Children's home SC022729

Inadequate

There are serious widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted. Their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 Young people do not receive consistent care. A high number of different staff provide care for the young people. Because of this, young people do not engage with support, make no progress and are absent from the home for long periods.  Not all staff are suitably trained in key areas of child protection, behaviour management, first aid or fire safety. This places young people at risk of harm.  The recruitment records for residential care staff are incomplete. This means that the provider is unable to confirm that all staff are of good character and suitable for the role.  The recording and administration of medication are poor. As a result, young people fail to receive their medication as required, and administration records are inaccurate.  The interim manager has poor oversight of the quality of care provided to young people. He cannot access key information in relation to staff training, recruitment or supervision and appraisal records.

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The children’s home’s provision is inadequate because:

 The provider does not ensure that an independent visitor undertakes a monthly quality assurance visit to the home. When these do take place, reports are not accessible to the interim manager, nor are they sent to Ofsted as required.  Feedback from other professionals and parents states that the provider is not proactive in helping young people to make progress or develop healthy routines. The one young person living in the home frequently went to bed late and did not get up until the afternoon.  A large number of requirements made at the last inspection remain unmet. These relate to ensuring access to important records, providing evidence of staff training and safe recruitment and ensuring monthly visits by an independent visitor.  The home has not had a registered manager in place since 31 December 2015. In addition, the statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect current staffing and practice.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 All checks in relation to fire safety and the health and safety of the physical environment have been completed and are monitored effectively.  The home provides young people with an environment that is well maintained.

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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

44: Independent person: visits and reports *

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Requirement Due date

Independent person: visits and reports. (1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (2) When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person: ((a) if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and (b) to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (3) A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. (4) 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: (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (5) The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (6) If the independent person becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest (whether under regulation 43 (3) or otherwise) after a visit to the home, the independent person must include in the independent person’s report: (a) details of the conflict of interest; and (b) the reasons why the independent person did not notify the registered provider of the conflict of interest before the visit. (7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to: (a) HMCI; (b) upon request, the local authority for the area in which the 16/05/2017 home is located; (c) the placing authorities of children; (d) the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered

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Requirement Due date

manager; and (e) the responsible individual (if one is nominated).

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this regulation, the provider must ensure that an independent visitor undertakes monthly quality assurance visits. The manager of the home must demonstrate how feedback from these visits is being used to improve the quality of care to young people. Copies of the monthly reports must be shared with the people named in Regulation 45 (7)(a-e). 48. Notice of absence.

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Requirement Due date

(1) If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence. (2) Except in the case of an emergency or unforeseen absence, a notice under paragraph (1) must: (a) be given no later than one month before the proposed absence commences, or within such shorter period as may be agreed with HMCI; and (b) specify with respect to the proposed absence: (i) its length or expected length; (ii) the reason for it; (iii) the arrangements which have been made for running the home during the absence; (iv) the address, name and qualifications of the person who will be responsible for the home during the absence; and (v) in the case of the absence of the registered manager, the arrangements that have been, or are proposed to be, made for appointing another person to manage the home during the

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Requirement Due date

absence, including the proposed date by which the appointment is to be made. (3) If the absence arises as a result of an emergency or is unforeseen, the registered person must give notice of the absence: (a) within one week of the beginning of the absence; and (b) specifying the matters in paragraph (2)(b). (4) If the notice required under paragraph (2) or (3) has not been given as required, it must be given without delay. (5) The registered person must notify HMCI of the return to duty of the person in day-to-day charge of the home not later than 7 days after the date of that person’s return. 16/05/2017 49. Notice of changes The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place: (a) a person other than the registered person carries on or manages the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

(b) a person ceases to carry on or manage the home; (c) if the registered provider is an individual: (i) the individual’s name changes; (ii) a trustee in bankruptcy is appointed; (iii) the individual makes a composition or arrangement with the individual’s creditors; (d) if the registered provider is a partnership, any change in the membership of the partnership; (e) if the registered provider is an organisation: (i) the organisation’s name or address changes; (ii) any change of director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the organisation; (iii) any change in the identity of the responsible individual.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this requirement, the provider must inform Ofsted of their proposals for appointing a registered manager for the home. 16/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

(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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this standard, staff must demonstrate that they are actively enforcing appropriate boundaries and providing support to encourage healthy sleep patterns. 16/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard.

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Requirement Due date

(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: 16/05/2017 (a) that staff: (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; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must clearly record the actions they are taking to carry out the young person’s relevant plans in respect of their welfare and safety.

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Requirement Due date

13. (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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on: (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 16/05/2017 (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (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 this requirement, the provider must, in particular, ensure that staffing arrangements are set up to provide a consistent experience of care for young people and that the workforce is suitably trained. The provider must also demonstrate an understanding of how the care provided is having a positive impact on the quality of experience, progress and welfare of young people. Management monitoring arrangements must be effective at evaluating the quality of care and be used to inform service development. 38: Storage of records etc. *

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner: (a) the statement of purpose; (b) the children’s guide; (c) placement plans for children who are not looked after (see regulation 18); (d) the policy for safeguarding children (see regulation 34); (e) the policy for preventing bullying (see regulation 34); (f) the missing child policy (see regulation 34); (g) the behaviour management policy (see regulation 35); (h) records of the use of measures of control, discipline or restraint (see regulation 35); (i) children’s case records (see regulation 36); (j) other records (see regulation 37); (k) the procedure for considering complaints (see regulation 39); (l) records of complaints (see regulation 39); (m) the independent person’s reports (see regulation 44); (n) quality of care reviews (see regulation 45); (o) annual reviews of the appropriateness and suitability of the

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Requirement Due date

location of the home’s premises (see regulation 46). 16/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (2) In particular the registered person must ensure that: (a) medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; 16/05/2017 (b) medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and (c) a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. 6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who: (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff: (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (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; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare

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Requirement Due date

the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this requirement, the provider must ensure that the home’s statement of purpose accurately describes the staffing arrangement used to deliver care to young people. 16/05/2017

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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. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) support each child’s learning and development, including 16/05/2017 helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory

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Requirement Due date

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; (ix) help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this requirement, the provider must support young people to undertake work to support their education, as provided by the virtual school. 32: Fitness of workers

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (2) The registered person may only: (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that: (a) the individual is of integrity and good character; (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; (c) the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained: (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or 16/05/2017 (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (5) The relevant date is: (a) in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or (b) in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (6) The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual: (a) does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or (b) works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time

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Requirement Due date

basis. (7) The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if: (a) the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this regulation, the provider must ensure that the applicant’s address is verified by at least two recent documents and; obtain a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing. Where criminal offences are declared, the provider should undertake a risk assessment to evaluate the impact of these in terms of their suitability for the role.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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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 the statement of purpose indicates how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in your care, in particular details of how a person, body or organisation involved in the care or protection of a child can access the home’s child protection policies or the behaviour management policy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  Administration of medicines. Please see regulation 23. Care must be taken to ensure that prescribed medicines are only administered to the individual for whom they are prescribed. Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused.

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Recommendations

Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. 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)

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home. It is registered to care for up to three young people. The home provides care for young people who display emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 28/04/2016 Interim Not judged 06/01/2016 Interim Not judged 21/09/2015 Interim Not judged 17/02/2015 Full Inadequate

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Inadequate

Despite rigorous attempts to contact the provider, the inspectors were unable to gain access to the property on the first day of the inspection. The inspectors gained access on the second day and conducted this inspection in one day. Inspectors spoke to a range of professionals to obtain feedback on the service.

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Inadequate

There were no young people living at the home at the time of this inspection. A young person had recently left the home after a stay of approximately eight weeks. This is the only young person who has lived at the home since the last inspection.

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Inadequate

The provider employs a large team of staff to care for young people. However, staff frequently move between other children’s homes operated by Ebonycare Limited. This means that young people do not benefit from consistent adult support and guidance. For example, the young person who recently moved on from the home had 21 different staff caring for him. The staff member allocated as his key worker only worked two shifts in a three-week period. This means that the young person received care from staff who did not spend sufficient time with him to build positive, nurturing relationships. As a result, he did not engage with the support offered and was frequently missing from the home. The young person made no significant progress and continued to be at risk in the community.

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Inadequate

A lack of engagement with this young person was a significant barrier to ascertaining his wishes and feelings or involving him in decisions about aspects of his care. The inspector spoke to the young person, who is now living at home. The young person said that he ‘wasn’t there much but it was OK’. He went on to note that he did not like the food and felt that staff did not act upon his views.

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Inadequate

Staff fail to assist young people to engage in appropriate routines. The one young person who lived at the home did not establish any meaningful routines. He went to bed late and seldom got up before midday. A parent said that she had, on two occasions, telephoned him at 4.00pm and was told by staff that he was still in bed. The parent felt that staff did not make any consistent attempts to help him to establish a healthy routine. A commissioner from the placing authority expressed a similar view. She undertook a quality assurance visit after the young person had been in placement for six weeks. She made the following observation: ‘I could not see evidence to demonstrate that they are proactive in trying to engage A in any activities or spend any quality time with him to develop a relationship. He has not engaged in any activities with staff since he moved in.’

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Inadequate

Staff are not effective in helping young people to make progress in education. Leaders and managers fail to demonstrate how they attempt to engage young people in constructive or educational activities. A representative from the virtual school of the young person’s placing authority stated that she had sent an email to the provider with instructions on how to support the young person with functional literacy and numeracy, but she received no response. She acknowledges that the young person was reluctant and difficult to engage in education but observed that staff, though supportive, ‘weren’t particularly proactive’ in attempts to engage him. Daily recordings indicate that staff frequently did not try to wake the young person on school days until 11.00am or later. The lack of any focused intervention is a consistent theme reported by all professionals who spoke to inspectors. The placing social worker states, ‘His basic needs were met in terms of shelter and food. They

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Inadequate

could have been more proactive in engaging him in activities to give more structure to his day. The young person was in crisis and at risk; he needed far more than basic care to promote his wellbeing and safety.’

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Inadequate

The daily activities planner for the young person who lived at the home bore no resemblance to the reality of his daily activities. In addition, daily records did not demonstrate that staff had made reasonable attempts to engage him in planned activities. On only one occasion, when staff took him swimming, were they successful.

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Inadequate

The administration and recording of medication are poor. In one example, due to missed doses, a seven-day course of antibiotics took 15 days to administer. The provider failed to consult with health professionals to consider if giving a course of antibiotics over such a long period was counterproductive in terms of promoting the young person’s health. In addition, the reasons for missed doses are not clearly recorded. Daily logs and medication records lack accuracy and it is not clear if medication is given or not.

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Inadequate

The placement ended in an unplanned way after an incident in the home and the young person refused to return.

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Inadequate

The home is well decorated and suitably furnished to create a homely environment. It is clean, well maintained and a suitable environment for young people to live in.

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Inadequate

Statutory compliance notices have been issued in relation to providing accessible records and ensuring monthly visits by an independent visitor. These are repeated due to the failure to comply with previous requirements on these issues. Young people do not receive consistent boundaries from the adults entrusted to care for them. In addition, the high number of different staff working at the home means that young people fail to develop trusting and nurturing relationships. As a result of this, the young person living in the home did not reduce their vulnerabilities or risk. This young person failed to engage with support, went missing frequently and continued to be at risk in the community. Individual assessments identify risks and vulnerabilities and the actions required to reduce risk. However, the lack of engagement from the young person means that such safety plans are ineffective.

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Inadequate

Not all staff are trained in key areas of child protection and safety. Six training records for staff were available for inspection. The acting manager had no idea if all of the staff he is managing have undertaken recent training in safeguarding, behaviour management, physical restraint, risks in relation to radicalisation or child sexual exploitation. He was unable to access this information or obtain it from the responsible individual, despite being given an extended period of time after the inspection to produce this. Without such information, the acting manager cannot be sure that the staff on duty have the knowledge or skills to protect young people from harm. For example, a risk assessment for a young person identified that staff were potentially at risk of physical aggression. To reduce this risk, staff were advised to use de-escalation techniques as taught on the home’s behaviour management course. These techniques are only effective if all staff have had this

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Inadequate

training. This lack of management oversight in a key area of child protection creates an unsafe environment for young people. The acting manager has not undertaken any training with regard to risks relating to child sexual exploitation. This significantly undermines his ability to monitor safeguarding practice in this area.

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Inadequate

Recruitment procedures and practice are poor. The provider does not take all reasonable steps to ensure that staff are of suitable character to work with young people. The acting manager was unable to produce any recruitment records during the inspection. In addition, he was unable to obtain these from the responsible individual of the home. This experience was echoed by a placing authority commissioning officer who undertook a quality assurance visit; they state that: ‘The acting manager could not go into details re recruitment processes from application to interview. This is said to be dealt with by the director – thus no staff file available to view – said to be held elsewhere though I was in the head office.’ This is another example where the acting manager, in day-to-day charge of the home, does not have access to the information that he needs to ensure that young people are safe. In addition, and following the inspection, the provider was given time to

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Inadequate

produce these records. Despite this, the records produced did not include a full employment history of the applicants. There was no evidence that any gaps in employment had been fully explored. In one example, checks in relation to the applicant’s address provided contradictory information. In another example, no evidence was produced to demonstrate that the applicant was eligible to work in the United Kingdom. The provider does obtain satisfactory references. They undertake checks for new recruits with the disclosure and barring service. However, when these checks reveal concerns, the provider fails to use the information disclosed to evaluate the applicant’s suitability to work with vulnerable young people.

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Inadequate

There have been very few behaviour incidents in the home. However, there is no evidence to determine the reasons for this.

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Inadequate

When young people go missing, staff complete notifications to relevant agencies, including the police. However, daily recording fails to demonstrate that staff are persistent and proactive in trying to contact or locate young people who are absent from the home. The acting manager suggests that this is not a reflection of practice and that staff do make frequent and persistent attempts. However, the continued absence of robust recording in relation to young people who are at risk of harm indicates a lack of urgency or care. This is poor safeguarding practice.

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Inadequate

Staff interventions to reduce offending behaviour are ineffective. A social worker with the youth offending service describes the service as ‘satisfactory but with room for improvement’. They went on to say that: ‘I found there was an element of disorganisation at times.’ The social worker gave examples of where a young person was late for youth court as a result of staff miscommunication. They also say that when the young person attended his initial planning meeting a few days after his placement, the staff member present seemed unsure of information. The member of staff’s update of the young person’s initial few days living at the home was said to be ‘very vague’. The social worker describes a lack of urgency from staff in getting the young person to where he needed to be or to engage him in constructive activities. A placing social worker related an incident where he felt staff had been unhelpful and unresponsive when he requested that staff provide an

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Inadequate

escort for a young person who was in an area where he was known to be at risk.

p.18

Inadequate

In the event of allegations against staff, the provider takes appropriate steps to work in partnership with the local authority safeguarding officer. This means that any concerns are subject to independent scrutiny and investigation.

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Inadequate

The acting manager has effective systems in place to monitor the health and safety of the premises. All required checks are up to date and compliant, including fire safety checks.

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Inadequate

There has been no registered manager in post since December 2015. The acting manager is also the named manager for another care home operated by this provider. There are currently no clear arrangements in place as to who will manage this service in the future.

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Inadequate

The provider has repeatedly failed to address a large number of requirements made at previous inspections. These relate to unsafe recruitment practice, the lack of important safeguarding training for staff, the lack of formal staff supervision and poor management monitoring. There have been consistent shortfalls in relation to poor outcomes in education and the lack of engagement with young people. Until recently, the home had not accommodated young people since June 2015. Many of the shortfalls were identified at the full inspection of 17 February 2015 and despite a number of subsequent monitoring visits, interim inspections and repeated requirements, the provider has not taken the necessary steps to improve the standards of care provided for young people. This raises serious questions in relation to the provider’s capacity and commitment to provide appropriate standards of care.

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Inadequate

There have been persistent concerns that the home’s electronic record-keeping system is unfit for purpose. Required information to evidence that young people are provided with safe care is frequently inaccessible to the acting manager, to Ofsted and to other visitors undertaking quality assurance visits. During this inspection, despite granting a period of extended time to produce records, a number of staff rotas were not made available. In addition, no evidence of formal supervisions or appraisals for the acting manager were produced. Records in relation to staff training were incomplete; just six records out of a staff team of 21 were produced. Recruitment records do not evidence safe recruitment practice. No reports were produced of independent visitor’s monthly visits. The acting manager had not had sight of any independent visitor reports and could not confirm if visits had taken place.

p.19

Inadequate

The overall impact of these continuing shortfalls is significant. This means that the acting manager has no effective oversight of key areas of safeguarding. It also seriously undermines the opportunity for Ofsted inspectors and other professionals to provide external scrutiny and quality assurance of the care provided to young people. This places young people at risk of harm.

p.19

Inadequate

The responsible individual was not contactable during the first day of inspection until late in the afternoon and was unable to provide access to the home for the inspectors. This was similar to the previous monitoring inspection of this provider and the inspector could not conduct the inspection as planned. This is a similar pattern to that of the previous two inspections. This demonstrates poor leadership and management.

p.19

Inadequate

A commissioner from a placing authority had a similar experience when conducting a quality assurance visit to the home. She stated that the responsible individual did not attend her visit as arranged and she was unable to contact him on that day or the following day. The commissioner comments that she ‘experienced a lack of transparency throughout the visit’. During her visit to the home, the commissioner experienced difficulty accessing information. In addition, she says that there was no evidence of any action to address the requirements made at the previous inspection.

p.19

Inadequate

The responsible individual of the home fails to adequately support managers or respond appropriately when issues arise. During the inspection, the acting manager was completely unaware of important aspects of service delivery. When the acting manager requested help from the responsible individual it was not forthcoming. The responsible individual was invited to attend feedback at the end of this inspection but did not attend or provide an explanation for his absence.

p.20

Inadequate

The model of care as described in the home’s statement of purpose indicates that a small core team of staff will be available to deliver care to young people. However, this is not the case. The acting manager felt that he could provide a more consistent experience of care with a smaller team. When asked why he did not put this in place, he indicated that this was beyond his control. The acting manager said that the organisation just ‘moves staff around’.

p.20

Inadequate

As mentioned previously in this report, professionals and parents report a number of concerns in relation to the quality of care provided by the service. A placing social worker commented that ‘The staff could have been more proactive in sharing information; they did not send summary emails regarding missing episodes’. He went on to say that emails were not always responded to. The provider/responsible individual was either unaware of the views of key partners or was not responsive to them. This suggests that the provider/responsible individual’s ability to work effectively with key professionals is very limited.

p.20

Inadequate

The acting manager is currently undertaking a relevant level 5 qualification in leadership and management of social care. This is a positive step forward. However, not all care staff have obtained a level 3 qualification in residential childcare within the timescales required.

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Inadequate

The acting manager has made improvements to the written record of individual risk assessments and young people’s care plans. Due to the widespread shortfalls highlighted in this report, these have not yet had any significant impact on the progress, experience or welfare of young people. The acting manager has also completed a quality of care review of the home. There were no young people living at the home during the period of review and therefore the information it contains has limited relevance to current service improvement priorities.

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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, 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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