Children's home run by Trax Care Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 1 SC368329 Registered provider: Trax Care Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is one of several operated by a private provider.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home is inadequate because:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The home has been without a registered manager for over 26 weeks.  Safeguarding practice is poor. A number of safeguarding concerns have not been recognised or appropriately addressed.  A lack of effective monitoring and evaluation has led to an increase in young people‟s risk-taking behaviour.  Managers and staff do not understand the needs and risks of young people. Furthermore, they fail to manage the risks to young people safety.  A large number of significant incidents have not been properly addressed, and consequently young people and staff are left in a vulnerable position.  Managers do not protect and support staff from abusive behaviour. Staff feel let-down by managers and unsupported by colleagues.  There is a failure to help young people to understand and manage their behaviours in a positive or consistent way. In addition, young people are not supported to make safer decisions and instead risk-taking behaviours increase.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people‟s transitions to and from the home are poorly managed. Impact risk assessments, matching of young people‟s needs and decision-making are poor.  The home is not managed in a way that is consistent with its ethos and stated aims and objectives.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Interim management arrangements have started to have a positive impact for young people and staff.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 10/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 3

p.2

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 with the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

7. The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard

p.3

Requirement Due date

The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that the registered person must ensure that— (1) children receive care from staff who— (c) take their 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 ensure that staff ascertain and consider each child‟s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child‟s best interests when making decisions about the child‟s care and welfare. 11/08/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the registered person must ensure that— (1)(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met; (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) (ii) that staff help each child to understand the child‟s well- being needs and the options available in relation to the child‟s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child‟s age and understanding. 11/08/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that the registered person must ensure that— (1) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 11/08/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 4 (c) positive responses to other children and adults.

p.3

Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard*

p.4

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (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 at risk of harm; (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. 21/07/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard*

p.4

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered persons must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) 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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (e) ensure that the home‟s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 21/07/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that the registered persons must ensure that children— (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; (b) have a positive experience of arriving at the home or moving 11/08/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 5 on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (b)(i) that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (3)(a) The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of revision. (5) Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. 11/08/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. 11/08/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. 11/08/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

44. Independent person: visits and reports

p.5

Requirement Due date

(4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. 11/08/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality 11/08/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 6 of care provided for children (“a quality of care review review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.5

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

This inspection found that the home is consistently failing to plan care effectively for young people. Managers and staff do not understand the presenting needs and risks for young people, and as a result assessments and care planning are poor. Managers and staff fail to help young people progress. Young people‟s behaviour deteriorates from the start of their placement and risk-taking behaviour increases.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not understand young people‟s needs and risk, and therefore care plans are not clear or effective. Managers and staff do not monitor young people‟s care plans and thus changes to their risks and needs are not assessed. Therefore, care plans are out of date and unhelpful to the day-to-day care of the young people. The care that the young people receive is not in line with the statement of purpose for the home.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people are not empowered to share their wishes and feelings. For example, staff take the lead at young people‟s meetings, where they give instructions on behaviour rather than the meeting being a place for young people to express their wishes and feelings. Furthermore, young people are not encouraged to be part of their individual care planning.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Impact assessments are of a poor quality and the matching process is weak. Managers and staff miss key historical risk factors and the detrimental impact these can have on young people. For instance, one young person had successfully abstained from substance misuse in his last placement, a contributory factor largely being the rural location of his placement. Therefore, a key risk for the young person was moving from a rural location to an inner city area. This information did not form part of the impact risk assessment before he moved into the home. Another omission was failing to consider the risk that the young person would influence others to take substances. Consequently, both young people living at the home began to take substances on a daily basis shortly after arriving at their placement. These missed opportunities placed young people at risk.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people do not receive a good induction into the home and expectations are not clear. Shortly after arriving at the home, young people are having a negative influence on each other and display challenging behaviour that staff do not manage well. In addition, young people start to display new challenging behaviours that they have learned from each other. An example of this is that one young person has started to verbally abuse staff by using racist and homophobic language. Managers do not respond Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 7 to this behaviour effectively and consequently the incidents increase. This demonstrates a lack of understanding and monitoring of young people‟s behaviour patterns. Furthermore, a failure to update assessments and plans to reflect the changes in young people‟s behaviour and risks does not allow staff to safeguard young people effectively.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not understand or implement consistent risk management strategies. For example, one strategy was for staff to call the police if cannabis was brought into the home. Staff on many occasions saw young people smoking cannabis and recording that they smelt evidence of cannabis in young people‟s bedrooms. Despite this, staff did not contact the police. This demonstrates a failure to adhere to agreed protocols and strategies in place to address this concern. This failure compromises young people‟s overall protection and well-being.

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not monitor and review young people‟s placements effectively. Consequently, issues rapidly drift. For example, young people started to use cannabis on a daily basis and became increasingly aggressive towards staff. The responses by staff to these behaviours is not sufficiently robust. Accountability and decision-making among staff is also poor. Consequently, placements end abruptly and this has a negative impact on the outcomes for young people.

p.7

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff have failed to assess and manage the risk of harm to each individual young person effectively. For example, fire setting behaviours are not identified and assessed. This is despite the information regarding this risk being available within the young people‟s local authority documentation. Furthermore, young people are persistently smoking tobacco and cannabis in their bedrooms, in the garden and on supervised activities. Staff do not consistently intervene when this happens. Nor do they offer any help or support to young people following these incidents. No clear strategies are in place to manage this increasingly risk-taking behaviour. Plans are not reflective of the changes to young people‟s risk and need. In addition to this, staff do not identify the protective factors to help reduce the risk factors.

p.7

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There is a failure to see young people‟s risk-taking behaviours, such as gambling, as a risk, and instead staff take young people to arcades as an arranged activity. This increases young people‟s accessibility to money and therefore young people have additional funds to purchase cannabis. Additional concerns, such as drug debts and stealing from the home to buy drugs, are also not adequately assessed. Furthermore, staff fail to identify potential risks in the community relating to drug debts and strategies are not put in place to safeguard young people.

p.7

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Direct work completed between staff and young people is poor, with little focus on individual areas of concern. Consequently, there is little support for young people to encourage them to make safer decisions. Instead, they develop patterns of behaviour that staff do not understand and consequently risk-taking behaviours increase.

p.7

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff have not had training in required safeguarding practices. Furthermore, staff have not had training on drug awareness and substance misuse, despite this being a key risk Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 8 factor for the young people in their care. Staff do not have the required skills to care for young people adequately.

p.7

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The day-to-day care of young people is not being delivered to keep young people safe from harm. Key areas of risk are missed and thus young people are not safeguarded or protected from harm.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager for more than 26 weeks. There have been two managers in charge of the home over the past 12 months, but neither were registered with Ofsted. The appointed managers have failed to submit the required application for registration to Ofsted. Non-compliance with this regulatory requirement was highlighted at the full inspection on 10 October 2016 and the subsequent interim inspection on 30 March 2017. It is therefore of concern that this issue remains outstanding at this inspection.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management arrangements have not been effective in raising standards at the home for a considerable amount of time. Interim managers have recently been appointed to oversee the home and issues are beginning to be explored and addressed. A new manager has been appointed and she intends to put in her application to register with Ofsted.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recent managers have failed to manage the home in line with the statement of purpose. The document is out of date. Young people do not receive the quality of care as stated in the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. Furthermore, the allocation of resources is not as set out in the statement of purpose. For example, it states that there will be two sleep-in staff on duty. However, when inspectors‟ arrived at the children‟s home there had only been one staff member sleeping-in the night before. In addition to this, the young person living at the home is on a ratio of two staff for one young person. Thus, these staffing arrangements did not comply with his care plan.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Morale in the staff team is low. Team meetings are not regular or meaningful. Staff are unsupported and left to deal with challenging behaviour without any help or guidance. Staff receive no help in managing situations that then have an impact on their own emotional health and well-being. For example, one staff member had been the subject of continuous racist and homophobic abuse and this had not been addressed. In addition, no formal or informal supervision was available to support this member of staff. This is not in line with the supervision policy, nor does it provide the member of staff with the necessary support mechanisms to carry out her role effectively. It does not give young people consistent messages about their inappropriate behaviours.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staffing resources are poor. There is an over-reliance on the use of casual staff. Fourteen casual staff members were used at the home within a three-month period. This does not provide continuity of care for young people. In addition to this, the young people‟s assessments and plans were not correct, and therefore casual staff are not working in line with the young people‟s needs and risks. Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 9 Staff have not had training in a number of key areas, such as safeguarding and drug awareness. This does not equip them with the necessary skills to meet the needs of the young people in their care. The training matrix is out of date and current staff are not listed on it. Management oversight of training is poor and thus staff do not have the required knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the young people.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to notify Ofsted of all serious incidents at the home in line with regulation. In addition, the submission of notifications does not always happen in a timely way.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Scrutiny of the home is not effective and consequently the home does not receive appropriate challenge and support to improve.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight and the monitoring and evaluation of records are poor. There is a clear culture of management reviewing documents without the evaluation of practice. The lack of effective monitoring and management oversight have resulted in a failure to identify significant shortfalls in the quality of care for young people and the quality of support for staff.

p.9

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.

p.9

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: SC368329 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Affinity House, Station View, Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 5ER

p.10

Inspectors

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC368329 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.

p.10

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11