Children's home run by R Place Limited

Inspection report children's home: SC429189 1 SC429189 Registered provider: R Place Limited

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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 children’s home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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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 provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have supported and encouraged young people to help re-organise some areas of the home. This has greatly improved young people’s environment and has resulted in them investing and taking a pride in their home. Inspection report children's home: SC429189 2  Well planned admissions assist staff in building positive relationships with each young person. Consistent care has resulted in stability and security and has increased their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have made good relationships with young people. They listen to them and provide support and encouragement to help them reach achievable goals.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff encourage and support young people to attend and engage with their individual education provision. They work with education providers to promote educational progress.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people who have a history of risk taking behaviours, such as going missing are becoming increasingly safe. Staff follow clear behaviour management plans to ensure young people are safeguarded.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff have a good understanding of young people’s risks and vulnerabilities and ensure that the right action is taken to keep young people safe from harm.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home’s newly appointed acting manager has high expectations from the staff team. She has already made some improvements to ensure that young people receive individualised care and support.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children's home's areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 Independent interviews for young people who have been missing from the home are not always undertaken. This is a missed opportunity for young people to talk to someone independently and share any worries or concerns about the time they were away from the home. Managers have challenged this issue with young people’s placing authority and intend to escalate this shortfall to a higher level.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers need to ensure that independent visits are undertaken within required timescales and that the report of the visit is sent to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector. This will enable the inspector to review and monitor the home on a regular basis.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There has been some delay in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector receiving notifications of serious events which have occurred in relation to the young people. The manager will endeavour to make suitable arrangements to address this shortfall.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The responsible individual failed to notify Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector when the new manager was appointed. The managers will endeavour to notify appropriate agencies when required. Inspection report children's home: SC429189 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 29/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC429189 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (a)(b)) 28/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (b)) 24/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 31/05/2017

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care, the responsible authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child's needs during their time in the home, the home must challenge then to meet the child's needs. (The guide to the quality standards, page 12, paragraph 2.8) Inspection report children's home: SC429189 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have worked hard to meet the requirement from the last inspection and have reorganised and re-decorated the home’s environment. Staff have supported and encouraged young people to participate in planning the home’s new layout. Spaces have been created throughout the home so that young people can spend time with each other. Staff support young people to choose the home’s décor and young people say that they have thoroughly enjoyed being part of this activity. This proactive and creative approach means that young people are now investing and taking a pride in their home. A young person said, ‘We think the pool table is better in the garage. I enjoyed helping staff paint the floor and walls but the floor was hard work. Now we can play on the play station in the chill out area with staff’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff form positive relationships with young people. They have a clear understanding of their diverse needs, gaining information from placing social workers, previous placements and young people’s families. They gain young people’s views on their individual preferences and care experiences. Clear, consistent and firm boundaries means that young people’s educational attendance and attainment has significantly improved. The manager and staff work effectively with education staff to ensure that the right level of education is sourced so that young people have a better chance of achieving their goals and targets. The increase in educational engagement is decreasing the frequency in young people’s challenging behaviour. Some young people are planning their longer term futures and with the support from staff have secured college placements and applied for apprenticeships. This proactive approach has given young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

people an appetite and ambition to gain qualifications for future jobs. A member of education staff said, ‘[name] has fully engaged in his lessons and completed all tasks asked of him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been four admissions since the last full inspection. The acting manager ensures that young people’s admission to the home is a positive experience and that the staff are able to meet each young person’s specific needs. She ensures that all necessary paperwork is in place and escalates her concerns to placing authorities when documents are missing. Wherever possible staff meet the young person prior to admission and share the home’s children’s guide so that young people know what to expect and how staff will care for them. Staff get to know young people, finding out their likes and dislikes, and in a relatively short period of time young people settle into their routine. A social worker commented, ‘[Name] has settled well in placement and has formed a meaningful attachment to staff and equally the relationship he has with staff appears strong and supportive. He reports feeling able to talk to staff about personal issues that

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people in maintaining a sense of identity by promoting contact with their families. They ensure that these sessions are safe, meaningful and in line with their individual contact plans. Staff work in partnership and placing social workers to ensure that the young people receive consistent care that meets their individual needs. This Inspection report children's home: SC429189 6 collaborative approach has assisted young people to make good progress since their admission. For example, young people’s risk taking behaviour, such as going missing, is reducing. A family member said, ‘I am more than happy with the support my child is receiving from staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage young people to enjoy healthy lifestyles. All young people are registered with routine health services and receive the support they need from specialised services. The home has good links with a variety of healthcare services, such as the child and adult mental health service (CAMHS) and drug and alcohol services. This ensures that young people receive support to address their emotional and physical needs, such as drug awareness and behaviour. The combination of these support systems is successful in helping young people to reduce these negative and harmful behaviours. A young person said, ‘People are talking to us about the dangers of smoking and drugs. These things are dangerous but sometimes it’s hard to stop. They give you advice on how to work through cravings.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value and respect young people and are working hard to support them to reach their full potential. They care about young people and are confident that they provide a good level of care. Young people were observed having positive interactions with staff and were seen to be happy and comfortable in their home. A young person said about a member of staff, ‘I have so much respect for him. I really enjoy helping him with some of the jobs in the home and I wouldn’t want to do anything that would disappoint him.’

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

Individual risks are identified, understood and well managed. Interventions are much more effective and supported by robust risk assessments and behaviour management plans. Previous documents the home used have been reviewed and behaviour management plans now have the addition of young people’s participation. This means that they are current and more effective and give staff a clearer insight as to how best to manage individual behaviours. This method is proving effective and has resulted in a reduction in physical intervention. Records of these interventions now provide an opportunity for the manager and staff to review the use of control and to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. These interventions are discussed at each staff meeting. A young person said, ‘Staff just guide you away from situations with their hand. I know what would make me mad and

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

staff listen to me and they give me space that helps me calm down.’

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

Staff are vigilant to the indicators of risk and are able to identify signs when young people are potentially at risk of sexual exploitation, for example. They take immediate action to protect them, supporting them in activities designed to discourage them from negative influences in their lives. They take a multi-agency approach, working with the police, the placing authority and the local authority for the home’s location to ensure that these young people are safe from harm. A social worker said, ‘Staff respond well to the issues and concerns [name] presents with. They identify, refer and make contact with the necessary agencies they feel he would benefit from. They encourage him to Inspection report children's home: SC429189 7 attend and engage in these sessions to address concerns he may present with when making choices in the community to keep himself safe.’

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

There has been a number of occasions when young people have gone missing and some young people have been missing from the home overnight. The home follow procedures and are highly active in searching for young people, looking in favourite locations and places where they are more likely to be. Staff discourage these behaviours, encouraging young people to engage in activities with them and other young people who live there. They report their concerns with placing authorities, host authority, police and parents. A young person said, ‘I don’t go missing as much. I like going out with the staff and other lads. We go loads of places and I like quad biking.’

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

The recommendation from the last inspection is repeated, because despite the manager raising her concerns the placing authority has not provided an independent person to speak to the young people on their return home. This means that young people are not supported to share any anxieties or concerns with someone independent of the home. The registered individual accepts that this issue needs to be escalated at a higher level.

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

The manager notifies Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector when incidents occur within the home that she considers to be of a serious nature. The majority of these notifications have been sent out of the required timescales. The manager reports having some difficulties with technology. She will endeavour to make suitable arrangements to address this shortfall.

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

All young people are up to date with their looked after children reviews. Keywork sessions are regular with all staff providing a clear evaluative record of these sessions. There are a variety of topics including drug and alcohol misuse and the risks of going missing. Staff have engaged young people in sourcing and displaying information on drugs such as spice, which tells them what the risks and dangers are of this substance. A young person said, ‘We have information on spice, it’s very dangerous and very addictive.’

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

Robust arrangements are in place for the safe recruitment of staff. Staff employed at the home are subject to the home’s vetting procedures and do not start work until all safety checks are verified and clearly recorded by a manager. This means that the environment is safe and young people are protected from persons who may cause a risk to them.

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

The home has a new manager in place who is in the process of completing the application to become a registered manager. The inspector was unaware of this appointment and did not receive the necessary required information.

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

The acting manager has the necessary skills and experience and has already demonstrated that she is determined to drive her staff to promote positive outcomes for Inspection report children's home: SC429189 8 young people. During the short time in post she has ensured that young people are fully involved in their care planning. She has developed feedback forms which have been completed by parents and placing authorities. This will assist her to monitor and review the quality of care afforded to young people.

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

The independent visitor’s reports are evaluative and clearly demonstrate whether young people are safeguarded and how the home promotes their well-being. Managers need to ensure that the homes independent visits are undertaken within timescales and that the report of the visit is sent to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector. This will enable the inspector to review and monitor the home on a regular basis and also assist the manager when monitoring the quality of care provided to young people.

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

The acting manager is committed to promoting staff development and has made improvements to staff supervision. This development provides more opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice and their own development needs. Staff report that they feel well-supported by managers and a staff member said, ‘All staff are working consistently now. You know that everyone is following young people’s plans so that they have consistency and stability. I benefit from the supervision sessions and they give me an opportunity to think about my practice and development.’

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

The manager and staff work effectively with education staff and health care professionals, providing a collaborative approach to ensure that young people receive the right level of support to meet their physical and emotional needs. This has promoted their engagement with youth offending workers, health care workers and education staff. A social worker said, ‘Communication is good and the home takes a multi-agency approach. I’m always updated and kept in the loop.’

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

Developments have been made in relation to clearer recording of information. Young people’s care plans are individual and designed to meet the specific needs of the young people. There is evidence recorded to demonstrate that the manager regular identifies triggers and patterns to behaviour. This proactive approach allows her to take swift action to address any areas of concern that she identifies. A youth offending worker said, ‘staff are proactive in responding to any issues that [name] has.’

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

The homes statement of purpose has recently been updated to reflect the change in manager and staff. The home has improved in meeting its objectives as outlined in this document. Child focused practice is central to the home, which means that young people are now achieving positive results in many aspects of their lives. A member of education staff said, ‘Manager’s and staff care for the young people and support them to achieve in their lives. Young people are at the centre of the home.’

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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 Inspection report children's home: SC429189 9 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: SC429189 10

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Inspector(s)

Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC429189 11 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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