Children's home run by Proactive Care in Tameside

Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 1 SC479776 Registered provider: Family Child Care Ltd

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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 is a privately owned children’s home offering care and accommodation for five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home offers provision for one emergency placement for up to a maximum of seven days.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account requires improvement to be good

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managers

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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managers

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection

N/A Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 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

 Care planning arrangements are inconsistent. Not all plans are suitably developed, reviewed or updated.  The healthcare needs of some young people are not consistently addressed.  Behaviour management methods used to address negative or challenging behaviour are not clearly recorded.  Young people who go missing from the home are not always provided with an independent return home interview. Strategies to reduce young people going missing from home are deficient.  Policies for the appropriate reporting of allegations made by young people are not always applied.  Risk assessments for some young people are not suitably developed in order to manage the young people’s presenting risks.  Records for the formal induction and supervision of new staff are not completed or reviewed.  There are limited initiatives to promote some young people’s attendance at school.  Consultation with young people has decreased. Feedback forms and

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Key findings from this inspection

questionnaires are no longer used and have not been replaced by other methods of effective consultation.  Some concerns regarding the welfare of young people are not shared with Ofsted in accordance with notification requirements.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people state that they like the staff and have built good relationships. Positive interactions are observed between staff and young people.  Young people engage with the staff group and enjoy regular activities.  Positive rewards are regularly given to acknowledge progress and good behaviour.  Most young people attend school and have very good records of attendance and attainment. Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2017 Full Good 17/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/06/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 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 independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI upon completion. (Regulation 44(7)) 25/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an incident requiring police involvement in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 25/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months. In order to complete this review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring and evaluating— (a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care received within it; and (c) any actions the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 25/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care through the children’s home and that each child’s plan is followed. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(c)) 25/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which— are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(b)(c)) 25/08/2017

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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. The registered person must ensure 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; help each child understand how to keep safe and identify and act upon signs 25/08/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 5 that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(I)(ii)(iii)) No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19(1)) With particular reference to the postponing of visits to the child’s parents, relatives or friends being used as a sanction. 25/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(2)(d)) 25/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction, undertakes appropriate continuing professional development, receives practice related supervision by an experienced person and has their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(1)(a)(4)(a)(b)(c)) 30/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the behaviour management policy, including individual behaviour management plans, are understood and applied at all times by staff, and that plans are recorded and kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)  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 risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  When a child needs additional health or well-being support, staff should work with the child’s placing authority to enable proper and immediate access to any

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Recommendations

specialist medical, psychological or psychiatric support required, and challenge them through regulation 5 - engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met, if this does not happen. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)  Children should be in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full-time attendance at school unless the child’s relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interest. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  Ensure that young people are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 6 care, and the work undertaken with them, in order to support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection in March 2017, two young people have been discharged from the home. One young person returned to his local authority, while another young person was discharged to a semi-independent setting. There have been two new admissions to the home. At the time of the inspection, four young people are accommodated. Relationships with staff are observed to be good. Staff and young people share appropriate banter and there is a good level of engagement. A young person said, ‘The staff are good. It’s nice here.’ A teacher commented, ‘Staff have great relationships with the young people and this helps them come to school in a positive mood.’ Educational attendance and attainment is inconsistent. While some young people have achieved 100% attendance and make good progress, other young people have disengaged and do not attend school. Staff are not provided with effective systems or strategies to appropriately manage and challenge the young people’s refusal to attend

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improvement to be good

school. Consequently, some young people do not learn the value and importance of their education and how this impacts on their personal aspirations and future life chances. Placement planning requires improvement to be good. Not all young people benefit from individually planned care. Although most placement plans are completed, effective strategies to achieve individual targets and goals are not a consistent feature in the home. For example, key-work sessions are not reflective of the targets and goals of the plan and do not take place consistently. Furthermore, plans are not reviewed and developed in accordance with the changing needs and targets of young people. This lack of strategic thinking in assessing need and planning care results in young people and staff not understanding the aims of the placement. All young people are registered with local healthcare professionals and records of appointments are maintained in the home. On the whole, young people’s general health

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improvement to be good

is suitably maintained and is supported by regular visits from the looked after children’s nurse. However, where external support, such as bereavement counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy, are recommended, records do not evidence or demonstrate what steps the home has taken to address this. As a result, some young people do not receive the most appropriate support in order to address their emotional healthcare needs. Contact with family and friends is suitably supported. Staff provide for visits to the home and ensure that young people and their parents enjoy quality time together. Staff also provide supervision where necessary in order for visits to take place outside of the home. This has proven successful, with one young person’s plan being changed from a Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 7 long-term fostering plan to a reunification with his parents. However, there has been one incident where family contact was postponed due to the negative behaviours

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improvement to be good

displayed by the young person. Records are not reflective of the actions taken by staff or the communication with parents. Contact with family is extremely important for young people and, in accordance with regulation, should not be postponed due to negative behaviours. Regular young people’s meetings take place. These ensure that young people can have a voice in the day-to-day planning in the home, such as planning individual menus, activities and changes to rules or routines. Young people engage well in these meetings. One young person said, ‘We discuss the activities for the week and our favourite food. Some staff are good cooks.’ However, young people’s views about the quality of care they receive, relationships with key workers, or how they feel they are progressing with regards to their plan are not established. Young people’s feedback forms and questionnaires are no longer used in the home in order to make inform and develop

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improvement to be good

practice. Most young people engage in both indoor and outdoor activities on a regular basis. Young people have access to a games room with computer games, board games and a pool table, and regularly compete with staff. They attend go-carting, cycling and trampolining. At the time of the inspection, young people were discussing with staff the annual summer holiday. Some young people have made friends in the community and at school and form positive relationships.

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improvement to be good

Risk management requires improvement to be good. While staff develop individual risk assessments for all young people, assessments do not identify the specifics of risk or how they are to be managed, such as strategies to minimise a young person becoming missing. Likewise, where strategies are identified, such as the response to allegations, these are not followed by staff. Although the assessments are regularly reviewed, there is no evidence to suggest amendments for improved risk management. Since the last inspection in March 2017, there has been an increase in the number of missing episodes. While staff follow procedures and make appropriate missing reports to the police and local authority in accordance with the young person’s risk assessment, strategies to disrupt the pattern of being missing, including direct work to address and manage these risks, are not in place. Furthermore, not all young people are afforded the

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improvement to be good

opportunity for a return home interview by an independent person. As a result, some young people continue with risk-taking behaviours and regularly absent themselves from the home. Staff receive annual training in the use of physical intervention. One staff member said, ‘We always try to defuse any challenges. Restraint is a last resort.’ Since the last inspection, and after the admission of one young person, there had been a rise and subsequent reduction in the use of this intervention. This demonstrates that the young person has become more settled in his environment. Records of intervention include the young person’s debrief and communication with social workers and parents. This shows Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 8 that reflective practice is used to learn about the most effective strategies to manage such incidents. Young people know how to complain. One young person said, ‘We have key workers and

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improvement to be good

social workers and family.’ Contact numbers for Child Line and Ofsted are displayed in the private telephone area for young people to access, should they wish to speak to someone independently of the home. There have been no complaints from young people since the last inspection. Behaviour management methods require improvement to be good. Although the home has a policy and individual behaviour management plan for the management of unacceptable behaviour, this is not clear. For example, incidents of unacceptable or inappropriate behaviour are not recorded in the consequence book, nor is there a record of the action taken to address such behaviours, or how they are to be managed in the future. The lack of a developed plan, agreed with young people, results in inconsistent behaviour management programmes and confusion for young people. Policies and procedures are in place to enable staff to manage situations where young

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improvement to be good

people make allegations. Reference to the policy is made within individual risk assessments, specifically where a young person has a history of making false allegations. This sets out the steps to be taken to ensure the safety of the young person and staff. However, there have been three occasions where a young person has shouted out accusations about staff that have not been responded to appropriately. The manager said, ‘We always report matters to the social worker and family, but due to his history we do not always make a referral to the designated officer.’ This is contrary to the home’s policy and individual risk management. As a result, some safeguarding concerns are not responded to consistently.

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

The registered manager has been in post for 12 months. He has a number of years’ residential experience working with children and young people and is qualified at NVQ level 5. Internal monitoring of the home requires improvement to be good. The registered manager has produced one report since commencing his role in the home. However, this was not forwarded to Ofsted in accordance with regulation 45. Internal monitoring fails to provide a clear analysis of the strengths and areas for improvement in the home. Consequently, some shortfalls are not identified and there is no clear direction in order to prepare and manage improvement. While records evidence that external monitoring in accordance with regulation 44 is taking place, reports are not consistently forwarded to Ofsted for review. This means that the regulatory body is unable to have a consistent overview of the practice in the home and the areas for development.

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

The manager is aware of the procedure for notifying Ofsted of incidents under regulation 40. On the whole, the home has a good record of submitting notifications accordingly. However, there are inconsistencies. Incidents such as a young person being persistently missing have not been notified to Ofsted in accordance with regulation. Prompt Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 9 notification ensures that information is shared with the regulatory agency in order that the actions and outcomes for young people can be suitably assessed. Staff say that they receive regular formal and informal supervision from the registered manager. They feel supported and are able to seek guidance and advice where necessary. Staff also receive regular mandatory training and complete online training via the social care hub. However, records of supervision are not consistently updated. This means that staff are not provided with written feedback on their performance or

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

direction for areas for development. Two new staff have been employed since the last full inspection in March 2017. According to the home’s records, these staff have not completed a comprehensive induction or received supervision. The registered manager stated that the home is in the process of updating its records. Consequently, there is a failure to demonstrate and evidence a crucial step in the employment of new staff and how they are to work with the young people. At the last full inspection, two requirements and three recommendations were made to improve practice. The registered manager was asked to ensure that external monitoring reports were forwarded to Ofsted without delay and to ensure that Ofsted was notified of any event which may impact on the welfare of a young person. These matters are not addressed and, therefore, are restated at this inspection. The registered manager was asked to improve risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These areas

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

remain deficient and are now escalated to requirements in this inspection. The registered manager was asked to improve consultation with young people. This is not achieved and is restated at this inspection. The registered manager has not made progress in addressing the matters raised at the last inspection in March 2017. There are a range of concerns raised at this inspection. As a result, nine requirements and five recommendations are made to address shortfalls in practice.

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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 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: SC479776 10 Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Family Child Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Family Child Care Ltd, 131 Denton Road, Audenshaw, Manchester M34 5BE

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 12 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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