Children's home run by Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited in Tewkesbury

Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 1 SC393228 Registered provider: Marlowe Child & Family Services 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

This children’s home is registered to provide accommodation for a maximum of five boys who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private organisation that also operates other children’s homes and a registered school in the locality.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was undertaken in two parts over a two-week period, by three inspectors. The return visit was undertaken to complete the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 2 May and 9 to 10 May 2017

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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: 12 September 2016

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 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

 Since the last inspection young people have experienced inconsistency in the care and support they receive as there have been many changes to the staff team. Half of the current staff team have yet to successfully complete their probationary period.  Since the last inspection the home has been used to introduce prospective new staff. Young people were not consulted with about this before the practice was implemented. The continuous introduction of new adults who were being considered for their suitability to work within other children’s homes has had a detrimental effect on the young people. This issue was identified by the manager and has subsequently stopped.  Leaders and managers have not provided sufficient supervision to the staff team. This means that staff practice has not been well supported. There has been insufficient opportunity for the team to reflect and learn. Some staff have not received annual appraisals.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Senior managers have failed to provide the registered manager with regular, formal supervision since January 2017. In addition, she has not received an annual appraisal and is unable to produce evidence of continuous professional development.  Some staff fail to complete records to a good enough standard. Information is missing, for example dates, times, the signature of the author, and evaluations and analyses of incidents.  The manager has failed to comprehensively review and monitor the performance and practice of some staff. As a result, a number of staff have not received sufficient levels of training.

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Key findings from this inspection

 New initiatives are being considered to further involve the young people in the operation and development of the home.  Young people make good progress and enjoy their time at the home. They enjoy the many opportunities that they have to engage in activities within the home and the wider community.  All young people attend school regularly, and placing social workers report a reduction in some young people’s challenging behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/04/2016 Full Good 12/10/2015 Full Requires improvement 02/07/2015 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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 in particular leads and manages 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 uses monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(c)(h)) 07/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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 that individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that- The individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(d)) 07/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform 07/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 5 their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 36: Children’s case records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 07/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

29: Continuing professional development: registered person and responsible individual

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4)) 07/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 07/07/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of Regulation 16, Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; - detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see Regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while

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Recommendations

working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 6

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improvement to be good

Despite high staff turnover, young people form positive relationships with staff and the manager. These relationships enable young people to have some shared fun and the ability to approach adults with any worries or concerns they may have. However, since the previous inspection the organisation arranged for prospective staff to visit this home as part of their recruitment process. This led to young people experiencing a high number of adults in their home, creating confusion and upset. This practice has now ceased, but did impact negatively on the stability of care needed for these vulnerable young people.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s health needs are met. They attend routine appointments and have received dental treatment, eye care and more specific healthcare where appropriate. Medication is safely stored and, as a result of a medication error, a revised system of storage has been implemented. The records require further improvement. For example, the time that medication is given is not always recorded and the reason for giving pain relief is not included in the record.

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from well-established structure and routines. They are attending the school which is operated by the same company as the home. Some young people are on work experience placements. There are close working relationship between care staff and the school staff. This ensures that, since moving in to the home, young people have good attendance and make progress at school. Care staff have daily communication with the teachers and can be present to provide support to young people in class if required.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not received training to help them understand how to comprehensively complete important records. Some records are incomplete, and lack evaluation and analysis. This limits the manager’s ability to track patterns of behaviour and monitor progress. Young people are involved with their care planning and are encouraged to contribute to their records.

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improvement to be good

Good use is made of time spent with a key-worker to capture the views of young people on a day-to-day basis or more specifically about a particular incident. The weekly meeting, as a group, provides young people with opportunities to choose and plan for things they like with regards to food, activities and the development of the home. Examples of activities include going bowling at the weekend and playing games on their consoles. Mealtimes and snacks provide a nutritious diet, young people eat well and some enjoy cooking with staff.

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improvement to be good

The house is decorated and furnished to a good standard in most areas, creating a homely environment. Young people are involved in the design and decoration of their bedrooms to ensure that they are their personalised spaces. The games room, with graffiti-style wallpaper, is a popular room, particularly because of the games consoles Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 7 and dart board. The conservatory is stark in comparison to the warmth of the rest of the house. The lack of soft furnishings and damaged coffee table fail to create a welcoming space.

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improvement to be good

Young people get involved with clubs and activities to provide a sense of achievement and develop friendships. The engagement with these activities improves the physical and emotional well-being of young people, and provides a sense of purpose. Young people are members of youth clubs, sports clubs and sports teams, particularly darts where many trophies have been won.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff advocate well for young people and strive to ensure that they are able to maintain contact with family and friends who are important to them. Staff support young people to develop life skills. They offer young people an appropriate level of independence to help them prepare for becoming an adult.

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

The manager and staff give priority to young people’s safety and well-being. Staff have received safeguarding training as part of their induction, but further training has not been undertaken, which is a shortfall. This further training is booked for June 2017. Staff spoken with have a good understanding of the protocols and procedures to follow in the event of reporting a safeguarding matter, a complaint or a young person going missing. As it is, young people rarely go missing. When they do go missing, all professionals are notified in a timely manner and young people are supported and advised with a return home interview.

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

Staff are aware that young people are vulnerable when using the internet. They carefully monitor young people’s access when in the home and work with the young people to negotiate sensible amounts of screen time and appropriate computer games to play. Risks associated with the use of the internet and the impact of ‘gaming’ on some young people are clearly identified within each young person’s risk assessment. In doing so, young people are helped to understand how to regulate their responses and behaviours when exposed to information on the internet.

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

Staff manage young people’s behaviour well. Distraction and de-escalation techniques are used to good effect. In the main, staff are skilled in supporting young people, helping to reduce their anxieties and stress that may lead to challenging behaviours. Staff use restraint as a last resort. Since the last inspection in September 2016, there have been five incidents where restraint has been used. Records of restraint evidenced that staff reflect on the use of the restraint and the circumstances that led up to the restraint. All young people talk through each restraint with a member of staff who was not involved in restraining them, to provide an opportunity to reflect and feel supported. However, some staff are not trained to physically intervene with young people. It is the policy of the home to use restraint. A requirement is made to ensure that this training is completed.

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

There are shortfalls in the recruitment and vetting procedures. Not all staff are Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 8 thoroughly vetted prior to starting work at the home. Procedures are in place for visitors to be supervised. They are required to sign in and out of the home and have their identification verified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the previous inspection, there has been a significant change in the staff team, and this has resulted in half of the current staff team being on probation at any one time. Staff supervision does not occur frequently enough for all staff to provide adequate levels of support. In addition, the manager has not received supervision since January 2017, or had an annual appraisal. Insufficient attention is given to the continual professional development of the team. Some staff are not being provided with opportunities to reflect and update their practice through the supervision process. The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the current staffing structure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is not ensuring that all staff are up to date with mandatory training in, for example, safeguarding, behaviour management and physical intervention, protecting children from child sexual exploitation and supporting young people who display sexually harmful behaviour. The workforce development plan does not accurately reflect the training and development needs of the workforce.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staffing arrangement lacks much needed stability for these vulnerable young people. They have experienced a high turnover of staff with many adults caring for them over a short period of time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager ensures that there are regular team meetings and that the young people are the main focus of these. The meetings include a reflective element. All meetings are recorded and there is a ‘read and sign’ policy which aims to ensure that all staff read the minutes and any other updates. This could be improved as in practice this is not consistently followed through by all staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has systems in place to monitor the home and some of these are successful, for example regular discussions with the independent visitor and feedback gathered from professionals including educational representatives. However, detailed monitoring is hampered by poor recordkeeping. There is evidence of challenges from the manager to her senior management team in respect of her own supervision requirements and learning opportunities. These challenges remain unmet.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced, and has been in post for a number of years. Staff and social work professionals speak positively about the manager. They comment on her commitment to improving outcomes for the young people and the support she provides to each staff member. Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 9

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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: SC393228 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Staverton Court, Staverton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 0UX

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Inspectors

Linda Bond, social care inspector Wendy Anderson, social care inspector Clare Davies social, care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC393228 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 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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