Children's Home run by Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children's home: SC378187 1 SC378187 Registered provider: Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) 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 is a privately owned children’s home for up to two young people who 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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Inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected Inadequate

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Inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Inadequate

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Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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Inadequate

Date of last inspection: 26 January 2017

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Inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people become involved in anti-social and criminal activities within the local Inspection report children's home: SC378187 2 area. Staff have not responded to these effectively to minimise risk to young people and others.  Young people go missing from home. Staff do not implement effective strategies to reduce this risky behaviour.  Care planning does not include the views of the young people.  Staff do not consult with young people effectively about their day-to-day care and plans.  Staff do not maintain good records relating to behaviour management.  Managers and staff do not help young people to take responsibility for their behaviour.  Young people do not attend education on a regular basis.  Staff make errors when recording the administration of medication to young people.  Managers do not provide staff with an annual appraisal.  Staff do not keep up to date with training and so do not develop the skills that

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Key findings from this inspection

they need to provide good standards of care.  Managers do not review the suitability of the home’s location.  Managers do not notify Ofsted of significant events that have taken place in the home and local community, involving young people at the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff support young people to develop and maintain relationships with people who are important to them.  Staff support young people to maintain good health.  The home is a pleasant and comfortable environment.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/09/2016 Full Good 16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC378187 3

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(iii)) 29/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(ii)(iii)(v)) 29/10/2017

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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; staff will help each child to understand how to keep safe; and have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 29/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC378187 4 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(c)(f)) 29/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that young people’s placement plans reflect their day-to-day needs, that staff follow these plans and, when there are concerns, ensure that managers and staff work together with the placing authority to coordinate plans. 29/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 29/10/2017

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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 a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(vii)

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to recording sanctions. 29/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 29/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure the registered person notifies HMCI and each other relevant person without delay of all events outlined within this regulation. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 29/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46(1)) 29/10/2017

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Recommendations

Inspection report children's home: SC378187 5  Ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people’s progress overall, since the last inspection, has been poor. The number of times that young people go missing from the home has increased. Young people become involved in anti-social behaviour and criminality. This puts them and others at risk of harm. Furthermore, it compromises young people’s progress and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Most young people’s school attendance is poor. For example, one young person refused to engage in education. Another young person began to attend school more often but she did not sustain this, and her attendance has now declined to 55%. Although staff put rewards in place to encourage young people to attend school, these strategies have had limited success. Staff do not engage with education professionals, social workers and young people effectively. As a result, staff do not help young people to overcome barriers to their learning. Poor school attendance may affect young people’s future life chances. However, one young person has made some progress at school. Her teachers have asked her to become a prefect. She is understandably pleased with this achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not safely manage young people’s medication arrangements. For example, staff do not record correctly the administration of medication to young people. Furthermore, staff do not risk-assess the arrangements when young people take their own medication. This does not promote young people’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people’s placement plans do not contain all the relevant information. Plans contain targets for young people’s development but staff do not consult with young people about these. The placement plans do not include information about young people’s day-to-day care needs. For example, they do not contain information about the positive aspects of young people’s care, such as the activities that they like to do or the foods that they enjoy. Staff do not seek young people’s views about their care. These shortfalls in care planning compromise the staff’s ability to provide young people with personalised care that promotes their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people’s meeting records include comments made by the manager after the event. These comments are not included at the following young people’s meeting. Inspection report children's home: SC378187 6 Consequently, it is not clear whether young people are aware that the manager has considered their views and what action she has taken.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not engage young people consistently in constructive activities. Although the staff do offer young people activities, young people do not often take part in these. There has been a decline in young people taking part in activities over the last three months. Young people prefer to spend time in the local community. This is not always positive, and young people get into trouble because they get involved in anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, when young people spend time away from the home, staff do not know where they are. This does not promote young people’s welfare and safety. Young people are positive about the staff who look after them. They can identify staff members whom they like, and they said that they enjoy living in the home. However, staff do not use the positive relationships that they have with the young people consistently and effectively to support their development, well-being and safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff promote contact arrangements with families well. As a result, young people spend more time with their family members, where appropriate. This helps some young people to enjoy improved relationships with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff make sure that young people attend health appointments. When young people refuse, staff persist in encouraging them. For example, one young person attended the dentist after first refusing three appointments. He was able to receive the dental treatment that he needed. Young people have access to counselling services, and this helps to support their mental health. Staff discuss health issues with young people. This encourages young people to take responsibility for their personal hygiene and to learn about sexual health matters.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff maintain the home to a good standard. They arrange for any damage to be repaired quickly. Young people personalise their rooms to reflect their own personalities and interests. As a result, young people live in a homely and pleasant environment.

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

The manager and staff have not developed clear strategies to deter young people from engaging in potentially harmful behaviours. Young people put themselves at risk and cause distress to other people in the community. For example, young people have been involved in a range of criminal and anti-social behaviours in the local area. Partner agencies, including the police and local authority, have raised concerns about the staff’s ability to manage young people’s behaviour. This has resulted in the local council raising a community protection warning against the manager and a young person. The warning letter contains information about young people’s anti-social behaviour that has caused members of the community offence and distress. This warning letter highlights weaknesses in the staff’s approach to behaviour management. Ineffective behaviour management puts young people and others at risk of harm.

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

Young people put themselves at risk by going missing from the home. Staff do not Inspection report children's home: SC378187 7 support young people well to reduce risks relating to this behaviour. For example, staff do not sufficiently challenge young people; they allow them to leave the house late at night, or leave again immediately after returning to the home following an incident of going missing. Staff are not skilled in discouraging young people from going missing. An independent visitor stated that the staff ‘do not seem to regularly follow young people and report their whereabouts to the police’. A lack of effective action places young people at risk of harm. The manager attended a recent strategy meeting about a young person’s missing behaviours. However, the manager has not used the information from the meeting to inform and guide staff practice to keep the young person safe. Each young person has a missing from home plan, but these plans contain inaccuracies and

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

need updating. Staff do not maintain good records. For example, they fail to consistently record the time when young people return. These failings compromise young people’s safety.

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

The local area risk assessment is not up to date and does not include known areas where young people congregate and are involved in negative behaviours. This does not help staff to understand the vulnerabilities in the local area, or consider how these might influence young people’s welfare and safety. Staff do not take the necessary steps to discourage young people from going to these areas, and this places young people at risk.

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

The manager and staff have a limited understanding of the use of consequences to modify behaviour. Although staff said that they use restorative justice approaches to respond to challenging behaviours, the inspector found little evidence of this. The staff do not recognise that withholding young people’s pocket money from them is a sanction and that they need to record this as such. Furthermore, the reliance on financial reparation has limited success. The manager and staff do not evaluate the effectiveness of the sanctions that they use. As a result, they cannot identify what works well and when they need to change their approach. Consequently, staff are not effective in helping young people to learn to modify their behaviour and make better choices. Furthermore, staff do not help young people to understand how their behaviour affects themselves and other people.

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

Staff use a monetary reward system so that young people have the opportunity to earn additional pocket money, and to promote positive behaviours. Staff update the targets on a monthly basis and include personal care, chores and education. However, staff fail to consult with young people about these targets and, as a result, they are often ineffective.

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

Staff have varying degrees of success in completing key-work sessions with young people. Records show that staff have attempted to discuss concerning behaviours with young people. However, these attempts are not wholly effective and do not result in young people reducing their risky behaviour.

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

Staff have completed training in child sexual exploitation, and they are able to identify key signs of this abuse. When staff have noted possible concerns about child sexual exploitation, they have shared this information with relevant professionals. Intelligence Inspection report children's home: SC378187 8 sharing protects young people.

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

Staff complete regular health and safety checks to ensure that young people live in a physically safe environment. Managers employ safer recruitment procedures, which prevent unsuitable people from working in the home. This helps to protect young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. However, there are a number of shortfalls in her practice that compromise young people’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not maintain good training records. As a result, she is unclear about when staff need to update their mandatory courses. This does not support staff development. Furthermore, it does not ensure that staff refresh the skills and knowledge required to meet young people’s needs. No staff have completed training in radicalisation. This leaves staff unaware of how to respond to concerns regarding young people who are in danger of being radicalised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to notify Ofsted of significant events that occur in the home. The means that she does not keep all relevant people informed, and this does not promote young people’s welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive regular supervision and said that the manager supports them in their role. However, staff do not receive an annual appraisal. This has resulted in staff not having an assessment of their performance to reflect on their strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring systems are not wholly effective. Although regular checks are completed on health and safety areas, supervision and the upkeep of the home, the manager does not fully understand the strengths and needs of the service. A development plan shows that the manager has some understanding, but that this does not go far enough. For example, she outlines some areas for improvement, including plans for a conservatory, training regarding unaccompanied asylum seekers and the development of a new pay structure for staff. However, the manager does not sufficiently prioritise the improvements required to safeguard young people and support their progress. This includes the absence of sufficient insight into understanding staff practice and how adjustments are required to practice to keep young people safe of going missing from the home and putting themselves at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Social workers are positive about how the staff communicate with them and keep them up to date on events in the home. A social worker highlighted the level of communication received when she said, ‘Not a day goes by when I don’t get an email about how things are going.’ However, the manager does not challenge the placing authority effectively when necessary. For example, when it became clear that the staff could not meet a young person’s needs safely, the manager and staff did not work with Inspection report children's home: SC378187 9 the authority to develop a plan to meet the young person’s needs in a more appropriate way. This failure to escalate concerns or work together does not promote young people’s progress.

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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: SC378187 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platinum Services for Children (Residential Care) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Sheriffs Orchard, Coventry, West Midlands CV1 3PP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Leonard Pattinson

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Inspector

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC378187 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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