Children's home run by Blackpool Borough Council in Blackpool

Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 1 SC033411 Registered provider: Blackpool Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a local authority. It provides a short-break care service for up to four children and young people to stay at the home at any one time. It is an ‘edge of care’ service designed to offer short-term intensive support to young people and their parents/carers.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

p.1

Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Requires improvement to be good

p.1

Good

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

p.1

Good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2017

p.1

Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged

p.1

Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Staff work effectively with young people and their families, achieving positive outcomes. Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 2  The service is valued by those using it. Young people, their parents and social workers all speak highly of the support that they receive.  Good relationships are evident between staff and young people.  The home is warm and welcoming and decorated to a high standard.  Staff have embraced the changes to the service. They are motivated to improve the outcomes for young people.  Staff understand the needs of the young people well. They are able to tailor their service to meet young people’s specific targets.  Young people who have been disaffected with education are now attending regularly and doing well.

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The system for the administration of medication is not secure. Staff have received no relevant training on this matter.  The recruitment checks on new staff are yet to comply with the principles of safer recruitment, as checks required by regulation are not always evident.  The home’s admission and discharge register contains inaccurate information.  Young people have not been consulted with as part of the independent visiting process.  Improvements in risk assessments would ensure that all risks have been taken into consideration and strategies to alleviate risk are clearly understood by staff.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2017 Interim Not judged 27/04/2016 Full Good 02/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

Ensure that arrangements are made for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)) This includes the need for medication training for staff. 30/11/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are recruited using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety and that full and satisfactory information is available in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 30/11/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

Ensure that the home maintains the records listed in Schedule 4 and that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b)) 30/11/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

p.3

Requirement Due date

Ensure that independent visits to the children’s home include interviews with children to help ensure that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 44(2)(a)(4)(b)) 30/11/2017

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, that updated risk assessments indicate clearly what has changed and that strategies for managing young people’s behaviours are clear.

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that placements for children are only accepted where the home are satisfied that they can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 4 existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is an ‘edge of care’ service designed to offer short-term intensive support to young people and their parents or carers in order to prevent young people entering the care system. Staff generally work with families for a fixed period of 12 weeks. However, this may be extended following a review of the service’s involvement. Many of the young people that the service work with, although not all of them, attend for an overnight stay for one night, at the weekend. The service also offers an emergency placement option mid-week for a maximum of 72 hours. However, this part of the service has not yet been utilised.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The service is new and as such, it is too early to assess the long-term impact of its involvement. However, early stages indicate some very positive outcomes. Good planning ensures that staff know the history of the young people well and clear targets are agreed at the onset of their involvement. Staff visit families at home initially to introduce the service and explain their role. Young people have the opportunity to visit the home before they stay overnight. Staff also work hard to engage young people who are hesitant about the service. One social worker commented, ‘Staff went to great lengths to engage with one particular young person. The staff member would go out of her way to find and meet with him. She offered outreach for some time as he was reluctant to stay.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All staff receive training in resilient therapy. They use this approach when working with the young people and their families. This enables them to target specific areas of need, such as problem solving or promoting healthy relationships. They undertake individual work but also engage in group work with young people when they are staying overnight in the home. Staff maintain good-quality records of the work they complete, demonstrating the focus of their involvement and the progress they are achieving.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have successfully re-engaged some young people who were disaffected with education. They are now attending school or college regularly and making good progress. One young person recently received an award for her efforts. This stated, ‘Well done. You have demonstrated a mature and committed attitude and have produced work of a very good standard.’ This young person is now considering her future career options, demonstrating the huge progress she has made over a relatively short period of time.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The current arrangements for the safe administration of medication are not robust. Medication is stored securely in a lockable cabinet. However, records do not reflect the actual stored medication. Some medications have been combined in one box, although they contain different active ingredients and those past their expiry date have not been disposed of. Furthermore, staff have received no training in the safe administration of Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 5 medication. Young people staying overnight have required minimal medication to date. However, staff need to be competent in this area, to ensure young people’s well-being.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Many positive comments were received about the service during the inspection. One young person commented, ‘I would not be where I am now without [Name of the service]. They have turned my life around. I am getting on much better with my mum and I don’t need to go missing any more.’ Similarly, a parent commented, ‘We are in a much better place than we were 12 weeks ago.’ Staff focus on enabling young people and families to develop their own coping mechanisms, so that improvements will continue when they are no longer there to support them. For example, they have set up volunteering experiences for a young person and her mother, so that they can engage in a positive activity together.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy the time they spend in the home. It is warm, welcoming and decorated to a high standard. A maximum of four young people stay overnight at any time. However, six bedrooms are available for young people to choose from. These have been individually themed and young people are able to choose their favourite. Staff welcome young people at the start of their stay. They share a home-cooked meal, which young people frequently help staff to prepare. Staff then engage young people in activities or group work in the home, combined with trips out to help broaden young people’s experiences and increase their confidence and self-esteem.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people were accessing the service during this inspection and a very relaxed atmosphere was evident. Good relationships exist between staff and young people. Young people were very positive about staff and the difference they have made. Similarly, the service has recently developed feedback forms for those accessing the service. Comments include, ‘Thanks for making me a better person and helping me stay out of trouble,’ and ‘The staff are so easy to talk to and they listen to how I feel. I think it is really good.’

p.5

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

Young people say that they feel safe during their stays in the home. Staff engage them in work aimed at reducing their risk-taking behaviours. For example, they have seen a significant reduction in the number of incidents of young people going missing from home since the onset of their involvement. There have been no incidents of young people going missing during an overnight stay. Staff work hard at engaging young people positively. As a result, young people want to spend time with staff while they are here.

p.5

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

Staff engage young people regularly in direct work, which focuses on their individual needs. They have access to an extensive resource library of related exercises that they can draw upon. Young people’s engagement is good and positive results are evident, as young people are learning new coping mechanisms and developing better support networks. Young people also have easy access to information and resources on issues such as sexual health, smoking and taking drugs, so that they are able make informed choices on these matters. Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 6 Staff complete risk assessments on each young person prior to them staying at the home. This highlights the specific areas to which staff need to be alert. These receive frequent updates. However, the most recent document does not indicate to staff whether an area of concern has increased or diminished. This would help alert staff to

p.5

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

presenting areas of concern and the need for increased vigilance. In addition, preventative strategies are not always clear as there is no separate behaviour management plan which provides this additional detail.

p.6

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

Staff are trained in behaviour management. They are able to engage with young people in a positive manner. Young people look forward to their stays here and want to make the most of this time. Staff are able to de-escalate any incident quickly. There has been no need for any physical interventions since the service re-opened.

p.6

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

The environment is safe and secure. Regular safety checks ensure that equipment works well and presents no risks to young people. Staff carry out regular fire drills. This ensures that staff and young people are familiar with how to evacuate the home in the event of an emergency.

p.6

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

The council’s human resources department take the lead on staff recruitment processes. However, they are not yet sufficiently robust to ensure the safe recruitment of staff, as verification is not always sought as to why an individual left previous employment with children or vulnerable adults. This is despite managers having completed safer recruitment training.

p.6

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

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He has had management responsibility for the home since March 2016, initially on a temporary basis, completing the formal registration process with Ofsted in January 2017. Consequently, he was fully involved in the redesign of this service and is enthusiastic about the new remit for the home. There have been some staff changes over the last 12 months but all the current staff have been involved since the service reopened in June 2017.

p.6

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

Staff morale is good. They can see the difference that their input is making. They value the decision made by the council to close the service temporarily and provide them with additional training. They receive regular supervision and support to enable them to undertake their role. When staff are in post for more than 12 months, they have an annual appraisal to identify progress and areas for development or improvement.

p.6

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

The vast majority of staff have a level 3 qualification. In addition, the opportunity to attend a range of training opportunities ensures that they have a sound skill base and the knowledge to meet the needs of young people in their care. However, the exception to this is training for staff on the safe administration of medication.

p.6

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

Managers accept that they have concentrated their efforts on ensuring that the service is focused on achieving positive outcomes for young people, to the detriment of their Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 7 management oversight. For example, they had not identified errors in the admission and discharge register, which at the time of the inspection, indicated in error that the home had admitted young people in excess of their registration. In addition, the registered manager had made no representation to the human resources department, despite being aware of this requirement, prior to this inspection. Furthermore, while managers are able to talk about matching the needs of young people attending the service at any time, currently they are not completing a matching or impact risk assessment to indicate what factors they have taken into consideration.

p.6

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

The home’s statement of purpose clearly outlines the aims and objectives of the service and it is subject to regular review and update. It operates in accordance with this document. There is a development plan for the service, although an update would ensure that issues are prioritised for further development. Staff members have specific areas of responsibility, which makes good use of their skills and ensures the completion of tasks in a timely manner.

p.7

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

Staff receive encouragement to express their views and suggest areas for improvement. For example, the introduction of group supervision, following the suggestion of a staff member, has helped look at alternative strategies for working with a young person.

p.7

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

An independent person carries out monthly visits to the home and compiles a report outlining her findings. These help the service focus on areas of improvement. However, since the service reopened in June 2017, no consultation has taken place with young people using the service, as all these visits have been conducted mid-week when no young people are staying. Consequently, the independent visitor has been unable to assess the quality of relationships between staff and young people, or talk to young people to inform her assessment as to whether they are safeguarded effectively. In addition, the registered manager had not followed up an error in one report, leaving the reader with a negative impression of the service’s referral procedure.

p.7

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

Liaison with young people’s social workers and other agencies is effective. Social workers value the contribution that staff have made to effect positive change to the outcomes for young people. Comments received include, ‘Communication from staff is excellent,’ and ‘I am unable to see any areas of improvement at this time.’

p.7

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 8 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

p.7

Information about this inspection

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: SC033411 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Municipal Building, PO Box 50, Blackpool FY1 1NF

p.9

Inspector

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC033411 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10