Children's Home run by A Significant Other Limited in Durham

Inspection report children's home: SC429995 1 SC429995 Registered provider: A Significant Other Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for and accommodate up to six children and/or young people 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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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

 Restriction notice in relation to admissions issued on 19 May 2017.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

 One compliance notice in respect of Regulation 11 and one compliance notice in respect of Regulation 12. Both notices were issued on 25 May 2017.

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Key findings from this inspection

Inspection report children's home: SC429995 2 This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 There are seven requirements outstanding from the last inspection.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager and two experienced senior staff have left since the last inspection.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Key documents, in particular risk assessments and care plans, do not include all the relevant needs of the young people, and those plans that are in place do not guide staff sufficiently to safeguard the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people are looked after by a committed and caring staff team.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The response of the provider to the compliance notices indicates a willingness to improve.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2017 Full Inadequate 05/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/04/2016 Full Good 26/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC429995 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6(1)(a) and (2)(b)(ii) and (v)) 14/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 14/08/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC429995 4 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

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 the same;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1), (2)(a)(ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (viii), (ix) and (x) and (b)) 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(1) and (2)(a)(i)) 14/08/2017

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 14/08/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC429995 5 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1) and (2)(b), (d), (e) and (f)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

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 the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32(1), (2)(a) and (b) and (3)(a) and (b)) 14/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— 14/08/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC429995 6 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45(1), (2)(b) and (c) and (3))

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improvement to be good

This inspection follows an inadequate judgement in May 2017. While the restriction on admissions remains in place, the two compliance notices issued following the last inspection have been met. However, seven requirements from the last inspection remain outstanding.

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improvement to be good

There is only one young person resident in the home. Since the last inspection two young people have moved on, either to independence or to other placements. One young person left by their own choice and has moved into a flat with a partner. This young person’s placement is held open, and the young person is receiving support from his key worker outside of the home. The second young person has moved to another home following a decision that the staff could not meet his needs. This will impact on this young person’s ability to trust the adults around him, and may impact on the new staff team’s ability to stabilise and maintain the placement.

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improvement to be good

Decision-making processes in relation to admissions, raised as a concern in the previous inspection, have been addressed. Impact risk assessments have been developed and there is now a flowchart that outlines the processes to be followed during an admission. The result should be that the matching of young people to ensure safety and compatibility improves.

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improvement to be good

Educational outcomes for the young people have improved slightly. A young person with no provision previously is now educated via a tutor in the home, and is engaging with them. This arrangement is still less than the required 25 hours of education per week. Records demonstrate that the home is in contact with the virtual head to move the situation on further. Inspection report children's home: SC429995 7 The young people live in a large and spacious home environment. The damage and the health and safety issues noted in the last inspection have been addressed, and large parts of the home have been decorated. This in itself does not appear to have impacted on the behaviour of the young people but indicates an awareness by the staff of the importance of making the young people feel valued.

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improvement to be good

The impact of inconsistent practice still remains but has improved within the core group of staff. The issue remains one of turnover of staff, and new staff who have a range of experience and skills. The registered individual has further plans in place to address practice issues during team meetings and individual supervisions.

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improvement to be good

The bullying policy has improved. It is difficult to evaluate fully its effectiveness due to there being only one young person in the home.

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improvement to be good

Care plans have been reviewed but continue to be ineffective in guiding the staff to meet the needs of the young people. The plans are large, bulky and inaccessible to young people who want to contribute and take part in the planning of their care. The resulting document is more a running log of events rather than a series of plans that address specific needs. This situation also impacts on the ability of the staff team to use the plans as a working tool to manage and meet the needs of the young people.

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improvement to be good

In addition, the information recorded in relation to the young people on a daily basis is spread over and repeated in a range of files and logs. This leads to the inconsistencies in practice and impacts on the ability of managers to monitor appropriately.

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improvement to be good

Key-working sessions continue monthly and allow the young people and staff opportunities to discuss specific topics. There is now a plan in place, linked to the overall care needs of the young person, which ensures that the aims of the placements are addressed. Sessions also take place in response to incidents, as appropriate. The registered individual has worked closely with staff to improve recording, and records viewed at this inspection demonstrate that this has been effective in improving some elements of recording.

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improvement to be good

Access to activities has improved for the young people. There are now plans in place that identify, in consultation with young people, opportunities each day to take part in an activity or club. A member of staff said: ‘The days are planned properly and the activities for young people have improved.’

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improvement to be good

Recruitment checks have improved but are not as robust as they should be, particularly in relation to agency staff. This practice leaves the young people potentially at risk. The management of the home needs to assure itself that everyone working at the home is suitable to do so, and such practice needs to follow safer recruitment guidelines. Inspection report children's home: SC429995 8 There has been a reduction in the number of serious incidents since the last inspection. However, prior to the other young people leaving they were still a feature of day-to-day life. The registered individual has addressed this by giving staff clear direction in team meetings and reflective sessions. A member of staff said: ‘Things are better, we still have a long way to go though. The structures are now being put in place.’ Discussions with the local police indicate that the number of call-outs they received had reduced.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments continue to lack sufficient, effective strategies to inform staff practice. When strategies are described in detail, they are generic statements that do not inform the member of staff how to specifically protect and enable that individual young person. In addition, some risks were not included and some conflicted with other parts of the assessment and care plan.

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improvement to be good

The number of incidents of missing has reduced. Staff are aware of the potential risks to the young people and continue to follow them into the local area to try and ensure their safety. The improvements observed in relationships with some of the staff team have helped with the effectiveness of this practice, as has the reduction in numbers of young people placed. The registered individual has met with the police to clarify protocols and has engaged the services of an independent team to conduct interviews with the young people when they return. This will ensure that the young people’s voices are heard and allow any concerns to be expressed.

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improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention has reduced, but the situation identified at the last inspection when not all staff were trained or updated in appropriate use of the interventions continues. However, records indicate that this training has taken place for the theory behind the practice, and that the second day of the training is booked with an external provider.

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improvement to be good

The number of sanctions has decreased and the use of incentives has increased. This ensures a proactive response to the behaviours of young people. However, sanction records show that staff are recording some responses as restorative justice when they are in fact just different sanctions. There are some indicators of restorative practice within the record, and the difference between the two was discussed fully with the registered individual and deputy to ensure clarity.

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improvement to be good

Appropriate health and safety procedures, and partnership working with agencies such as the local fire service, ensure that physical safeguards are in place. Regular fire drills take place and are recorded well.

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

The manager of the home has left since the last inspection, as have two experienced senior staff. The registered individual has stepped in to manage the home with the current deputy while recruitment for a manager takes place. The registered individual is appropriately qualified and has been in post since the home opened in 2011.

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

There are continued gaps and shortfalls in the monitoring of the home, and this has Inspection report children's home: SC429995 9 been recognised with requirements that have been repeated at this inspection. The home has undergone a difficult period, and it is recognised that the registered individual has prioritised addressing the compliance notices during the short period since the last inspection.

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

The turnover of staff noted at the last inspection has continued. The staff rota indicates that there are adequate levels to manage and address the needs of the one young person currently resident, but vacancies still exist.

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

Supervision of staff has improved both in regularity and quality. The registered individual has held supervisions with all the staff to reflect on the findings of the previous inspection, and the results have contributed to the overall development plan now in place.

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

Training for staff in relation to a basic understanding of attachment and trauma has been delivered by an external provider, with plans for further updates. However, the requirement for wider training still exists to meet in full the identified needs of the young person currently in the home.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences 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: SC429995 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: A Significant Other Limited

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Inspector

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC429995 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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