Children's home run by Total Care Matters Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 1 SC449954 Registered provider: Total Care Matters 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

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 September 2017

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are making good progress in all areas of their development. Their health, both physical and emotional, is improving, and they are developing in confidence. Progress at school is also good. Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 2  Young people have positive relationships with staff. Staff care about the young people’s welfare and they want the best for them. Young people like living at this home, and they are happy and settled.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Consultation with young people is good. Young people are encouraged to express their wishes and feelings, and their views are taken seriously.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are becoming increasingly safe as a result of the care and support that staff provide. Incidences of self-harm and missing from care are decreasing.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff team is committed to improving young people’s outcomes. Staff benefit from relevant training and support that improves their competence and knowledge base.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Partnership working is effective. Staff are good at sharing information with partner agencies in order to promote consistent care. The manager will also challenge partners if there are deficits in service provision or shortfalls in care planning.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The new manager is getting to know the young people and the staff. She has made a good start and the feedback is positive.

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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

 The recording of sanctions requires improvement. Financial sanctions have been used inappropriately on a small number of occasions. In addition, the records of sanctions have not been maintained consistently. Not only is this a breach of the regulations, but it also limits the effectiveness of managerial oversight.

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Key findings from this inspection

 When young people go missing from the home, there is not a clear record of the actions that staff take to ensure that a return home interview is offered. The records of these interviews are not obtained consistently, and they are not used to improve safeguarding practice.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s case records do not provide a clear enough record of their time in the home. Out-of-date information is not removed, there are duplicate copies of some documents, and some information has not been updated. Therefore, staff may not be clear about the actions they need to take to care for and support the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Not all staff have received formal supervision on a regular basis since the previous manager left. This has, therefore, limited their opportunities to discuss their practice in a safe and private setting. Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/06/2016 Full Outstanding 03/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/10/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 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 registered person must ensure that: within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to children in the home, a record is made which includes (a)(i)-(viii); within 48 hours the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within five days of the use of the measure, adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(b)(i)(ii),(c)) 27/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 27/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (2) The following measures may not be used to discipline any child: (f) imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19(1)(2)(f)) 27/10/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 5 needs of 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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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of the information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress in this home. One young person said: ‘I have made loads of progress. I have stopped self-harming, I don’t run away, and I go to school.’ An independent reviewing officer commented: ‘Staff have made a significant effort to make it work. They really understand her. She has done better than I thought she would.’ Staff take time to understand the young people, and they provide nurturing care within firm boundaries. Individualised care and support ensures that all the young people’s needs, including those relating to gender identity, sexuality and culture, are met. This promotes positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

From their starting points, young people have improved their educational attendance and attainment. One young person has moved into the top set at school, and her attendance is 98.94%. Her teacher said: ‘Her attitude is absolutely amazing.’ Another young person, whose previous school attendance was very poor, has started to attend school regularly, and she has a positive attitude towards education. If there are difficulties in accessing education or employment, the staff and manager are in regular contact with the placing local authorities to try to obtain suitable provision. Young people’s health, both emotional and physical, also improves because they are encouraged and supported to access relevant services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have very positive relationships with staff, and they are happy and settled. One young person said: ‘It’s very good here. My confidence has grown, and staff are encouraging and supportive.’ Young people know that staff have young people’s best interests at heart. This provides them with the confidence to confide in staff, as well as take notice of the advice they are given. One young person said: ‘I have had loads of great conversations with my key worker.’ Key-work sessions are used effectively to discuss issues that are meaningful and relevant to the young people, and to improve their outcomes and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are consulted in a variety of ways, and they feel that their views are taken seriously. There are regular house meetings, key-work sessions, consultations and informal discussions. A recent house meeting was used to discuss the redecoration of Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 6 bedrooms and to ascertain the views of the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to have interests outside of the home. They can bring friends back, and they can do activities such as horse-riding, dancing and swimming. Young people also like going shopping and having trips to the cinema. Two young people went on holiday with staff during the summer period. These experiences improve the quality of their life and help to develop their skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions into and out of the home are well managed and well planned. The manager assesses the impact of a new young person on the existing group, and will only offer a place if she is confident that the home can meet the young person’s needs. One young person said of her admission that she was made welcome, and she was given written information about the home. This helped her to settle. Whenever possible, young people visit the home prior to their admission, although this is not always possible or appropriate. No young people have left the home since the last inspection. However, young people are given the appropriate preparation to be independent, so that they have the necessary skills to look after themselves when they move on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people are placed at a distance from their home local authority, staff make sure that young people access the relevant services and continue to maintain contact with people who are important to them. Staff will provide transport and supervision when this is necessary. This commitment to support contact arrangements leads to improving relationships with family members.

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

Young people feel safe, and they are becoming increasingly safe as a result of the care and support they are receiving in this home. For example, one young person’s risk of being sexually exploited has reduced from high to low. Incidents of self-harm are decreasing, and the young people rarely go missing or are absent without authority. These were significant risks for all the young people at the time of their admission. Young people get on well together and there is no bullying. Consequently, the home is a settled and happy place to live.

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

Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. There are clear written procedures to follow if young people go missing. However, the multi-purpose incident reports do not provide a detailed record of the actions that staff take. There is not a clear audit trail of the efforts that staff make in relation to independent return home interviews. The subsequent reports of these interviews are not available consistently. Therefore, these important documents are not used effectively to inform risk management plans and minimise further incidents. This is a missed opportunity to improve safeguarding practice.

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

Behaviour is generally well managed in this home. Sanctions and physical intervention are rarely used. Incentives and rewards are used effectively to improve young people’s behaviour. However, on two separate occasions, and for two young people, financial sanctions were used inappropriately. The manager has already identified this shortfall, Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 7 and has clarified the use of financial sanctions so that staff are aware of the circumstances in which these can be used legitimately. In addition, the records of sanctions are not good enough. The multi-purpose incident form has not been used effectively to record the sanctions when they are given. The consequence log has also not been used to record all the sanctions that have been given. Therefore, managerial oversight has been limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager left the home in July 2017. The company took prompt action to appoint a new manager, and she took up the post in August. The new manager is in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager is child focused and aspirational. She wants the very best for the young people in her care, and she is keen to support the staff to enable them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective, high quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, there are good monitoring systems in the home, although the manager wants to improve this through a more effective file audit system and more formal stakeholder consultation. Young people’s progress is monitored through a behaviour data system, and a review of the risk ratings across all the identified areas of risk. This gives a clear pictorial representation of progress, and identifies where further changes need to occur. Although there is a development plan for the home, the new manager intends to add to this, following her own analysis of the strengths and areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good professional relationships are evident. A social worker said: ‘Communication is good and staff always pass on information to me. We are working well together.’ This view is shared by other stakeholders contacted during this inspection, one of whom said: ‘I can’t fault the communication.’ Good communication ensures that everyone working within the young people’s networks is up to date with the current situation so that they can provide consistent care and support. The quality of relationships with other professionals enables the manager and staff to have helpful discussions about the young people’s plans, and provide challenge where necessary. An independent reviewing officer said: ‘The quality of the reports for the reviews are very good. Communication is good and staff alert me to any concerns.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home promotes tolerance, equality and diversity well. Young people’s individual needs are respected and met well. Staff have had training in issues such as gender identity, self-harm and drug misuse, so that they have a good understanding of these areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The last few months have seen a significant turnover of staff for a variety of reasons. Consequently, the current staff team is relatively new, and only one staff member has the required qualification. Others are either undertaking this qualification, or will do so when they have completed their probationary period successfully. Despite this, staff morale is good, and staff are committed to the young people and they know them well. Staff are pleased with the swift appointment of the new manager, and they have already Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 8 seen positive changes, such as more detailed shift planning and improved accountability. However, opportunities for formal staff supervision have lapsed in the last two months due to the change of manager. Therefore, staff have had limited opportunity to talk about and reflect on their practice in a safe and private forum.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people’s case records require some improvement. Although many of the documents are very detailed and comprehensive, there is some duplication, and some records contain out-of-date information. This does not provide young people with a coherent account of their time in the home or the progress they are making. In addition, staff may not be clear about the most recent changes to plans, and this could lead to inconsistent care and support.

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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 differences 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 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: SC449954 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Total Care Matters Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 230 Bathley Street, Nottingham NG2 2ER

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Inspector

Ros Chapman, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC449954 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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