Children's Home run by Island Choices Ltd in Isle of Wight

Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 1 SC399866 Registered provider: Island Choices 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

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four 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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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 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: 2 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy very strong relationships with staff. Staff’s nurturing approach to care allows young people time and space to express how they are feeling and share their views and ideas. Staff in the home guide young people towards making positive choices and taking responsibility for their actions, while Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 2 considering how to respond differently in the future. In-house plans capture young people’s progress extremely well. Monthly updates include young people’s views and comments. Young people know the progress they have made and they suggest areas where they would like more help.  Young people’s actions and demeanour show that they feel safe in their home. They identify staff they would go to if worried or upset. Staff spend time listening to young people and they are attuned to recognising any changes in behaviour and consider what this could mean.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home is well managed by an experienced registered manager and confident deputy manager. Staff say that they have access to managers and senior staff whenever they need, and that they have the training they need to meet the needs of the young people who live in 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

 The managers in the home failed to share an allegation made by a young person to the designated officer. Managers felt that, as other staff were present who denied that the incident had happened, it was not necessary to report this. Managers failed to follow their own policy and local agreements. When raised as an issue at the inspection, the designated officer was immediately made aware of the allegation.  Two young people are persistently absent from the home. It is known where they are staying, and the placing authority is aware of the addresses. There are no formal agreements in the home with the placing authority and meetings have not been arranged to discuss how best to meet these young people’s needs.  Staff do not evidence effectively how they have encouraged young people to engage during the school day or attend formal education provisions.  Managers have not obtained recruitment checks from countries outside the

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Key findings from this inspection

United Kingdom for staff who have recently lived there.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Good 18/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/08/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and 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)) In particular, have written agreements from the placing authority regarding the responses to and agreement where young people are staying when persistently unauthorised absent from the home. 30/11/2017

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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 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(vi)(vii)) In particular, informing the designated officer of relevant incidents and allegations. 30/11/2017

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Recommendations

 For some children who have experienced severe trauma, have mental health difficulties, or have been excluded or out of education for significant periods, it may be necessary to address and work through their past experiences and present needs before they can positively participate in learning activities and formal education. Staff in children’s homes will play a key role in supporting these children in line with their personal education plan or EHC plan and recommendations from education and health professionals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 26 paragraph 5.3) In particular, clearly evidence how staff endeavour to engage young people in educational activities, and the progress, no matter how small, young people have Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 4 made.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment,

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Recommendations

supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations and quality standards’, page 61 paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure checks are conducted for staff who have lived outside the UK, from the country where they have been resident.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have some very strong relationships with staff. There is a nurturing approach to care, in which young people are given time and space to express how they are feeling and share their views and ideas. Staff in the home guide young people towards making positive choices and taking responsibility and learning from their actions. Any complaints or concerns raised are dealt with swiftly, and changes are made whenever practical. In-house plans capture young people’s progress extremely well. They are updated monthly, with young people’s input. Young people know the progress that they have made and provide suggestions for areas where they would like more help. Young people have a monthly development plan of what issues and skills will be targeted in the coming weeks. In addition, they review their successes from the previous month. Education is an area of concern. Two young people are currently attending as planned,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

but there have been difficulties in identifying an appropriate provision for another young person. One young person moved to another home during the inspection, with the lack of education locally being identified as one of the concerns. Staff liaise effectively with education professionals, including those from the virtual school. Professionals involved with the home have mixed views on how well the staff encourage young people into education. Observations showed some extremely positive discussions about the need for education and staff have liaised with child and adolescent mental services (CAMHS) to consider where best to place one young person. In-house weekly plans are clear on what educational activities young people should engage in when out of school or college. Observations showed staff engaging young people in these activities, or encouraging them if they declined. However, records do not show

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

that the plans are being followed and what the young person has achieved. Further, the plans do not record the efforts that staff make to encourage engagement or attendance at school or college. Young people are offered a range of activities or encouraged to join clubs and activities in the community. The current group of young people would mostly rather socialise with their friends. Hobbies and interests are supported, with a young person recently having her artwork displayed in the local library. Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 5 Young people are encouraged to understand healthy lifestyles as part of learning independence skills. There are strong links with external health professionals, including CAMHS and the drug and alcohol team. The children looked after nurse works closely with the home and there are links to the smoking cessation and sexual health services. Young people learn to make their own meals; for example, during the inspection one

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young person made a range of interesting meals from fresh ingredients, including octopus and ray. Staff help young people with budgeting and advice to promote their independence. There have been many long discussions regarding buying foods within the ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date to ensure that young people do not become unwell from out-of-date meat or fish. Staff also stress that cheap junk food is not a suitable replacement for a well-balanced meal. Staff explore fitness for life, including emotional well-being and physical exercise. Cleanliness and infection control are ongoing discussions, especially concerning the disposal of food packaging. Staff were observed to be doing this assertively but sensitively.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s actions and demeanour show that they feel safe in the house. They identify staff they would go to if worried or upset. Staff spend time listening to young people and are attuned to recognising any changes in behaviour and consider what this could mean. Staff are confident in their roles in reporting any safeguarding or child protection concerns to the managers in the home. There has been a gap in effective reporting to the designated officer regarding an allegation against an external professional visiting the home. The manager felt it did not require reporting, as other staff witnessed the interaction and were confident that there were no safeguarding issues. Staff failed to follow their own policy in this instance. The designated officer was informed immediately once the inspector noted it as a concern during the inspection. In addition, staff will benefit from training in the near future by the designated officer regarding his role and

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improvement to be good

staff responsibilities. Young people do go missing from the home. Two are currently not staying at the home most nights. Their social workers are aware of the situation and staff inform both the police and social workers daily if neither of the young people return. Staff have daily telephone contact with both the young people and see them usually once a week. They encourage them to stay when they do come home. The home can evidence contact with the social workers regarding this issue and the assumed acceptance of the young people’s situation. However, there is no formal agreement from the placing authority that where the young people are staying is safe or acceptable, despite this being implied. Managers in the home have not been assertive in gaining this agreement or in securing planning meetings for both young people. Staff are proactive in identifying issues of concern. They listen to conversations and

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improvement to be good

observe subtle changes in behaviour. Concerns regarding a young person’s drugs misuse and potential exploitation involving the dealing of drugs was reported to local specialist police and the young person’s interactions are monitored closely. Young people’s files have a contacts section, identifying their friends, family and acquaintances, thus Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 6 enabling staff to determine if the young people are with someone positive. Positive behaviour is actively promoted in the home and restraint has not been used since the last inspection. Young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and to take steps to repair the situation. Sanctions are fair and proportionate, and records are clear, linking with incident logs. The registered manager recognises that some staff are better skilled at challenging unwanted behaviour, and is seeking to ensure that all staff are confident in this area.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not risk averse and allow young people to take age-appropriate risk. An example of positive risk taking is allowing a young person with additional needs to use public transport and shop independently. Risk assessments are clear and identify the potential risk and how to mitigate it. They are regularly reviewed and link to other plans for the young person. The home is well maintained and is currently being redecorated with the help of the young people and staff. Fire evacuation drills are conducted regularly and all other checks are up to date. Safer recruitment is followed when employing new staff. However, there were no additional checks undertaken for a member of staff who has lived in another country in recent years.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed and staffed by a team that is confident in its skills and roles. Staff have high expectations and aspirations for young people, wanting them to succeed. Staff generally work well as a team, and the managers and seniors effectively tackle any weaknesses or maverick approaches to care. Staff say that they feel well supported by the managers and senior team, and can access them when they need to. Staff say that they have regular supervisions, which they find productive. All staff are trained in mandatory skills, and have access to training in a range of additional subjects such as autistic spectrum conditions and mental health. The home’s manager effectively monitors the quality of service through monthly checks on young people’s progress and six-monthly evaluations of the home and care practice. She effectively utilises detailed monthly reports from the independent visitor and uses

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

these to improve the service provided and, when necessary, the development plan. Young people’s views are central to the service provided and the management team continually monitors the young people’s ideas and suggestions, determining if any changes are required as a result. Complaints are managed effectively and to the complainant’s satisfaction. When the issue is from a neighbour, young people are supported to apologise and understand why their behaviour was not socially acceptable. Young people’s records provide a clear indication of how the young person has interacted and engaged with activities, staff and each other. Managers monitor young people’s care plans and development plans for the month and evaluate if the placement is still able to meet the young people’s needs. The manager will request meetings with the placing authority if they are concerned that the placement can no longer meet the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

individual’s needs, and will seek the input of external services when appropriate. When Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 7 necessary, managers will challenge external professionals who have not provided the relevant documents and plans for the young person, such as minutes from child looked after reviews. The confident deputy manager was observed appropriately challenging a social worker concerning the speed at which a placement change was taking place and whether it was in the young person’s best interests.

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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: SC399866 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 67 Argyll Street, Ryde PO33 3BY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: William Stanbridge

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC399866 9 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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