Children's home run by Dorset County Council

Inspection report children's home: SC032250 1 SC032250 Registered provider: Dorset County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children‘s home is operated by a local authority. It provides long-term placements for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 20 February 2017

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children‘s home is inadequate because:

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are not protected from harm. Young people frequently go missing and they do not return until late at night. While they were missing, some young Inspection report children's home: SC032250 2 people have been subjected to bullying and exploitation. Serious incidents of challenging behaviour have taken place in the home. Staff have not taken effective action to protect young people from each other or to reduce the risk of similar incidents happening again.  Staff do not fully understand the high-risk behaviours, such as substance misuse and criminal behaviours, displayed by young people. As a result, staff do not respond to these behaviours effectively.  A missing-from-home protocol agreed between the home and the police is not in place. As a result, the care staff are not provided with guidance that enables them to respond when young people go missing, so they can ensure that young people are found quickly and returned home safely.

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers do not share critical information about risks with all safeguarding agencies when young people are missing. Strategies for managing and reducing the risks associated with missing from home, exploitation, substance misuse and criminal behaviours have not been considered or formalised.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that all young people are provided with an independent return home interview when they have been missing. Consequently, important information about the young people‘s experiences when they are missing is not obtained. This missed opportunity does not allow the staff and safeguarding agencies to fully understand the significance of the concerns or reduce the risk of harm to the young people.  The arrangements to assess whether the home can meet young people‘s needs suitably and whether young people can be matched safely together are inadequate. Poor decision-making in these areas by leaders and managers has

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

resulted in some young people engaging in high-risk behaviours and copying the poor behaviour of others. As a result, not all young people are making progress and their outcomes are poor.  Risk assessments and care plans do not provide staff with the information they need to understand how to manage risks or care effectively for the young people. As a result, staff do not manage young people‘s challenging behaviour effectively and this has had a negative impact on other young people in the home and the local neighbourhood.  Management oversight of the quality of care provided to young people is not effective. Poor practice by some staff, including errors in record-keeping and their responses to young people, has not been identified or dealt with.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that the Children‘s Homes (England )Regulations (2015) relating to missing from home, restraints, sanctions, complaints, record-keeping, risk assessments and care planning have

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

been met. Inspection report children's home: SC032250 3 The children‘s home‘s strengths:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Care staff provide good support to young people to enable them to develop and maintain relationships with their families.  Most young people get on well with the staff. Bedrooms are personalised and some young people have taken the time to make the home their own.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/12/2016 Full Requires improvement 11/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC032250 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to understand and apply the home‘s statement of purpose and ensure that staff:

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home‘s statement of purpose; 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; help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6(1)(2)(a–b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)). 31 July 2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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 in relation to matters affecting the children‘s care and welfare and their lives.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child‘s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child‘s best interests when making decisions about the child‘s care and 31 July 2017 Inspection report children's home: SC032250 5 welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child‘s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.4

Requirement Due date

This requirement also relates to ensuring that young people‘s views are sought following incidents, restraints and sanctions.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on: mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

meet each child‘s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‘s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‘s behaviour, in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child‘s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child‘s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; understand how children‘s previous experiences and present

p.5

Requirement Due date

emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do 31 July 2017 Inspection report children's home: SC032250 6 the same; de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xii)(xiii)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard*

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‘s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‘s welfare. Ensure that the home‘s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) 31 July 2017

p.6

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard*

p.6

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person should enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children‘s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; 31 July 2017 Inspection report children's home: SC032250 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a, c, f)(g)(ii)(h)).

p.7

Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that staff supervise and provide one-to-one support to young people as required by their individual risk assessments. 16: Statement of purpose

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‘s home a statement (―the statement of purpose‖) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI. 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. If a home has a website, the registered person must ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1)(2)(3)(a,b)(4)(5)).

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose is up to date and a copy is provided to Ofsted. 31 July 2017

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. In particular, ensure that this supervision is regularly provided in line with the home‘s supervision policy. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 31 July 2017

p.7

Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records 31 July 2017 Inspection report children's home: SC032250 8 The registered person must ensure that- Within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes all of the elements listed in regulation 35 (3)(a)(i–vii). Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. Within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(1)(2)(3)(a)(i–vii)(b)(i,ii)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child which includes the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. This specifically relates to records relating to missing-from-home incidents and how young people‘s special dietary needs are met. The registered person must ensure that all case records are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a,b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that all records are accurate, detailed and factual. 31 July 2017

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI‘s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding 12months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39(3)(5)) 31 July 2017

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children's home: SC032250 9

p.8

Recommendations

 Where there is a possibility that a child will run away or go missing, their placement plan should include a strategy to minimise this risk (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 45, paragraph 9.24)  The home‘s procedures must take into account the views of appropriate local services and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing persons‘ incidents. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 45, paragraph 9.29)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing the risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‗Guide to the

p.9

Recommendations

children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The significant weaknesses in how well young people are helped and protected have had a negative impact on their overall experiences and progress. There is a failure by leaders and managers to implement systems to protect young people from harm.

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the previous inspection, the experiences of some young people are poor and their progress has declined significantly. There has been a notable increase in young people being at risk of exploitation, causing damage to the home, bullying, misusing substances and being involved in criminal behaviour.

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Care plans and risk assessments do not align with the placing authority‘s aims and objectives for the young people‘s placements. This includes a discrepancy in the rating (high, medium, low) of young people‘s risks. The manager has rated risks as being lower than the rating determined by the social worker, despite the high-risk behaviours that take place regularly. In addition, plans and daily targets are too generic. They do not include young people‘s individual needs, their current behaviours and the risks associated with these behaviours. As a result, strategies used by staff to manage young people‘s behaviours do not sufficiently encourage young people to make different choices and to develop positive behaviour.

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The admission and assessment processes are not rigorous. Risk assessments are completed to determine if the young people are able to live together safely. However, Inspection report children's home: SC032250 10 leaders and managers have not fully considered the significance of the known vulnerabilities and high-risk behaviours that some young people exhibit. Consequently, significant incidents have occurred as a result of some young people learning from, and then also copying, high-risk behaviours that they have seen their co-residents display.

p.9

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not provide good support and guidance to young people regarding their safety, health and well-being. The manager has not taken effective action address this, as he has failed to seek and secure the support of external agencies. For example, specialist support is not in place to help a young person to manage his weight and substance misuse.

p.10

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff are unable to monitor a young person‘s specific health and dietary needs effectively as they do not keep good-quality records that confirm what the young person eats and drinks. As a result, staff are not able to determine if the young person is being provided with the right diet, and are unable to support him to maintain a healthy weight.

p.10

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The young people‘s school attendance and attainment vary considerably. Some young people regularly attend school and are meeting their targets. One young person is currently taking eight GCSE qualifications. However, the attendance of others has been problematic; this is linked to high levels of missing-from-home incidents that have resulted in them not sleeping well.

p.10

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff provide young people with good support to develop and strengthen relationships with their families. Staff help young people to visit their families and will often supervise visits if required.

p.10

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people have personalised their bedrooms nicely. In addition, staff help them to keep memorabilia of positive experiences and activities that they have enjoyed.

p.10

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

Leaders and managers have not adequately protected young people from the risk of harm or from actual harm. Since the previous inspection, most young people have frequently spent their leisure time in the local community. Some young people have established relationships with others who present a risk to them. This has resulted in the young people being exploited, taking illegal substances and being involved in criminal activity. One young person has been assaulted, has had personal items taken and has been subjected to threats of harm. Records do not show that staff take appropriate action to protect young people. Risk assessment documents do not include all of the known risks and behaviours displayed by the young people. As a result, staff are unable to take action to effectively protect young people.

p.10

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that all young people have individualised missing-from-home protocols that have been approved by, or agreed with, the local police. In addition, independent return home interviews do not consistently take place. This means staff and external agencies are unable to respond effectively when the Inspection report children's home: SC032250 11 young people go missing, nor do they understand the young people‘s experiences when they are missing. The whereabouts of young people when they are away from the home is not always known or explored by staff. There are serious concerns about grooming, exploitation and substance misuse. Leaders and managers have not taken action to deal effectively with these concerns to ensure that practice is improved and young people are kept safe.

p.10

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

Records relating to missing-from-home incidents are of poor quality. Staff record the time that a young person goes missing, but do not always keep a record of when they return. The manager told the inspector that he knows that the records are poor; however, he has failed to take action to improve them. As a result, the manager is unable to evaluate what happens when young people go missing or consider whether there are any trends or patterns emerging.

p.11

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

Records of significant incidents show that staff fail to intervene effectively to protect young people and staff. During a recent incident, one young person was not prevented quickly enough from bullying another young person and from causing significant damage to his bedroom and the rest of the home. Although staff placed themselves and one young person in the office to stay safe, the challenging behaviour was not stopped quickly. It escalated to attempted fire-setting and one of the young people going missing. During this incident, staff intervention was insufficient.

p.11

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

Physical interventions are rare. When they are used, staff fail to ensure that the central records used to document these interventions are fully completed. The records lack critical information about what happened, as well as a record of the views of the young person on the intervention. Therefore, the manager is unable to evaluate what happened for the purpose of preventing physical intervention from being used in future.

p.11

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

Sanctions given by staff in response to young people‘s negative behaviour are inconsistently applied. They are neither effective nor restorative. Young people are not guided and supported to take responsibility for their behaviour, to consider the impact their behaviour has on themselves and others, or to learn from it. The sanctions used are not reviewed by the manager. In addition, staff do not routinely obtain young people‘s views on the sanctions. As a result, sanctions have become repetitive and ineffective.

p.11

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the previous inspection, a new manager and a new registered individual have been appointed. Their applications to register with Ofsted are being processed. The management oversight of the quality of care provided and its impact on the young people‘s experiences that has taken place since the previous inspection, in February 2017, has been inadequate. As a result, the safety, health and well-being of the young people are poor and they are left at significant risk.

p.11

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that young people can live together safely Inspection report children's home: SC032250 12 and that their needs can be met in this home. Poor decisions have been made. Young people have similar needs and the potential impact of their challenging behaviours on the existing residents has not been properly explored. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the number of missing-from-home incidents; young people are being exploited and bullied and they are misusing substances and engaging in criminal activity. These behaviours negatively affect other young people who live in the home.

p.11

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to maintain comprehensive and good quality records. This weakness permeates throughout the records completed by staff. Records are frequently incomplete and lack critical information. Some terminology used in some records is frequently opinion rather than fact. Risk assessments and care plans contain limited and misleading information; they do not provide staff with guidance and instructions on how to respond to and meet all of the young people‘s needs. Physical restraint records are not well maintained and complaints are not recorded. Therefore, opportunities to develop and improve practice through the monitoring of records are missed.

p.12

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

All staff are up to date with mandatory training. However, they do not consistently apply their learning from this training in practice. For example, all staff have received training in protecting young people from child sexual exploitation; however, they have failed to identify and respond to the behaviours that the young people are exhibiting and link them to exploitation and grooming.

p.12

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although staffing levels are sufficient to meet the home‘s statement of purpose, staff do not provide the level of care and support required for some young people as determined in their risk assessments. One young person is required to have one-to-one staff support and is not allowed unaccompanied time outside of the home. However, staff do not supervise this young person as required, as he regularly leaves the home without staff knowing. When staff are aware that the young person has left, they do not always follow him immediately or search for him without delay.

p.12

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff spoken to as part of the inspection felt supported by the manager and each other. However, not all staff receive regular, formal supervision in line with the home‘s policy. As a result, opportunities to formally reflect on their practice, develop their skills and share any concerns are missed.

p.12

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has not been managed in a way that is consistent with the ethos and expected outcomes that are set out in the home‘s statement of purpose. The document states, ‗Staff will provide a happy, healthy, and safe from harm environment, where young people are enabled to develop, thrive and fulfil their potential.‘ The findings of this inspection confirm that this statement is not met. In addition, the manager has failed to provide Ofsted with a reviewed copy of this document since 2015.

p.12

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: SC032250 13 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.

p.12

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: SC032250 14

p.13

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XJ

p.14

Inspector

Sharron Escott: social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC032250 15 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.

p.14

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.15

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.15

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.15