oversight by senior managers. However, despite there being an improvement plan in place that is regularly reviewed, these arrangements have not enabled the functioning of the home to improve significantly. While the majority of shortfalls identified at the full inspection have been addressed, further shortfalls – particularly in relation to the quality of care young people receive – and issues relating to health and safety have been identified at this inspection, leading to a judgement of declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, six requirements and one recommendation were made. All six requirements are met. The recommendation is not met. The arrangements to ensure young people access appropriate education are improved. All the young people who currently live in the home have school placements, and staff are working with the professionals involved in one young person’s education to consider whether the education placement best meets his needs. This demonstrates that staff recognise the importance of young people’s education. While the current group of young people living at the home rarely go missing from care, there are improved systems in place for ensuring return interviews are conducted should this be a concern in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s risk assessments and placement plans are clear and regularly updated. This helps staff to understand how best to meet young people’s needs and keep them safe. However, the effectiveness of this is undermined by shortfalls in record-keeping identified at this inspection. At the last inspection, staff shortages meant young people were cared for by people they were unfamiliar with. Although the home remains short of staff following the suspension of some members of staff, the management team has worked hard to ensure young people are cared for by people who are familiar to them. There has been significantly less reliance on agency staff, which has helped to ensure better consistency of care. The admission and matching of young people at the home have improved. Managers state that they feel listened to and supported when making decisions about new young people moving into the home. A matching document is used to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

help managers recognise whether young people will be compatible with each other. Since the last inspection, Ofsted has received most of the independent visitor’s reports in a timely way. This system will be further strengthened by continued monitoring from the registered person. This better enables the regulator to monitor the current functioning of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered person was asked to ensure that sufficient recruitment checks are carried out on all persons working at the home. This shortfall has not been sufficiently addressed. The registered person has not been scrupulous in ensuring all staff who have unsupervised access to young people, including domestic staff, have been subject to relevant checks. This means there is the potential for unsuitable people to be working at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people spoken to as part of the inspection process had mixed opinions of the care they receive, with one young person giving the home ‘nine out of ten’, and another stating, ‘Staff don’t understand me.’ For the most part, young people receive appropriate levels of care. However, the provider recognised that in relation to two incidents standards of care fell below the expectations required. The registered person has taken appropriate action in referring their concerns to the designated officer for safeguarding and suspending members of staff involved, pending investigation. However, these two incidents mean young people have not had wholly positive experiences or received the personalised care they should have since the last inspection. Senior managers discussed these incidents sensitively with young people to help them understand what happened. However, records of these discussions are kept on a computer system and not on young people’s files.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all staff have access to the computer system, and records of the discussions have not informed young people’s care plans. It is therefore unclear how staff know what a young person’s current care plan is. In addition, due to the lack of records of direct work or key work with young people, it is unclear whether there is a plan in place for staff to help young people understand issues such as bullying, and racist and homophobic abuse towards their peers and staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Significant shortfalls were identified in fire safety and health and safety. Several fire doors were seen propped open. This means fire safety equipment is being used incorrectly. As a result, fire may spread more quickly and evacuation routes could be impeded in the event of a fire. In addition, overuse of extension leads means power points are overloaded, increasing the risk of an electrical fire. Other concerns were identified (none of which are the subject of a risk assessment to determine safety), relating to trailing wires, a portable heater and a loose metal fireplace grate. These shortfalls mean young people are not living in a safe environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s health is monitored and advice is sought if a young person is unwell. Staff benefit from strong working relationships with a children’s mental health worker who regularly visits the home. This helps inform staff practice. However, the administration of medication is not always safe. A medication error meant a young person received the incorrect dosage of medication for a number of days, double the amount prescribed. Once the error was realised, immediate action was taken to ensure the correct amount was administered. However, the provider’s evaluation of and response to this shortfall are not robust. The home does not have clear guidelines in place to assure the competency of staff in the safe administration of medication. In addition, there is no clear plan relating to which members of staff have undertaken medication training or when that training should be refreshed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is no accessible, coordinated workforce plan detailing any core training, further training needs or dates to indicate how frequently training should be refreshed. It is therefore unclear how the provider seeks to enable delivery of the home’s statement of purpose through the provision of skilled staff. For example, staff have not undertaken any formal training to enable them to better understand the needs of lesbian, gay or bisexual young people, despite these issues being pertinent for one young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the last inspection, managers used an improvement plan to assist them in improving the functioning of the home and the experiences of young people. The identification of poor care practice, and the subsequent suspension of staff, indicate a robust response and prioritisation of young people’s care. However, the provider had not identified all the shortfalls found at this inspection, meaning management monitoring systems are not yet good enough.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 28/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 11/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/11/2015 Full Outstanding 26/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

6. The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care, the registered provider must ensure that staff: (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. 21/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to trailing wires and overloaded electricity sockets, the registered person must ensure: (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the recording and safe administration of medicines received into the children’s home. This is with particular reference to ensuring there is a system in place to assure staff competency in the safe administration of medication. (Regulation 23(1)) 21/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of the regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties to employees), are complied with in respect of the home. This is with particular reference to taking adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) 31/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

32. Fitness of workers 21/04/2017 The registered provider must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. This includes obtaining documentary evidence that all the required checks have been obtained for all staff contracted to work at the home. (Regulation 32(3)(d))

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person should have a workforce plan which should detail processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve any core training and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) In addition, ensure that staff have a clear understanding of how to meet the needs of lesbian, gay or bisexual young people.  Ensure records kept electronically can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view them and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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 looked after children 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

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Information about this inspection

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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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