Children's Home run by John-Edwards Care Homes Limited in Swindon

Inspection report children‟s home: SC437171 1 SC437171 Registered provider: John-Edwards Care Homes 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 children‟s home is registered to care for five children who have learning difficulties and associated disabilities. The home is run by a private company and can offer the flexibility of short breaks in addition to long-term stays.

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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 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: 27 January 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: SC437171 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers and leaders provide packages of individualised care and support that significantly improve the outcomes of children.  The children‟s well-being and safety have remained the primary focus throughout a number of changes to the staff team and the registered manager‟s position.  The children have, with the help and support of caring and passionate staff, made progress in all aspects of their lives.  The positive, inclusive focus of staff means that children who have complex physical and medical needs do well in education, they take part in fun activities and they engage meaningfully with the wider community.  Staff feel supported in their roles. Most receive regular, good-quality supervision and training, which supports their continuous professional development.  The children live in a home that is very well equipped and furnished. For example, a hot tub, sensory area and a great choice of toys ensure that they all

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Key findings from this inspection

enjoy their time living in or visiting the home.

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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

 Senior leaders must ensure that a registered manager is in post as soon as possible.  Managers and leaders must implement more effective systems to review and monitor the progress of children and improvements to the home.  There have been a number of staff changes that have meant that children have not been able to develop and sustain relationships. A consistent, well-trained and stable workforce must be established.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Outstanding 28/10/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/05/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC437171 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home‟s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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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)) 17/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children‟s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(2)(a)(b)) 17/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC437171 4 Review of quality of care

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45 (1)(3)) 17/11/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children have either lived in the home or accessed the short breaks service for a number of years. They are settled, very comfortable and familiar with the home and its surroundings. Staff provide extremely personalised care. Some of the staff know the children well, which enables most of the children to make good, sustained progress. For some, however, the recent changes to the staff team and manager‟s position, and inconsistencies in the way in which some of the staff approach their care have impacted on their progress. Senior leaders are aware of this and are working hard to secure a consistent and stable workforce.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views, wishes and feelings of the children are sought and acted on. A number of different strategies are used to ensure that the children‟s voices are heard and acted on. For example, visual prompts bespoke to each child help member of staff to communicate. One senior leader was observed teaching a new member of staff how to gently sooth and relax the child with speech and tone, which ultimately helped the child to settle and cooperate with dressing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is customised to ensure that children can move about freely when in their wheelchairs. Bedrooms reflect the children‟s personalities, their choices and their likes. Particular attention is paid to the sensory needs of the children. A hot tub, water bed and sensory area provide the children with the best possible facilities for them to be further stimulated and encouraged to learn.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A comprehensive range of recording tools are used by staff to capture the day-to-day care and support that the children require. Parents, education staff and social workers work collaboratively, ensuring that responses to the changing medical and physical needs of the children are fully understood. For example, regular reviews, daily telephone calls, emails and attendance at multi-disciplinary meetings result in staff having a good understanding of the routines that each child needs to smoothly and gently move between home, school and their families. Inspection report children‟s home: SC437171 5

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

Children live in a home that is very safe. Particular attention is given to ensuring that indoor and outdoor play areas are well maintained and secure so that children can play and have fun safely.

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

Staff understand the need for the children to explore their surroundings and take part in activities and hobbies. Well-written and regularly reviewed risk assessments result in the children having a wide and interesting choice of activities. Staff adhere to the risk assessments and, as a result, accidents or incidents of concern are rare. When they have occurred, reporting information is swift and in line with policy and procedure.

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

Most of the staff are skilled and experienced to support children who have complex medical and physical disabilities. There are clear, detailed behaviour support plans that provide staff with guidance on helping to calm children when they are upset or worried. The use of physical intervention is rare and sanctions are not used. Instead, staff recognise the importance of reward through praise, and all achievements are celebrated.

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

Recruitment of new staff is rigorous and protects the children from inappropriate adults. An induction process provides staff with a steady introduction into the role. However, two newly recruited staff members have not completed any safeguarding or child protection training since being employed. Furthermore, a small number of staff members have not completed the training for them to understand the complexities of the children‟s needs. A requirement is made to ensure that all staff undertake all necessary training in line with the home‟s workforce and development plan.

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

There has been no registered manager since June 2017. A new manager has been identified and is due to take on the role in a matter of weeks, but has yet to apply to register with Ofsted. A requirement is made to ensure that a manager is successfully recruited to this role.

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

Senior managers and leaders of the company, along with the senior team leaders, have shown resilience and determination during this period to stay focused on the children. They have worked hard to ensure that a senior manager has been present in the home since the previous manager left.

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

Children have made progress and they have remained safe. Unfortunately, as a direct result of inconsistent management some staff have not received day-to-day direction and leadership. Staff retention and practice have been weak periodically, and some staff have not received supervision or training in line with the home‟s statement of purpose. Consequently, children have experienced a number of staff changes, and some of the staff have not practised at the consistently good standard that this home has historically achieved. A requirement is made to ensure that all staff receive regular supervision and training that will equip them to better support the children. Inspection report children‟s home: SC437171 6 The quality of the relationships between the senior leadership team, staff, parents and stakeholders is very good. The senior managers have, during this period, provided a good level of support to the staff team. Staff speak overwhelmingly positively of their

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

support and direction and they are enthusiastic about the new manager coming into post.

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

Files and records are kept, and monitoring of the home is taking place. However, a small number of inconsistencies were identified between some documents. Furthermore, the most recent regulation 45 report, while completed during the course of the inspection, lacked sufficient analysis and detail. A requirement is made to ensure that the new manager improves the systems used to monitor and review the 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 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: SC437171 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: John-Edwards Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8AA

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC437171 8 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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