Children's Home run by Future In Mind Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 1 SC067839 Registered provider: Future In Mind 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

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and the organisation operates other children’s homes in the area.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have excellent relationships with staff.  Young people’s emotional health improves.  Staff support young people well when they move on from the home.  Young people enjoy different opportunities and experiences, including holidays abroad.  The manager and staff deliver the home’s therapeutic model of care effectively and successfully.  Young people’s school attendance and learning opportunities improve.  Young people make a positive contribution to the local community through charity work.

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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

 Staff and managers do not inform the placing authority of all serious incidents that occur.  Staff do not consult with young people consistently about the arrangements for their care.  The manager does not assess all potential risks relating to young people, including arrangements for the administration of medication, staffing levels, holidays and sleepovers.  The manager does not effectively evaluate the quality of care and the impact this has on young people’s progress.  The manager does not revise the statement of purpose and provide Ofsted with a copy within the required timescales.  Records do not show the actual hours that staff work.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/08/2016 Full Outstanding 31/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation (1)(c)) 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. 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. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(v)) 30/09/2017

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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 promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(f)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

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 the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child 30/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 4 for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23(2)(b)) The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b) Schedule 4(4)) In particular, staff rosters must reflect actual hours worked. 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; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(2)(a)(b)(c)(4)(a)) 30/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that, where the home has questions or concerns about a child’s medication, they should approach an expert such as a general medical practitioner, community pharmacist or designated nurse for looked-after children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop excellent relationships with staff. Staff establish clear boundaries for young people and provide them with consistent care. As a result, young people develop positive relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Young people benefit from an active lifestyle. For example, dodgeball, football, rugby, dance and sports camp are all included in the young people’s weekly activities. Staff provide young people with balanced and nutritional meals, which promote their health and well-being. Young people access a range of health services and attend appointments. This ensures that young people’s physical and emotional health needs are met. Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 5 Young people make good progress at school. They are more focused on learning and willing to participate in education. Both young people received glowing school reports at the end of the summer term, which show how well they are doing. Because of the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

progress they are making, young people’s confidence grows. This helps them to do well with their learning and improves their life chances. Regular house meetings enable young people to have their say about the day-to-day care that they receive. However, staff do not consult with young people consistently. For example, staff did not discuss with the young people important details about the summer holiday to Spain. As a result, young people had no say about the sleeping arrangements and whether they were comfortable with these. Staff help young people to keep in touch with family and friends. Some young people enjoy ordinary childhood experiences like having sleepovers. Unfortunately, staff do not always consider and manage the impact of this on other young people living in the home. Young people make a positive contribution to the local community. They have raised money for a local charity. As a result, young people become aware of other people’s

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

needs and take steps to help others. This enables them to feel a sense of pride and achievement in their generosity. Young people make significant progress with their emotional well-being. Young people attend therapy on a regular basis. This helps them to make sense of their feelings and experiences. This has a positive impact on young people’s behaviour and they learn different ways of managing their worries and frustrations. One young person has the opportunity to move on to foster care because of the progress he has made. This is a real achievement in terms of how far the young person has come since he arrived at the home a few years ago. Staff work exceptionally well with the young person and professionals to plan his move on from the home. This increases the likelihood of a smooth transition. Good planning helps to reassure the young person and he is very happy and excited about his plan to live with a foster family.

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improvement to be good

Both young people enjoy living at the home. They feel safe and know that the staff care about them. Young people rarely go missing from home and there has been just one such incident since the last full inspection in August 2016. This was out of character for the young person. Prior to the incident, staff did not follow the young person’s risk assessment. Had they done so, this may have prevented him from leaving the home. Staff did take the necessary action to find the young person and ensure his safe return. However, the situation could have been avoided. Staff manage challenging behaviour well. This stops some situations escalating. Furthermore, young people learn to make positive choices about their behaviour. The Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 6 use of physical intervention has reduced significantly, with just eight incidents since the last full inspection. Trained staff use physical intervention and only ever as a last resort.

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improvement to be good

This keeps young people safe from harm. Young people receive praise and rewards in recognition of their good behaviour and achievements. For example, young people enjoy special treats like a visit to the dessert shop, or a chosen activity, to acknowledge the positive choices they have made. Staff sometimes use sanctions to help young people to think about the impact of their behaviour on themselves and other people. Staff receive insufficient guidance about bullying. The home’s statement of purpose and the home’s policy do not give reference to what constitutes bullying. As a result, the staff do not always recognise the signs of bullying behaviour and respond accordingly. They do not record incidents properly and do not review incidents to identify patterns and trends. This has the potential to compromise young people’s safety and their experience of living in the home. Inconsistent risk management leaves young people at potential risk of harm. For

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improvement to be good

example, when one young person returned home, there were no staff available to meet him. A lack of communication between the staff and the young person meant that the young person was left without support and access to the home. This caused him distress. Risk assessments do not contain sufficient information. For example, managers and staff had not reviewed all the potential risks in preparation for the young people’s summer holiday. As a result, managers and staff did not fully consider what the sleeping arrangements would be and how they would keep documents safe. Furthermore, staff do not always follow the guidance that is set out in risk assessments. For example, a young person suffered sunburn when staff failed to follow a risk assessment that advised them to apply sunscreen. As a result, the young person required medical attention. The manager did take immediate action with the staff to review what had happened and took

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improvement to be good

steps to ensure that this did not happen again. Staff do not manage and administer medication as safely as possible. Staff continue to apply prescribed cream against the advice on the label. For example, staff have continued to use cream that should have been discontinued after three months. As a result, staff have administered the cream to a young person when it is has passed its shelf life. Staff do not routinely contact the young person’s general practitioner to check that the homely remedies the home provides have no contra-indications to other prescribed medicines the young people take. Staff do not update risk assessments regularly to add information about medicines that should not be used in conjunction with others. Not all medication is stored in a labelled box that makes it clear who the medication is for. This increases the chance of staff making a mistake when administering medicine. The manager responds well to allegations made against staff. She informs the

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improvement to be good

appropriate safeguarding agencies and ensures that the matter is thoroughly investigated. This promotes young people’s welfare. Managers follow safer recruitment principles. This prevents unsuitable people from working with young people and helps to keep young people safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 7

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

The manager is suitably experienced. She worked in the home as the deputy manager, before becoming the registered manager. The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2017. She is undertaking the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager shows drive and ambition and keeps the young people at the heart of all that she does. The staff team supports her vision and staff do their best to provide individualised care to children. Some aspects of care have slipped since the last full inspection in August 2016. Although shortfalls are not widespread, they have compromised the well-being of young people. An independent visitor monitors the home each month and provides a report to the manager. The manager takes action to address any recommendations that the visitor makes and, in doing so, rectifies shortfalls. This external oversight broadly promotes young people’s welfare. The manager’s internal monitoring systems are not wholly effective. For example,

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

monitoring activity does not routinely identify shortfalls in risk management. Flaws in monitoring systems weaken the manager’s review of the quality of care. The manager does not take account of feedback from young people to shape the development of the home. These shortfalls limit the capacity of the home to improve. Furthermore, the manager does not send the quality of care review report to Ofsted within 28 days. The manager has met four of the five requirements made at the last inspection. Staff ensure that young people have access to medical treatment promptly, thereby promoting young people’s health. Staff have carried out repairs to the home as required, and the home is well maintained. The fire risk assessment records are now up to date and this helps to ensure that young people live in a safe environment. The manager notifies Ofsted of significant events in a timely way. This allows the regulator to carry

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

out its monitoring of the home. On one occasion, staff failed to update a young person’s social worker about a significant incident. Consequently, a requirement made at the last inspection has been repeated. Suitable staffing arrangements provide young people with a continuity of care. The roster does not show when the manager is actually working at the home. This is significant, because she also manages another home in the company and it is not clear how she divides her time between the two homes. New staff receive a good-quality induction. This enables them to understand their role. Staff receive regular supervision and an annual review of their performance. This enables the staff to reflect on their practice and helps them to develop their skills and knowledge. The manager does not keep the statement of purpose up to date. Furthermore, when she does make changes, the manager does not send the revised version to Ofsted in a

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

timely manner. A requirement is raised to address this shortfall. Managers and staff establish positive working relationships with external professionals. As a result, young people receive well-coordinated care. Professionals provide positive feedback about the quality of care provided to young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 8 The staff understand young people’s care plans and work hard to progress these. For example, staff worked well with partner agencies to identify a suitable foster family for a young person. The home provides a welcoming environment that is well furnished and maintained. Young people participate in making home improvements and this helps them to take ownership of where they live. Young people feel relaxed and comfortable living in this home.

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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: SC067839 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Future In Mind Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Future In Mind Limited, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067839 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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