Children's home run by M.J. Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 1 SC068991 Registered provider: MJ Children’s 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 privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have 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 good

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good

Date of last inspection: 24 November 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children are making good progress because they live at this home.  Direct work with staff and an external professional helps the children to understand issues about making safe and positive relationships. Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 2  Regular meetings between the children and the staff enable the children to be involved in day-to-day decisions about the home  Individualised care plans contain relevant risk analysis. These plans support the staff to work effectively with the children.  Staff support children to attend school or college courses. This gives the children opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge and a friendship group outside the home.  Children say that they feel safe, relaxed and comfortable at this home.  The manager has prioritised training for staff. This means that staff have the skills that they need and that they feel confident about working with the

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Key findings from this inspection

children.  The manager has encouraged flexibility with the staffing rota. This has helped the children to settle at night.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/11/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/05/2016 Full Good 26/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children are making good progress because they live at this home. Regular community meetings between the children and staff enable the children to be involved in day-to-day decisions about the home and provide the children with the opportunity to give their views about the quality of care that they receive. The children asked to have their rooms decorated. The staff have helped the children to purchase the paint and wallpaper to enable redecoration according to the children’s tastes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Children are encouraged to take part in key-work sessions with staff and with workers from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The work undertaken by the NSPCC staff helps the children to understand safe relationships and internet safety. This work reduces the risks of child sexual exploitation and unsafe use of social media.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

The manager updates the individualised care plans with relevant risk analysis. She reviews the incident records and the daily records and includes pertinent information from these in the care plans. These plans support the staff to work effectively with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Observation of staff during this inspection showed confident interactions with the children and positive role modelling, and encouragement of the children to engage in activities, including ice-skating, going to the cinema and going for meals out with staff. All of the children could name a member of staff with whom they have a good relationship and who they would turn to if they felt unhappy. One child commented, ‘I get on well with my key worker. I can play sports with him. I have no concerns about being in this home, it is good, and the staff are fair.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Some of the children attend school and take part in a wide range of subjects. Some of the children are achieving foundation-level examination results and others are undertaking GCSE qualifications. Staff support the children to enable them to re-join school or college courses. This gives the children opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge, and prepares them for further education or the world of work. A teacher commented, ‘I have found the staff’s wish to work together with the school very positive. The staff have attended meetings to review the education plans for the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Older children are supported to learn independent living skills, such as budgeting and shopping as well as managing their laundry. Consequently, the children develop these skills and their confidence ahead of any planned move to independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Some of the children smoke tobacco. Staff have undertaken direct work with these children and have put them in touch with specialist services to help the children to stop smoking. To date, some of the children have not used this extra support. Staff remain determined to help the children to end their dependency on cigarettes. Staff help the Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 4 children to make and keep appointments with their doctor, dentist and optician. Home- cooked meals chosen by the children provide a varied diet and help to maintain the children’s health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

A child and adolescent mental health consultant psychiatrist has worked with the manager and provided training for the staff in areas such as attachment disorders. This has helped the staff to develop suitable knowledge that further enhances their relationships with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:

Staff work closely with placing authorities to promote safe contact between the children and their extended families. Staff supervise contact to ensure that the interaction at these sessions is as positive as possible for the children. Consequently, the children’s relationships with people who are important to them are maintained, which helps children to have a better understanding of their backgrounds.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children say that they feel safe, relaxed and comfortable at this home. One child commented, ‘It’s alright living here, children are safe. This is a chilled house with relaxed staff.’ The manager identifies risk factors through her observation of the children and effective monitoring of records of incidents, and she updates the children’s care plans accordingly. As a result, staff are alert to the possible hazards and have the most up-to- date information to work safely with the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children go missing from this home. When they do, staff take immediate action to try to locate them in the community. Staff follow the home’s protocol and work with the police and local authorities to ensure that these agencies have the information that they need to help to find the children. When the children return to the home, they are given the opportunity to talk to an independent person or their own social worker. The staff are keenly alert to the risk in the community of child sexual exploitation and the hazards presented by the internet. Staff monitor children’s usage of social media closely to ensure that children are protected from unsuitable online contact.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

External professionals and parents are positive about the quality of care that children receive. A parent commented, ‘My child feels comfortable at the home. The staff are absolutely brilliant. They keep me informed about any issue. Recently, when my child went missing, the staff went out and looked for her and did not give up until they knew that she was safe. One member of staff was not even working and they went out looking for her in the community too.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children receive rewards for positive behaviour. They are able to earn extra activity money. This has helped the children to learn to manage their behaviour. The number of sanctions for unwanted behaviour has reduced. Staff observe children’s relationships with each other to ensure that they are suitable. As a result, the home is calm and there is a relaxed atmosphere. Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The experienced and knowledgeable registered manager has a level 4 diploma in leadership and management in children’s services. All of the eligible staff hold a relevant level 3 diploma. This meets the regulatory requirement made at the last inspection. By prioritising the in-house induction and ongoing training for staff, the manager has ensured that the staff have the skills and knowledge that they need to feel confident in working with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The staff receive regular supervision. This supports and develops individual practice to ensure that it meets the children’s needs. The responsible individual provides supervision for the manager, which enables him to have oversight of the management of the home. This meets the shortfall identified at the last inspection. The manager has identified an experienced and skilled member of staff to act as a mentor for the newly appointed staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The manager is ambitious for positive outcomes for the children. She encourages the staff to build good, open relationships with the children. Placing social workers say that the relationships that the children have with the staff reflect significant progress for the children. The placing social workers also speak highly of the quality of communication from the home. Good communication means that social workers are aware of issues and the approaches that the staff use to manage the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The manager has an effective approach to reviewing the care plans and case records. As a result, she is alert to the changing needs of the children. She analyses incidents and activities to identify any developing themes. The manager redirects the work of the staff to ensure that the children are receiving a service that keeps them safe and meets their needs. For example, through the monitoring process, the manager became alert to children needing more support to settle at night. She changed the rota so that staff remain on shift until later to help the children to remain calm. This has led to a reduction in the number of times that children have been absent from the home. The manager works proactively with the independent visitor. She uses the visitor’s monitoring report effectively to ensure that the home delivers the care outlined in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers:

The manager spends time with the children. She listens to their views on the service and takes action to make achievable changes.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 6 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: SC068991 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: MJ Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arbutus House, 4 Loddington Lane, Belton in Rutland LE15 9LA

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Inspector

Michael Mulvaney, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068991 8 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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