Children's home run by Oxfordshire County Council in Oxford

Inspection report children's home: SC036383 1 SC036383 Registered provider: Oxfordshire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This children‟s home provides care and accommodation for up to six female young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is managed by a local authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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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good

Date of last inspection: 9 December 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

During an interim inspection carried out on 9 and 12 December 2016, it was found that there had been a failure to notify Ofsted of significant incidents and to provide updates to notifications when required. Additionally, over the three preceding inspections the same failure had been found and requirements had been made about this matter. Consequently, the organisation was served with a compliance notice on 23 December 2016. Inspection report children's home: SC036383 2 A monitoring visit was undertaken on 2 February 2017 to assess whether the provider had complied with the compliance notice, during which it was found that the steps set out in the compliance notice had been met.

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Key findings from this inspection

This children's home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The incompatibility of children‟s needs continues to impact on children‟s well- being and progress.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Not all incidents of bullying are identified as such. Incidents are dealt with but are not managed in line with the bullying policy to ensure that appropriate support is provided to the bully and the bullied.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The views of children are not always considered and acted upon in a timely way.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is inconsistency between staff in ensuring that children follow their educational plans.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Activity planning is weak and children said they are bored due to the lack of interesting things to do in the evenings and weekends.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Not all staff act as good role models for children who smoke or who need support to manage painful physical health needs through doing physiotherapy and taking exercise.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some staff training is out of date. There has been no training in preventing radicalisation of children and dealing with suspected incidents of female genital mutilation.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager does not gain the views of stakeholders to inform her review of the quality of care.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Case records for one child were found on another child‟s file.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Improvements are needed in the quality of some staff members‟ supervision so that they are able to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Inspection report children's home: SC036383 3

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The children's home's strengths:

 The manager and staff have shown an ability to: make improvements; develop a more positive workplace culture; and reflect on and learn from shortfalls in practice.

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The children's home's strengths:

 There is good support to children who move on from the home in a planned way.

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The children's home's strengths:

 The manager and staff have good working relationships with other professionals and parents.

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The children's home's strengths:

 Risk management enables children to take reasonable risks, and they begin to take responsibility for their own safety.

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The children's home's strengths:

 Strong monitoring arrangements by an independent person have been effective in highlighting issues of concern about children‟s safety to the manager.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/04/2016 Full Requires improvement 24/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/07/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC036383 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. (Regulation 39 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that all complaints made by children are dealt with in line with the organisation‟s procedures so that children are clear about what the outcome of their complaint has been. 20/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (5)) 20/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person is required to:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) ensure that children are admitted into 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. (Regulation 14(2)(a)) This is with specific reference to ensuring that the home makes a comprehensive assessment of the potential impact that the young person is likely to have on the existing children individually and as a group. The ability of staff to balance the needs of each child while managing the needs of the group effectively should form part of the assessment and inform the decision making about the viability of the placement. 20/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that: 20/06/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC036383 5 The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular: provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that the organisation‟s policies about record keeping for safeguarding matters are adhered to.

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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. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that case records for each child are accurate and in relation to that child. 20/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4) (a))

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Requirement Due date

With specific reference to ensuring that refresher training is undertaken in a timely way and staff have training in the prevent strategy and in recognising and responding to incidents where female genital mutilation is suspected. 20/06/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

Where children placed in a home are not participating in education, in the interim the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations, including the quality standards , page 28, paragraph 5.15) Specifically, ensure that children follow the schedules developed to support their learning and development.  The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance, and supplement that provided by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental

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Recommendations

health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including Inspection report children's home: SC036383 6 the quality standards‟, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Recommendations

 Children‟s homes staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home‟s plan for their care. Each child‟s talents and interests should be understood and nurtured, with children selecting activities based on their personal preferences and abilities, so far as is reasonable. Staff should also support children to try activities that are „new‟ for them, where appropriate. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home‟s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child‟s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand what they must do to prevent bullying of children by other children or adults. Staff should be able to recognise and address different types of abuse such as peer abuse, cyber-bullying and bullying in day to day relationships in the home. Registered persons must ensure that procedures for dealing with allegations of bullying are in place and staff have the skills required to intervene, protect and address bullying behaviours effectively. (See regulation 34(3) on the policy for the prevention of bullying.) („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 39, paragraph 8.16)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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improvement to be good

Incompatibility issues between the children, identified at the previous inspection, have continued to impact adversely on the children. Some children have moved on as a result of severe bullying behaviours. The organisation made a decision not to place further children in the home due to these issues. The reduction in numbers of children has meant that staff have recently been able to manage situations more effectively. Inspection report children's home: SC036383 7 However, relationships between the children remain variable. Some unhelpful allegiances have formed, and this has resulted in children enticing each other to self-harm. Although these incidents are of concern, they have been dealt with in a swift and decisive way.

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improvement to be good

Children seek out staff members they feel able to talk to when they have a problem, and there are some strong and helpful relationships between children and staff. One young person said that she likes to talk to one particular member of staff because „he gets me‟. Other young people who have moved on from the home remember specific staff members with fondness and continue to contact them from time to time. Children have also confided in the independent visitor, who carries out monitoring visits, when they have felt unsafe.

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improvement to be good

Staff have good working relationships with education providers and the virtual school, and have developed their skills and knowledge about how to support children in their education attendance and achievement. This has led to children becoming more self- motivated to do well in their learning, and some have developed aspirations for their futures. Most children have improved their attendance and are achieving to a higher level than before. For example, some children have taken or are taking their GCSEs despite previously having poor attendance and engagement in education. One child, who has moved on from the home, has been able to sustain her interest and engagement in her training opportunities and is doing extremely well. Children who are not so self- motivated have tailored programmes of education to support them to get into a routine. This provides them with certainty about the expectations on them in relation to their

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improvement to be good

learning. However, sometimes staff do not enforce these schedules. This inconsistency is confusing for children, has the potential for them to think that the routines are not important, and does not help them develop a strong study and work ethic.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to services to meet their physical and emotional needs. However, some areas of children‟s health needs are not well supported by staff. For example, some staff smoke at the front of the home within sight and with the knowledge of children. This does not set children a good example or encourage them to give up smoking. Also, staff have not been successful in supporting a child to make use of physiotherapy and exercise regimes that have been recommended to improve a painful physical health issue.

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improvement to be good

Multi-agency working to support children‟s emotional and mental health needs is strong. For example, staff have good working relationships with health services, such as the local child and adolescent mental health services. They also have access to the organisation‟s clinical team for additional help and advice in supporting children‟s emotional and mental health needs. Children are at times unpredictable in their behaviours, such as self-harm. However, the multi-agency working has been shown to be essential in helping staff consider and prepare for all predictable eventualities.

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improvement to be good

Children make some progress in the development of their social skills. For example, one child has made significant progress in decreasing her violent and disruptive behaviours that have in the past led to placements breaking down. Other children have become more confident in social situations and they mix more confidently with the other children. Inspection report children's home: SC036383 8 However, children identified that they are often bored and that they feel the activities available do not meet their needs. They are not successfully encouraged and supported to take up new challenges and interests that would enable them to learn new skills, develop more cooperative relationships and enjoy a more fulfilling life.

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improvement to be good

Children are very well supported to develop or maintain relationships with their families or other significant people in their lives. Risks of contact are carefully thought through but the staff are not risk adverse. Staff understand that good and well-supported contact with parents and significant other people can form the basis for the development of positive relationships that will be helpful to the child in the future.

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improvement to be good

Children‟s views about the general quality of care that they receive are sought in a variety of ways. However, their expressed wishes and feelings are not always acted upon promptly. For example, concerns raised by children about relationships and the dynamics in the home, and their views about a lack of interesting activities, have not led to improvements being made. A complaint made by two young people about other young people was dealt with swiftly but not as a formal complaint. Additionally, the opportunities for children to formally express their wishes and feelings are not available to them at the frequency expected by the organisation. For example, there have been long gaps between key-work sessions for individual children and group house meetings.

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improvement to be good

Children develop skills that will help them to live independently. One young person who has moved on from the home into more independent living was exceptionally well supported to develop the skills that she needed to help her to deal with her complex emotional needs successfully. Since moving out, she is reportedly flourishing in her new placement and putting to good use the skills that she developed while living in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are consulted about their care planning, and any restrictions placed on them due to risks to their well-being or safety are negotiated with them. While they do not always like the arrangements, they do understand that staff are trying to keep them safe. The risk management arrangements are effective in allowing children to take reasonable risks in line with their needs, age and level of understanding. Children begin to take responsibility for their own safety. The management of some recent complex situations relating to self-harm and sexual exploitation have been managed successfully through this strong approach to risk management.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There is good interagency planning and working. For example, the staff and the local specialist multi-agency team have worked closely together to develop risk management plans and educate children about the dangers that they put themselves in. For example, work with children about the dangers of them being missing or using social networking inappropriately has led to children understanding risks from child sexual exploitation and other forms of exploitation. There has been a reduction in missing episodes as a result of this work and due to staff being far more proactive in dissuading children from running Inspection report children's home: SC036383 9 away. Children are also recognising the risks posed to them from social networking and have approached staff when they have not been sure about unsolicited contact from people who they do not know.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The approach to helping children manage their behaviour more effectively has significantly improved. Overall, staff are more consistent and confident in supporting children in this area. Children were seen to be listening to guidance that staff were giving them, and while they did protest, they did accept the boundaries being set by the staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Due to complex relationship difficulties between the children living in the home, there has been some bullying. Although staff deal with issues of unkindness between children, they do not always recognise incidents as bullying behaviour even when children have said that they are being bullied. This does not support the victim or perpetrator and does not help children to develop healthy and safe relationships with each other.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are trained and competent in safe care practices and understand their duty in relation to safeguarding children. There are clear policies and procedures that staff use to support them to keep children safe. There have been no safeguarding issues that have been required to be referred to the designated officer within the local authority. The designated officer reported a good working relationship with the manager of the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home provides children with a safe and welcoming environment in which they have space to spend time with each other or to spend time alone.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2015. She completed her studies for a Level 5 qualification in leadership and management in May 2017 and is awaiting the results.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a clear statement of purpose that sets out the home‟s aims and objectives and underpins the work of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Following a series of poor inspection judgements, the leadership and management have worked hard to achieve improvements. Leaders and managers have shown the desire and ability to improve the quality of care provided to the children. However, due to continued incompatibility issues between the children, the manager has had to respond to crises that led to some children feeling unsafe in the home. This has meant that her oversight of the development of practice and the progress of improvement programme has been temporarily compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The arrangements for independent monitoring of the home are highly effective. The visitor provides appropriate challenge to the manager and staff, and the children have confided in her when they felt unsafe due to the actions of other children. The visitor Inspection report children's home: SC036383 10 took immediate action to ensure that children were kept safe and that the manager responded in a decisive and timely way. The monitoring by the manager is of an adequate quality. However, she does not ascertain and use the views of children and stakeholders in her six-monthly evaluation of the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The compliance notice, requirements and recommendations made as a result of the last inspection have been progressed. The compliance notice has been met, and Ofsted is now notified of all significant events in the home. There were no further significant breaches found during this inspection in relation to safeguarding children. Challenges to other professionals and agencies when services are not forthcoming have been more effective in getting children the services that they require. There has been no further inappropriate use of physical interventions. The register of children is now being kept up to date. A recommendation specifically in relation to how staff deal children‟s missing behaviours has been met, and the frequency at which children go missing has reduced as a result of improved practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

One requirement has not been met and this is in relation to the accuracy of case records, as information about one child was found on another child‟s file. Another requirement, relating to improving the admission assessments, has not been met, as there have been no children admitted to the home. A third requirement, relating to the record keeping of allegations, has not been able to be evidenced as met, as there have been no allegations made. These requirements have been restated and will be assessed at the next inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager, with the support of the leadership, has challenged custom and practice in the home and is successfully building a more positive workplace culture among the staff. The staff working in the home are well established in their roles, and all have or are studying for a Level 3 qualification in caring for children. Staff are generally confident in their roles and are competent overall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff have access on a regular basis to a clinical psychologist who provides staff with group supervision on the clinical aspects of their work. This support to the team provides them with an arena in which they reflect on how children‟s behaviours have impacted on them and discuss how they can support children more effectively. Regular team meetings provide staff with further opportunities to reflect as a group on the children and their needs and current situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager uses the performance management systems effectively to support staff whose practice is identified as needing improvement. However, the quality of individual supervision is variable, and for some staff there are missed opportunities to develop support systems in specific areas of practice. For example, for some staff clear targets/actions are not evidenced as agreed and are not then followed up from one session to the next. Some of the minutes of supervision show that the focus of discussions is on personnel issues and not the needs of the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a training programme for staff to help them carry out their roles effectively. However, there are some shortfalls in the programme. These include some staff being Inspection report children's home: SC036383 11 overdue for some refresher training and not all staff having had training in the „Prevent‟ strategy or in recognising incidences of potential female genital mutilation. All staff have either achieved or are working towards a Level 3 diploma in working with children and young people.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the 'Social care common inspection framework', this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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'. Inspection report children's home: SC036383 12

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND

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Inspector(s)

Rosie Dancer, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC036383 13 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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