Children's home run by Cornwall Council in Cornwall

Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 1 SC368934 Registered provider: Cornwall Council

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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 home is registered to provide a short break service for up to 21 children and young people who have learning difficulties and/or physical difficulties. The home is managed and owned by the local authority.

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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 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

Date of last inspection: 24 February 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 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 property is not homely. The building is also restrictive for young people with mobility needs.  The care provided to young people is not consistently of a good standard.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers have high aspirations for the care that staff provide to the young people. This is evidenced by the awareness of poor practice and the systems in place to raise standards.  Feedback from parents overall confirmed that young people greatly enjoy visiting the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 20 (b)(iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to the blending of meals, the registered provider must ensure that young people are provided with different taste experiences and are supported to choose which foods that they like to eat. This specifically relates to the need to puree different foods separately.

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard (1) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) develop positive relationships with them; (b) engage with them; and (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) ensure that staff— (i) ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the 06/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 4 child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; (ii) help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; (iii) help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the views of children and young people must consistently be sought in order to ensure that they are able to share their needs, wishes and feelings. Furthermore, ways to promote communicate with children and young people who possess limited communication abilities must be developed. Access to advocacy services must also be available to all children and young people. 9: The enjoyment and achievement standard (1) The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff help each child to— (i) develop the child’s interests and hobbies; (ii) participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

(iii) make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and (b) that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. Specifically, all the children and young people who visit the home must be provided with enjoyable experiences. 06/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) 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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is 02/08/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 5 at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

(b) 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. Specifically, the sharing of safeguarding information with the relevant professionals must happen in a timely manner. It is also important the young people’s needs, wishes and feelings are sought when safeguarding issues are identified. 33: Employment of staff (4)(a) Ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. In particular, training in augmented communication. 06/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, April 2015, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  As outlined in 10.1, the registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child’s perspective. Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that any emergency placements do not impact negatively on the provision already in place for young people who already routinely stay at the home for scheduled

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Recommendations

breaks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, April 2015, page 54, paragraph 10.15) Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 6

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improvement to be good

This property is not a homely environment for young people. The premises are outdated and the décor is somewhat institutional. Numerous areas lack colour and are starkly decorated; these include the sensory room and the bedroom areas. These areas are not personalised to a good standard for young people. Accessibility is also poor; for example, the sensory room door size and the staircases limit independence for the young people who use wheelchairs. There are two accessible and well-equipped outdoor play areas, one of these areas is shared with another home and a school. The staff team fails to engage all of the young people who use the service, to ensure that they are provided with enjoyable experiences. Staff are attentive towards children with higher level care needs; however, those who are deemed to need less attentive care are left to their own devices. Leaders and managers confirm to the inspector that

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improvement to be good

there had been enough staff on site to engage these young people in activities. The staff team fail to consider young people’s preferences and quality of experiences during meal times. Some young people were given their meals blended together. This did not provide varied taste experiences for the young people, or the opportunity to indicate which foods they do and do not like to eat. This is poor practice and has, therefore, led to the making of a requirement in respect of the need to promote dignity and choice for young people. A number of parents were spoken with during this inspection. Overall, the feedback provided is very positive. They all talk about how their children love to stay at the home for respite. The parents described the staff as attentive and nurturing with their children. One parent commented, ‘They give her a bath, and she comes home smelling beautiful. We don’t have a bath at home. They really bother with her.’ A social worker spoken with

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improvement to be good

also commented on some really positive and nurturing care which she had seen provided to one young person.

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improvement to be good

There is a robust system in place which supports the safe monitoring and administration of medication. There have been no medication errors. There has been one safeguarding incident since the last inspection. This matter was not reported to the relevant professionals in a timely manner, and Ofsted was not notified. The young person’s needs, wishes and feelings were not established. Furthermore, there are no independent advocacy services available for young people at this time. This prevents young people from sharing their needs, wishes and feelings independently of the home. Another incident that required safeguarding action was handled well. The support given to the young person involved was tailored to meet their needs and the needs of other young people. Both the risk assessment and behaviour management plan were also Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 7 updated to ensure that staff were provided with clear guidance.

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improvement to be good

In the event of a fire, young people are not able to set off fire alarms; only staff are able to active the alarms. Leaders and managers view that this is justified, given that young people have previously activated the alarms unnecessarily. However, there is no risk assessment in place to clarify how this risk is managed and how this decision was safely reached.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for the care that staff provide to young people. The registered manager, and her deputy managers, are seeking to address any shortfalls within the team’s practice. This is undertaken through regular supervision and clear development planning. Care planning documentation is of a good standard. For example, individualised plans support young people to achieve their specific targets and goals. Information is easy to access within young people’s files and regularly updated to ensure that guidance is relevant. The training needs of staff are monitored closely. There remains a development need, specifically regarding augmented communication. This was made a requirement at the last inspection and is yet to be fully addressed. As a result, the staff team continues to be unable to fully engage young people. This is particularly problematic when young people are worried or upset.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment practice is of a good standard. This is followed by a rigorous induction process. There is a stable core staff team. However, further staff are needed in order to ensure that the home is fully staffed and that the needs of young people are met. New staff are soon to join the team; however, there will still be a deficit due to some staff being away from work. The registered manager is advocating for the needs of the young people who she cares for and is seeking to ensure that the service is not overstretched.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 8 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: SC368934 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3AY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tony Phillips-Jones

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Inspector

Polly Soper, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 10 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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