Children's home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 1 Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services

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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 home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private provider.

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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: 27 February 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 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 home was judged inadequate at a full inspection three months ago. There have been some improvements. The home is calmer and safer. However, there are continuing inadequacies in leadership and management.  The registered person does not actively seek the young person‟s views about the quality of their care or act on their views, wishes and feelings when they express them.  The young person has no access to a computer or safe access to the internet in order to complete school work.  The young person does not receive consistent individualised care. Her voice is not always heard and she is not involved in her care planning.  The registered person does not meet some of the young person‟s basic health needs, such as ensuring that the young person attends health appointments.  Management oversight is poor. There is a lack of understanding regarding the impact of some staff practice on the young person‟s experiences and progress.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered person does not consistently promote young people‟s safety and well-being. They do not always follow the young person‟s risk management plans. This is in respect of staffing levels and ensuring that gates to a busy road are closed.  Poor behaviour management by some staff has resulted in the use of physical interventions. Records for some of these incidents are poor.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Key-work sessions do not address the aims and objectives of the placement.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person is attending school regularly.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person attends and enjoys going to local clubs and socialising.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Monitoring Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 3

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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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child‟s learning in respect of access to a computer. (Regulation 8(1) and (2) (b)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met. (Regulation 10(1) (a)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop and to benefit from relationships.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff meet each child‟s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 11(1) and 2 (a) (i)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop and to benefit from relationships.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour, in particular to internet and social media safety. (Regulation 11(1) and 2 (a) (ii)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop and to benefit from relationships.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure — 19/07/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 4 that staff understand how children‟s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1) and 2 (a) (ix)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff 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. (Regulation 12(1) and (2) (a) (i)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12(1) and (2) (a) (ii)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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) and (2) (b)) 19/07/2017

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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. (Regulation 13(1) and (2) (a)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered 19/07/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 5 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

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 (Regulation 13(1) and (2) (f)) 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13(1) and (2) (g) (ii)) 19/07/2017

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1) and (2) (h)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14(1) and (2) (f)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ a person who has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that 28/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 6 the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (3) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, all staff must have attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”) or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma by the relevant date.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 19/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

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 details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure and the date, time and location of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(ii)(iii)) 19/07/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that each child receives care which meets their needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child‟s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, paragraph 3.2, page 14)

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improvement to be good

Since the home‟s last inspection in February 2017, two young people have lived at the home. One young person only stayed for a very short period and the second young person has lived at the home for approximately two months. Safeguarding and leadership challenges mean that the young person is not making the progress that she could achieve.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff ensure that the young person follows a good routine. For example, when the young person does not get up until early afternoon, staff do not take action to challenge this. They do not encourage the young person to be involved in activities within the home during the daytime. Staff do not provide the much-needed routine and structure for the young person. Furthermore, the young person‟s cultural needs are not fully met. She has requested to go to an appropriate hairdresser that will meet her needs. Staff have not supported her to do this.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not make sure that the young person‟s health needs are always met. The young person is registered with all of the appropriate medical professionals. However, on one occasion, staff Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 7 refused to take the young person to the doctor following a minor incident. Furthermore, staff have not made the young person a new appointment. This has compromised the young person‟s health.

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improvement to be good

The young person is doing well in education. Her attendance and attainment are good. However, she does not have adequate resources to engage in independent study within the home. Specifically, she does not have access to a computer.

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improvement to be good

Consultation at the young person‟s meetings is repetitive and the young person‟s concerns on one occasion have been minimised. The manager has not acted on the feedback of the young person. There is no evidence of a meaningful discussion or that the manager has taken the young person‟s concerns seriously. This does not help the young person to feel valued or that her voice is being heard.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not plan key-work sessions. Sessions do not enable the young person to reflect on her behaviours, risks or circumstances. For example, key-work sessions do not focus on important issues pertinent to the young person, for example internet safety. The young person does not always engage in reviewing or updating her placement plans or risk assessments. She does not have access to her files. This lack of information and involvement from the young person means that she does not reap the benefits of personalised care planning. As a result, staff are not meeting the young person‟s behavioural and emotional needs that will support her development.

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improvement to be good

The young person has been able to continue the activities that she enjoys doing since moving to the home, for example, attending police cadets and girl guides. This enables her to expand her social circles, make new friends and to be part of a club.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the young person to sustain and improve her relationships with her family, some of whom live some distance away. Staff provide transport and supervision when necessary. This makes sure that the young person maintains a sense of identity and family heritage.

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improvement to be good

A lack of understanding of behaviour management on the part of some staff members has, on occasions, put the young person at potential risk of harm. Some staff do not work with the young person or communicate effectively about some behaviours. As a result, staff do not always use de-escalation techniques to help diffuse difficult situations. A small number of these situations have escalated to the point when physical restraint is required. Records of physical restraints do not always show why staff needed to use the measure. Staff do not always document the details of the young person‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure or the time that the restraint happened. The previous manager did not investigate this, nor did she debrief staff to ascertain the reasoning for their actions. The lack of review does not provide an opportunity to learn new ways of managing difficult situations or make sure that all restraints

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improvement to be good

are appropriate. Consequently, behaviour management within the home is sometimes inconsistent and the young person‟s welfare and safety are not always promoted. Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 8 When sanctions are used, staff do not always record them. Some sanctions are punitive, and on one occasion resulted in a young person going missing from the home so that she could attend police cadets. Although the young person does record her views on sanction records, the manager has not always acted on them. For example, the young person stated that she was not given the opportunity to rectify a situation before a financial sanction was imposed. This has had a negative impact on the young person‟s understanding of what is fair and reasonable, given that her comments were legitimate. Consequently, some staff do not have the skills to develop ongoing positive relationships with the young person.

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improvement to be good

The young person has recently started to go missing from the home. She has been missing from the home on three occasions. The risks associated with the young person going missing are well understood by the managers and staff. The young person is discouraged from going missing through individual work that raises her awareness of risks. Staff have agreed measures with the local police that ensure a swift response from police. Independent return home interviews are undertaken to provide an understanding of the reasons that the young person went missing.

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improvement to be good

The safety of the young person has at times been compromised due to some staff not following some risk assessments. For example, risk assessments state that gates to the home should be closed at all times when the young person is at home due to the busy road. During the inspection, the gates were left open. In addition, managers do not ensure that risk assessments are adhered to in terms of the staff ratios required. On one occasion, there was an insufficient number of staff members on duty.

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improvement to be good

Child sexual exploitation risk assessments do not contain enough information about the young person‟s specific needs. They are generic and do not identify how the young person‟s needs can best be met. For example, staff do not document young people‟s risks associated with internet safety or strategies to minimise these risks. As a result, staff do not undertake direct work with the young person about internet safety and social media. This leaves the young person at further risk of harm and does not prepare her for independence.

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improvement to be good

There are no concerns about radicalisation or self-harm within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has not had a registered manager since April 2017. A new manager was appointed in April 2017, but she left the home shortly before this inspection. Another manager has now been appointed. Ofsted are awaiting his registration application. The new manager was present throughout this inspection. Managers are aware of the areas of development needed within the home. They have started to implement an action plan in order to address the shortfalls highlighted at the last inspection. However, there continue to be failings within the leadership and management of the home. While the young person has made some progress, there is a lack of robust action to address staff practice. This has an impact on the young person‟s outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there is a new staff team providing care for the young person. Not all staff have attained the appropriate qualifications to work with young people. One member of Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 9 staff has worked in children‟s homes for over two years but has not achieved the necessary qualification within the required timescales. However, they are in the process of completing these qualifications. Managers expect staff to have obtained the appropriate qualification to work with young people within six months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not managed and monitored the home effectively, as demonstrated by the shortfalls found during this inspection. Monitoring practices in the home are poor and do not concentrate on the young person‟s progress. As a result, managers do not aspire for the young person to fulfil her full potential. Furthermore, managers have not identified poor staff practice and addressed it. Managers have not identified issues about a small number of staff who cause the young person some distress due to their behaviour management style. This does not ensure that the young person‟s welfare is always promoted. Consequently, managers are not ensuring that they meet the aims and objectives of the home‟s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have been supported in terms of receiving regular supervision. However, some staff members have not had an appraisal for over a year, which means that any development needs are not addressed at an early stage prior to them becoming potential practice issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The placing social worker reports that the staff are working well with the young person and that her needs are being met. The home works in partnership with parents. A parent stated, ‟As far as I am concerned, she [the young person] is doing OK; communication is starting to improve. The staff are lovely.‟

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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: 1237583 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity Residential Care Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unity Residential Care Services Ltd, 98 Lancaster Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 1DS

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Inspector

Sandra King, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1237583 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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