Children's home run by Quarriers in Inverclyde

Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 1 SC054030 Registered provider: Quarriers

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service offers short breaks for up to five children and young people who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities with associated complex medical care needs. This service is delivered and managed by a charitable organisation that has other homes throughout England and Scotland.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be 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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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 30 November 2016

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 2

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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 arrangements for managing this home during the registered manager’s nine- month period of absence have been ineffective. Since her return, she has conducted a full audit of the home’s recording systems and reviewed staff members’ practice. As a result of this audit, she had identified the shortfalls seen during this inspection and has started to put plans and actions in place to address them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home is not providing the service as described in its statement of purpose. Staff are only provided with a basic awareness level of training, which does not meet the wide range of needs of the children and young people accessing the service.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people’s care plans do not align with the placing authority’s aims and objectives for the placement. These plans and young people’s individual targets fail to reflect their current care needs and behaviours. In response, the manager has started to develop new plans that are child-friendly, informative and with clear aims and objectives that align with the local authority care plans.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The records relating to the care of children and young people and the running of the home have not been well managed. The recording systems are unwieldy and records are not well maintained. Staff are required to record information in a wide range of different documents. The electronic recording system that staff use to obtain up-to-date information frequently cannot be accessed. Handwritten records that staff make are incomplete, illegible and not always signed or dated by the author.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 The registered manager’s commitment and tenacity to drive improvements forward have inspired and motivated the staff team. Collectively, they all strive to provide the best quality of care to the children and young people.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 Young people are happy and relaxed in the care of staff. Relationships are positive. Young people are encouraged to try out new things and engage socially with others. Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 15/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff –

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a–b)(2)(ii, iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that care plans detail the local authority aims and objectives and specify how staff are to meet the needs of the young person. In addition, ensure that all young people’s bedrooms are personalised. 03/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to – 03/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 5 help each child to express their views, wishes and feelings and help each child to understand how their views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account. (Regulation 7 (1)(a–b)(2)(a)(ii, iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must ensure that children and young people with additional needs are helped by staff to communicate their feelings after significant incidents have taken place.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to –

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Requirement Due date

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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a– b)(2)(a, c, h)) 03/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which –

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Requirement Due date

includes the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a, b, c))

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that records are legible, complete and accurate. 03/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the records listed in this regulation (a–o), which may be kept in an electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner. (Regulation 38 (a– o)) 03/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 6 44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person produces a report about a visit which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether –

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and that the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a–b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the independent visitor identifies omissions in the records kept by staff. 03/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all adults working in the home provide a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children; this will, in most cases, be a homely and domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, ensure that young people have personalised and cosy bedrooms where possible.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records kept for staff evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3). In particular, evidence in these records attention to practice-related issues and details of continuing professional development needs.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records kept electronically (regulation 38) provide information that can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2). In particular, consider how the home’s electronic recording system can be made more comprehensive, so that all the information for each specific incident can be accessed easily.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policy on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 7

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improvement to be good

The registered manager’s ethos and understanding of behaviour management is commendable. Physical intervention and sanctions are not used and the registered manager supports her staff team to recognise why children and young people may behave in a way that, on occasions, can be high-risk and challenging. Despite this, the registered manager has not ensured that all informal reflective discussions she has with staff after incidents are formally reviewed and recorded within supervision sessions and/or team meetings. This minimises the impact of staff members’ ability to reflect and learn.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people’s care plans do not align with the local authority care plans. Essential information to inform care staff how to meet and respond to individual needs lacks clarity and instruction. While some staff are confident and knowledgeable about the needs of the children and young people, the new staff are not provided with sufficient written information about the children and young people before they support them.

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improvement to be good

Work has recently commenced to improve the homely environment. Work is planned to redecorate all of the children and young people’s bedrooms and communal areas of the home. The registered manager has purchased new curtains and soft furnishings, and is eager to personalise the children and young people’s rooms. The registered manager is determined that the home will return to being a homely, warm and welcoming place.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people have access to a wide range of play equipment and materials. The sensory room and outside space have been creatively designed to provide the children and young people with opportunities to play safely. In addition, the home’s activity coordinator ensures that children and young people benefit from a varied range of activities, both in the home and the wider community. These opportunities include visits to local attractions and facilities, including swimming and leisure parks. However, on occasions financial restrictions and staffing levels have meant that some of the scheduled activities have not taken place.

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improvement to be good

Some young people use alternative methods to communicate, including the use of signs and symbols. Some staff have good skills to sign, whereas others use a variety of resources to assist their communication with children and young people. These methods are used to inform children and young people about what activities Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 8 are taking place, mealtimes and bedtime routines. Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 9

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour is encouraged , and children and young people are encouraged and supported to manage their behaviours and feelings. Incidents do take place, but in the main, staff manage these well. There has not been any recorded use of restraint since the last inspection. All staff have received training in de-escalation and restraint. Children and young people’s achievements are recognised and celebrated. Certificates of achievement are held on each child and young person’s file.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one full-time and two temporary staff no longer work in the home. There are currently two full-time vacancies. New staff are recruited through robust, safer recruitment procedures and undertake an induction programme that includes basic mandatory training.

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improvement to be good

Fire safety is promoted effectively. Weekly checks are undertaken of the home’s fire system, fire-fighting equipment and the means of escape. In addition, all children and young people have an individualised emergency evacuation plan that is tested for effectiveness during regular fire drills. All staff have received fire awareness training.

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improvement to be good

Children and young people who have short breaks at this service are, in the main, helped and protected effectively. Good attention is given to focusing on compatibility and the mix of children and young people. Parents are particularly complimentary about the staff team, and value this service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders are in discussions in relation to the future of this service. This has resulted in a period of uncertainty for the staff, families and young people. However, leaders and managers are working closely with other agencies and the local community to try to secure the future of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has had a phased return to her role of managing this home. In what has been a short space of time, she has identified and compiled an action plan to address all of the areas identified as weaknesses at this inspection. The registered manager’s swift response, tenacity and commitment to improve the service are commendable. Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 10 The home is not meeting its aims and objectives as set out in the statement of purpose. The home provides a short-break service for children and young people who have diagnosed learning and physical disabilities. However, training records show that care staff are only provided training in basic awareness of autism. Staff have not been provided training in cerebral palsy, attachment theory, delivery of personal care and alternative communications, despite the children and young people having these specific needs. This limits the care team’s ability to understand

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

and respond effectively to the children and young people and does not aid their own professional development. In addition, not all staff have received regular formal supervision as required within the home’s policies and procedures. The registered manager has recognised this weakness and has taken immediate action to address this breach of policy since her return.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is making progress to improve standards in the quality of care. However, some aspects of management oversight require further improvement. The organisation’s complex recording and reporting systems have hindered this progress. As a result, revised care plans have yet to be finalised and approved, reporting systems that duplicate information lack critical information, and staff are not provided with the information they need to meet the current needs of the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of records maintained by the staff team is poor. Records relating to incidents, accidents and injury are not comprehensively documented. Staff do not always record the actions taken and the outcomes; neither do they identify themselves as the author of the reports. Records do not confirm that all children and young people are always spoken with to ascertain their views after an incident. Neither do the records confirm that care staff are always provided with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and incidents. Minutes of staff meetings do not show that staff always discuss the children and young people’s needs to determine patterns and trends of behaviours. As a result, staff do not collectively share good practice on how best to respond to and meet the children and young people’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring by the registered manager and the independent visitor requires improvement to be good. The independent visitor’s monitoring is not analytical and fails to evaluate effectively the impact that the staff team’s practice has on the children and young people’s experiences and on improving their outcomes. The independent visitor has not recognised the lack of clarity and omissions in the records kept by staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 11

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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 whom 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: SC054030 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Head Office, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire PA11 3SX

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Inspectors

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC054030 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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