Children's home run by Greenacre Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 1 SC379104 Registered provider: Greenacre Care Services Limited

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides care and accommodation for up to four children aged between 11 and 18 years. The home looks after children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken by a social care regulatory inspector on 11 July 2017, following concerns raised with Ofsted. The concerns are in relation to a lack of staff to provide sufficient care to the children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The visit found that since the last full inspection conducted on May 2017, the core staffing levels have decreased. There are two core members of staff caring for three children. One member of the staff team is the registered manager, and the second member of staff has only worked at the home for 16 weeks. Bank and agency staff support these two staff members. When the registered manager is not on duty, the lead member of staff, who is on probation and inexperienced, is working with bank and agency staff, some of whom do not have established relationships with the children. This lack of staffing has significantly affected the children‟s care.

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This monitoring visit

The children are not making sufficient progress. On occasion, their basic needs are not met. The staff are not able to provide formal key-work sessions or progress all of the children‟s individual targets in their care plans.

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This monitoring visit

It was of significant concern, that the only fire exit door handle to the rear of the building was broken. This deficiency meant that on occasions only the staff who have a key could open the door. Another fire door did not have a handle and had to be kept open by using a tea towel. The provider failed to take sufficient action, which could potentially place children at significant risk in the case of a fire. During the visit, when the concerns were raised the provider did take immediate action to ensure that the children could safely leave the building in the case of a fire, by changing the lock and putting a handle on the second downstairs fire door. The fire Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 2 risk assessment failed to identify the issues regarding the fire doors. It had not been updated to inform the staff of the action to take in the event of a fire and failed to

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This monitoring visit

include that a child is smoking in their bedroom or to identify and implement the action required to address this concern. These failures place the children and the staff at significant risk.

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This monitoring visit

The visit found that some areas, both communal spaces and the children‟s bedrooms, failed to provide the children with a safe and suitable living environment. Some doors failed to open and close smoothly, as the screws in the door hinges were not flush with the hinges. The living room door was placed against the wall in the living room. A child‟s bedroom had no bedding on the bed or curtains, and there was rubbish on the floor and table, including cigarette ends. Outside of the home, some plaster is missing from the external rear wall and old filing cabinets are stored in the garden. The provider has an ongoing plan of repairing the home. However, the environment and lack of core staff to provide a welcoming and homely environment affect the care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

One child has been going missing from the home frequently. The registered manager is unable to monitor the situation sufficiently, due to the need to work shifts with the children. While the staff implement the home‟s missing policy when children do go missing, through reporting them to the police; they have failed to take all action required consistently to support children to return. For example, on one occasion, due to the lack of core staff working at the home and appointments that other children needed to attend, one child waited for nine hours to be collected. This is an unreasonable amount of time. The children are not receiving return home interviews after being missing. Therefore, children are not provided with an opportunity to speak with an individual outside of the home to gain information about why they went missing.

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This monitoring visit

The home is not working in line with its statement of purpose. The impact on the lack of staffing at the home is considerable. Due to the registered manager‟s need to cover the shifts, on occasion working five days in succession, she is unable to perform the management duties required. The home‟s rota fails to include the names of all of the staff who worked each shift, and therefore there is no clear record of who is working at the home. The staff are not receiving supervision in line with the home‟s policy. This fails to provide the staff with a formal meeting to discuss any concerns they may have or to look at their professional development. New staff have not received a sufficient induction, and are leading shifts. They have not been provided with the opportunity to shadow other experienced staff or develop their knowledge of the children, or been given time to read the home‟s policies and procedures. Therefore, at times, the children receive care from the staff

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This monitoring visit

who lack the knowledge, skills and competence.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no independent visitor for two months. While the provider did appoint a new independent visitor for the month of June, the individual is now the consultant service manager. The provider has appointed another company to complete independent visits. This shortfall fails to ensure that the children are able Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 3 to speak with an individual appointed by the home. Without the reports, Ofsted does not have up-to-date information regarding the situation within the home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has already taken action to address some of these concerns and has an action plan to meet other shortfalls identified. Ofsted will continue to monitor the service.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/04/2016 Full Good 12/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 4

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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 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 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d)) 31/07/2017

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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. Ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. Ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. Ensure that the workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(a)(c)(d)(e) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applied to the home, the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 11/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)) 31/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must implement a policy (“the missing 21/07/2017 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 5 child policy”) setting out the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to a copy of the staff duty rota of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rotas worked. 28/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once a month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‟s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1)(7)(a)) 31/07/2017

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children‟s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Greenacre Care Services Limited

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Inspector

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC379104 7 to 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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