Children's home run by Pine Forest Homes Limited in Cannock Chase

Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 1 SC057688 Registered provider: Pine Forest Homes Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company owns and operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2017

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 13 February 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 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

 Young people’s progress is variable.  Since the last inspection, a number of staff have left. Managers have failed to ensure that young people receive continuity of care.  Relationships between young people are poor. Incidents of bullying are not always recognised. Staff do not consistently provide young people with the practical and emotional skills to improve their relationships.  Individual risk assessments for young people lack sufficient analysis and review. As a result, staff do not always clearly understand how to manage or reduce all known risks.  The management review and evaluation of the home’s records and performance lack rigour. They do not take account of the views of young people, their parents and placing authorities. This hinders improvements in how staff understand and respond to young people’s needs and behaviour.  Leaders and managers do not consistently record the outcomes of allegations.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people do not receive effective support and encouragement from staff to pursue and sustain individual hobbies and interests.  Staff do not evaluate young people’s independence skills.  Staff have not always received effective supervision.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are able to identify staff whom they get on with and can confide in.  Staff ensure that young people maintain regular and positive contact with their families. They provide young people with practical and emotional support to further these relationships.  Staff have recently completed specific training to understand the impact of early trauma on young people’s development and behaviour. This enables them to understand the specific needs of young people.  Staff support young people to maintain good health and well-being. Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 19/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6(2)(vi)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from trusting and respectful relationships.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; and have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11(1)(2)(a)(iv)(xiii)(b)) 30/09/2017

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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; and manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)) 30/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 5 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child; 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; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(2)(e)(f)(h)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must prepare and implement a policy which sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular— provide for records to be kept of an allegation and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(1)(b)(2)(d)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must maintain in the home records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the registered person keeps a copy of the staff roster of persons working in the home, and a record of the actual hours worked. 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must notify the HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(5)) 30/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 6

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Recommendation

 Ensure that staff receive good quality supervision, which allows them sufficient time to reflect on their practice and discuss matters relating to the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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improvement to be good

In the last four months, the registered manager has resigned and some experienced staff have left. These departures have unsettled young people. The registered person has tried to use consistent agency staff. However, the loss of experienced and familiar faces has affected young people. Despite the hard efforts of a core group of staff to promote a continuity of care, the frequent changes in staffing have limited young people’s opportunities to develop trusting relationships. This has not only affected young people’s relationship with the new manager, but has also affected young people’s relationships with each other.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one young person has joined the home. The previous registered manager assessed their admission. The change in dynamics of young people has been unsettling. At times, this has had a negative impact on the relationships between some young people. This has the potential to hinder young people’s experience and progress.

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improvement to be good

At times, relationships between staff and some young people have been difficult. Young people have struggled to accept the changes introduced by the new manager. Some young people ignore rules and boundaries and they have not responded to the staff’s attempts to support them with their behaviour. This has caused some disruption in the home.

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improvement to be good

Some young people attend school and do well with their learning. Others have been supported by staff to return to alternative education provision. Staff work well with education workers to help young people to overcome barriers to their learning. Young people receive bespoke support to help them to engage and return to learning. As a result, young people learn at a pace that they can manage. Because of the support they receive, young people’s learning opportunities increase.

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improvement to be good

Staff meet young people’s health needs appropriately. Staff support and encourage young people to access and engage with a range of specialist services to promote their physical and emotional well-being.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s preparation for independent living is not progressed and evaluated. Staff do not work with agreed plans to help young people develop their life skills. Although young people have gained some practical independence skills, there is no Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 7 assessment or evaluation of key skills. This makes it difficult to assess their readiness to move on and to measure their progress.

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improvement to be good

Young people do not receive support and encouragement from staff to engage in positive activities outside of the home. Staff do not progress opportunities for young people to develop sporting talents and individual hobbies. For example, young people who attended sports groups in previous placements have not received support to continue with these activities. This limits the opportunities that young people have to participate in leisure activities.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the value of young people having contact with their families so that they do not feel isolated. Staff promote contact, enabling families to visit the young person in their home or to go out with the young person on activities in the community. This means that young people are able to maintain their relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Young people know how to make a complaint. Young people can identify a safe adult whom they can confide in. They are confident to involve external professionals and advocacy services. This helps young people to feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between young people are sometimes volatile. There have been incidents when young people have been assaulted by other residents. At times, young people have not felt safe because other young people have bullied them. This affects young people’s welfare and their experience of living in the home. Staff do take steps to protect young people. Staff make it clear to young people that bullying is not acceptable. However, they do not always recognise the significance of individual incidents of bullying and the potential emergence of a bullying culture in the home. Furthermore, the staff do not provide young people with the practical and emotional skills to improve their relationships with each other.

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improvement to be good

The number of aggressive incidents directed at staff by young people has increased, some of which have required police involvement. The significance of these events does not trigger any assessment by the manager to determine whether she needs to notify Ofsted. This means that the manager does not always inform the regulator of significant events. Furthermore, a lack of evaluation by the manager limits her capacity to put effective strategies in place to safeguard young people and staff.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of young people going missing from the home are reducing. Staff work with family members, placing authorities and local police officers to consider increased risks, for example, young people’s vulnerability to child sexual exploitation. When young people do go missing, staff do not consistently review or update missing from home risk assessments following these episodes. As a result, staff do not make sure that risk-reduction strategies accurately reflect young people’s complex behaviours. This does not fully promote young people’s safety and welfare. Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 8 Staff complete training in the use of physical restraint and de-escalation techniques. The use of this measure of control is rare. Staff have recently undertaken training to improve their understanding of the impact of early trauma on children’s behaviour and development. This training has helped staff to identify alternative strategies they can use to

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improvement to be good

For those young people at risk of self-harm, staff are alert to the signs that young people are struggling to cope. Staff try to be creative in responding to these behaviours and work with specialist services so that young people receive the support they need to manage their emotions safely.

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improvement to be good

Young people receive consequences to help them to understand how their behaviour affects themselves and other people. This has mixed results, and some young people are more responsive than others. Praise is given verbally, and young people receive rewards when they do well. The new manager has recently introduced new individual behaviour targets. Young people work towards receiving extra financial rewards linked to activities. This has received a mixed response from the young people and its effectiveness has yet to be evaluated.

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improvement to be good

Staff show a good understanding of those young people who are vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Staff undertake targeted key-work sessions to support young people to be safe and to understand the risks themselves.

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improvement to be good

Core staff refresh their safeguarding training. This training includes modules on child protection, safeguarding legislation, the management of allegations, child sexual exploitation, forced marriage and radicalisation.

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improvement to be good

The manager followed appropriate safeguarding procedures in response to an allegation. However, her recording of the allegation and its outcome was incomplete. This lack of transparency compromises young people’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment practice protects young people. Before managers appoint staff, they vet and assess their suitability. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. This requirement, raised at the last inspection, has been met.

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

The previous manager resigned in March 2017. A new manager began work in May 2017. She is in the process of submitting an application to register with Ofsted. The new manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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

The home has had a turbulent few months with the change in manager and staff vacancies. Staff changes have affected young people’s sense of permanency and stability. The majority of vacancies have now been filled, and new staff are due to start at the end of August 2017. Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 9 The new manager has not always completed staff rotas correctly. As a result, it is not always clear which staff have been working in the home and the hours they have completed.

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

The new manager has yet to develop a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She is yet to establish effective monitoring systems, and a development plan remains outstanding. The new manager has started to make changes to take the home forward. However, her limited time in post means that she has not yet had the opportunity to fully embed these.

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

The majority of staff have completed the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. The remaining staff are enrolled on the course and are on track to complete it within the required timescale.

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

Staff receive supervision; however, the quality of this is variable. Staff do not always have the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and on young people’s progress. This does not support their learning and understanding on how best to support young people to stay safe and make progress.

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

An independent person monitors the home each month and writes a report. Areas identified for improvement are shared with the manager. The previous registered manager completed the internal quality of care review in March 2017. This reviews the progress achieved and identifies areas for future progress. However, the views of family members, social workers and other professionals are not considered. This means that the manager is unable to effectively assess how the home meets the needs of young people living there. This limits the capacity of the home to improve

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

Partnership working between the manager, the placing authority and other professionals is good. The manager and staff maintain constructive relationships with education workers, police officers and children’s social workers. The manager and staff challenge other professionals when necessary, to secure appropriate services for young people. Collaborative working relationships help to promote young people’s welfare.

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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 whom 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 10 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: SC057688 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pine Forest Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ballance & Lowbridge , Accountants, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspectors

Anne Daly, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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