Children's home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 1 SC477040 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) 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

A private company operates this home and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders, managers and staff place the needs of young people at the centre of their practice. They provide good care and support and encourage young people to make positive choices.  Young people are supported to maintain relationships with their families and those who are important to them, based on their individual needs and circumstances.  Placing authorities and relatives speak highly of the quality of care and support provided to the young people, and staff’s commitment to encouraging good outcomes.  The registered manager and the staff take robust action when young people go missing or are absent from the home. The registered manager takes effective action to arrange meetings with providers and external agencies when young people’s actions give cause for concern.  Staff have a good awareness and understanding of safeguarding procedures and protocols. There is good collaboration between staff, external agencies and

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Key findings from this inspection

authorities which promotes the safety and well-being of young people.  Young people live in a homely environment and are offered a wide range of activities.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers have been asked to ensure that all young people’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, and that all staff receive training in understanding attachments and supporting young people who self- harm.  The registered manager has been asked to ensure that his review of the quality of care contains a detailed action plan to demonstrate how improvements will be made.  The registered manager has been asked to ensure that all staff receive fire drill training, that there is a detailed locality risk assessment in place, and that record-keeping is improved.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 3 06/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 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 staff-

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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 harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all risk assessments are reviewed and updated to reflect young people’s individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive training in understanding attachments and supporting young people who self-harm.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous 30/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 5 improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home, and so far as reasonably practical, children are made aware of the procedures to be followed in case of a fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d)) 21/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. In addition, demonstrate that young people are being provided a minimum of 25 hours a week education if not attending full-time education. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 9.60)  Ensure that the locality review of the home includes detailed information about the risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location, and the strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good care and support. Staff ensure that young people’s day-to- day needs are met, that their privacy and dignity are promoted and that there are no unnecessary restrictions imposed on them. Placing authorities and relatives speak highly of the care and support young people receive and the commitment of the staff team to promoting good outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are mixed outcomes for some young people. One young person who recently left the home to move into more independent living has written to the staff team. The letter contains extremely positive comments that refer to the help and support that they received, including the staff’s ‘listening ear’ when needed, and the fun they had.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the efforts of staff to encourage young people to attend their education Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 6 provisions and not to be absent or go missing, on occasions they have failed to engage young people in order for them to make positive choices. However, external agencies, authorities and relatives speak highly of the encouragement and support young people receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide young people who are not attending full-time education with structured activities. However, records do not demonstrate that young people are being provided with a minimum of 25 hours a week of education if they are not attending full-time education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are provided with opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences. They are supported and encouraged to maintain contact with their family and friends based on their individual circumstances. Staff work positively and proactively with young people’s family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have good access to specialist help and support. They have access to local health services when they need them.

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

Safeguarding practice is good. Leaders and managers ensure that allegations or issues of concern are acted upon appropriately. Comprehensive records are kept to demonstrate the action that has been taken and the subsequent outcomes. The designated officer for the local authority does not identify any issues in relation to the reporting process. Social workers, an independent reviewing officer, police and relatives say that staff promote young people’s safety and well-being. Staff demonstrate a good awareness and understanding of safeguarding principles and protocols.

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

Despite efforts made by staff to discourage young people from being absent, or going missing, the incidents of young people going missing have increased since the last inspection. However, when young people do go missing, staff follow the agreed protocols, and actively search the local vicinity and the much wider community. Staff attempt to make contact with young people, and are often successful in this; they encourage them to return and enquire about their safety. Staff ensure that all agencies and authorities are kept informed. A social worker said, ‘The staff go above and beyond, they keep me updated.’ A young person said, ‘They encourage me to come home, be safe; I know they care about me.’

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

When young people return home, staff welcome them back. They undertake return home interviews and ensure that young people receive an independent interview. However, on occasions young people choose not to take part in these interviews.

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

The registered manager is extremely proactive and works effectively with placing authorities, police and relatives in order to promote young people’s safety. He escalates his concerns in relation to missing from home incidents and matters in relation to young people’s behaviour when they are missing. As a result of this, strategy meetings are Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 7 convened and actions are agreed.

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

Restraint is used as a last resort. Detailed records are kept of the interventions used, and these meet regulations. Staff receive training in the home’s preferred methods of de-escalation and restraint.

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

The registered manager ensures that risk assessments identify the known risks and how these are to be managed. However, not all risk assessments have been updated to reflect recent incidents of concern. The registered manager has completed the Local Safeguarding Children Board’s child sexual exploitation risk assessment tool where required, and has copies of risk assessments that have been completed by other agencies and authorities. All staff have received training in supporting young people at risk of child sexual exploitation.

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

Young people live in an environment that is safe and well maintained. Fire safety is promoted and all staff have received fire awareness training. However, not all newly appointed staff have taken part in a fire drill.

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

The registered manager has completed a locality risk assessment. Although the assessment identifies potential risks, these are not described in detail and the assessment does not clearly identify the opportunities presented by the home’s location.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection a new registered manager has been appointed to the home. He is an experienced manager and has the skills, experience and qualifications to undertake his role. He works effectively with external agencies, placing authorities and relatives of the young people to promote good outcomes for them. A social worker said, ‘I cannot fault the home, they keep us up to date.’ Another social worker said, ‘I always get clear information.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that there is regular external scrutiny of the quality of care provided and responds swiftly to any recommendations that are made. Since his appointment he has completed a review of the quality of care. The review identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the quality of care, but he has not been specific about how the identified improvements are to be made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff give good help and support to young people and they put them at the centre of their practice. A social worker said, ‘I have been impressed with the staff team, they have gained a quick insight into the young person’s needs.’ A relative said, ‘The staff are all very good, I have no concerns about his care.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that all appropriate agencies are informed of any significant events at the home and take robust action to address these. They address poor staff performance effectively. Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 8 Leaders and managers ensure that there is a robust staff recruitment and selection process. The home is suitably staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the young people. Some staff have recently been appointed to work in the home, and have completed a detailed induction programme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive mandatory training in areas such as first aid and safeguarding. In addition, staff have received training in e-safety, missing from care and equality and diversity. However, not all staff have received training in understanding attachments and supporting young people who self-harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with detailed placement plans that provide them with clear guidance on how young people’s needs are to be met. Placing authorities are provided with a monthly summary that details the care and support that have been provided. Young people live in a safe and homely environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some records that staff maintain are not always clear and concise, and do not always contain professional language.

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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: SC477040 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

David Kidner: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 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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