Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Manchester

Inspector Sharon Lloyd

This monitoring visit . At the interim inspection on 14 February 2017, the home had declined in effectiveness. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the home’s progress in meeting the requirements made for improvement. The home has taken steps to meet most of the requirements, but more needs to be done. A copy of the updated statement of purpose has been sent to Ofsted, with an explanation of what changes have been made. This enables Ofsted to maintain an overview of the home’s aims, facilities and staffing. The independent monitoring reports of the home have improved in that the visitor gives their view about whether or not the home is effectively safeguarding children. However, the document lacks analysis and the visitor does not give an opinion as to whether the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. Further improvements need to be made to ensure that this is a valuable document that supports the provider to assess the quality of care.

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Inspector Sharon Lloyd

The manager has completed a review of the quality of care and submitted a copy of her report to Ofsted. This was two months overdue. It does not review and evaluate the feedback and opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities or staff about the home, its facilities and the quality of care that they receive. Although the report shows that some children have not made progress, it does not provide good evaluation of the quality of care and how this has impacted on children. This means that the report does not provide a good evaluation of the quality of care. This hampers the provider’s ability to clearly understand what improvements are required. A requirement to protect children’s health and welfare by ensuring that any risks to an asthmatic child’s health are carefully assessed has not been met. The child whose health was at risk was discharged from the home two weeks after the inspection. Her records are no longer at the home but there is no evidence in

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Inspector Sharon Lloyd

team meeting records to show that the arrangements for storing the child’s rescue medication, which meant that she did not have access to it during frequent periods of being missing, had been agreed by a medical practitioner. Staff still do not have a good understanding of the need for an asthmatic child to have access to their inhalers when they are out in the community. The home has not taken sufficient action to address this requirement. This potentially compromises the health of a child who is missing or absent from home. Much has been done to improve the standard of the home’s environment. The lounge carpet has been cleaned and no longer emits an unpleasant odour. Most of the home has been redecorated and refurnished so that it provides more pleasant and homely accommodation. The all-round standard of cleanliness has improved. The shower above the bath has been repaired so that children and staff can now

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Inspector Sharon Lloyd

use this shower. The toilet seat has been repaired and the shower room is cleaner and fresher. The shower in the shower room is still out of use but the unpleasant odour from the drains in that room has been addressed. The drains in the staff bathroom on the ground floor continue to emit an unpleasant odour. More needs to be done to ensure that children and staff have access to appropriate bathing and toilet facilities. Outdoors, the overflow pipe is still dripping onto the footpath, causing a large pool of water. This remains a potential hazard and would be a danger should the water freeze. Although most of the cigarette butts that were previously littering the garden have been removed, some remain and fresh ones have been left on the footpath outside the back door. Although the home has taken steps to improve the quality of the environment, more needs to be done to ensure that children’s health and safety are well protected.

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Inspector Sharon Lloyd

The registered manager has left and a new manager transferred to the home on 14 March 2017. She is in the process of submitting an application to Ofsted to be the registered manager of the home. There have been no other staff changes since the last inspection. The new manager has arranged fortnightly team meetings to improve consistency of care and has arranged for refresher training in first aid and safeguarding. The staff have all had refresher training in behaviour management and the use of restraint. This shows that the home is taking steps to improve the competence of the staff team. Recommendations made at the interim inspection have not been reviewed and are therefore repeated.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider in partnership with the local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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

44: Independent person: visits and reports The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether – (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 30/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care (2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating – (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care that they receive in it; (4) The registered person must – (b) make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (5) The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. In particular, use the views of children, parents, placing authorities and staff to inform the review of the quality of care; and ensure that the monitoring report assesses the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the

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Requirement Due date

30/04/2017 progress and experiences of each child. Use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard 10(1) The health and well-being standard is that – (a) the health and well-being needs of children are met; (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and (c) children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – (a) that staff help each child to – (i) achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well- being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and (iv) understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being; (c) that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other

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Requirement Due date

services as the child may require. In particular, ensure that any risks to an asthmatic child’s health are carefully assessed. Ensure also that storage arrangements for rescue medication, which limit the child’s access to medicines such as inhalers, are based on advice from medical practitioners and do not compromise the health of a child who is missing or absent from home. 30/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so 30/04/2017 as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. In particular, carry out repairs to the external overflow pipe, the shower room and the drainage system, addressing the unpleasant odour in the staff toilet, the showering facilities and the water that gathers on the footpath.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is 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; and (b) promotes their welfare. (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. In particular, when recruiting new staff, pay attention to the levels of experience and competence of those staff already in post; and ensure that the overall competence of the staff team is appropriate to meet the needs of the children and the statement of purpose. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard 14(1) The care planning standard is that children – (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure – 30/04/2017 (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) that arrangements are in place to – (i) ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. In particular, make informed decisions when admitting new

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Requirement Due date

children to the home, taking account of the needs of the children already in placement and the impact of those children on the child referred, so that only children whose needs the home can reasonably expect to meet are admitted. Ensure that transitions to and from the home are well managed and meet children’s individual needs.

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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 staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and the placing authority, must include details of the steps that the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. In particular, only remove items of furniture and personal possessions from a child’s bedroom when the child’s individual risk assessment identifies that this is necessary to keep the child safe and well. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and, in particular, that

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Recommendations

staff manage children’s behaviour in a way that promotes positive behaviour and reduces the need for restraint. To ensure effective scrutiny of incidents, improve the quality of written records. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

to 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

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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