Children's Home, Residential special school run by Amberleigh Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 1 SC448209 Registered provider: Amberleigh Care Limited 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 12 young people who have emotional and 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 children and 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 2

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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

 Managers and staff have not responded swiftly to recommendations raised by the home‟s fire risk assessment.  Staff do not record restraint incidents well. Furthermore, staff and managers do not evaluate such incidents effectively to determine whether any further action is needed to safeguard young people.  When they return to the home after a „missing‟ episode, young people are not offered the opportunity to speak to an independent person.  Staff do not use sanctions consistently and, when they do implement them, these are not linked to the behaviour and are not proportionate.  Staff do not sufficiently challenge incidents of bullying.  Managers do not carry out all the required recruitment checks on new staff to ensure that only safe adults work at the home.  A sufficiently independent person does not make monthly monitoring visits to the home. Furthermore, the visitor does not consistently seek the views of

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Key findings from this inspection

young people and professionals.  Quality of care review reports are not evaluative and the manager does not share the reports with Ofsted in a timely way.  Young people‟s records do not contain enough information about each young person‟s individual needs. This does not help staff to provide young people with good-quality and consistent care.  The statement of purpose contains factual inaccuracies and is out of date.  Notifications of serious events to Ofsted are untimely and they do not always contain full information.  Social workers do not receive regular updates about young people‟s progress.  Arrangements for financing young people‟s activities limit their access to different opportunities.  The location risk assessment does not sufficiently identify all risks, for example the busy road near to the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some young people are positive about contact arrangements and how they have improved.  Staff support young people to develop their independence skills. Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Good 22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 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 each child is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services the child receives. (Regulation 7(2)(b)) In particular, that young people have the opportunity to talk to their key workers and other staff about their progress and any issues of concern. 15/11/2017

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(1), (2)(a)(i)) 15/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. (Regulation 9(1)) In particular, that enough resources are available to ensure that young people can access a range of activities with the support of staff. 15/11/2017

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. (Regulation 11(1), (2)(xii)) 15/11/2017

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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— 15/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 5 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(iii)(d)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their

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Requirement Due date

welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(d)(h)) 15/11/2017

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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)) Specifically in relation to assessing the impact of new young people on existing residents, and ensuring staff update social workers on young people‟s progress. 15/11/17

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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)) 30/11/2017

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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. (Regulation 19(1)) Specifically in relation to the use of sanctions. 15/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b)) 15/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory 15/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 6 information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 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— details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii)(viii)) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a

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Requirement Due date

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 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 15/11/2017

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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. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) In particular, the date and circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home, including any information relating to the child‟s whereabouts during the period of absence; a copy of any EHC plan or statement of special educational needs in relation to the child; every school report received in respect of the child while the child is accommodated in the home; a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child‟s placing authority, and of the placement plan. 15/11/2017

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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, without delay. (Regulation 40(4)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 15/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person, if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as 30/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 7 the independent person requires. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)) 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. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care

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Requirement Due date

review is completed. (Regulation 45(2)(a)(4)(a)) 30/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure the registered person reviews the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home‟s location and strategies for managing these. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations and quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

 When a child is found after being missing from home, they must be offered an independent return home interview. Independent return interviews provide an opportunity to uncover information that can protect children from the risk of going missing again, from risks they may have been exposed to while missing or from risk factors in their home. („Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care‟, page 14, paragraph 32)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some young people experience bullying by other residents. Although staff are aware of this, they do not take effective action. This compromises young people‟s experience of living at the home and their welfare.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people‟s written plans, such as placement plans, do not contain sufficient information about their individual needs. Furthermore, not all young people have an up- to-date care plan and there is a lack of evidence to show that staff have requested a copy of this document from the placing authority. As a result, staff are not fully aware of the young people‟s individual needs and they do not have enough information to care for young people safely and effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not regularly update social workers about young people‟s progress and experiences. For example, social workers do not receive feedback about the therapy that young people receive. Although each young person is supposed to have a therapeutic intervention plan, this is not always available. This makes it difficult to assess how young Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 8 people have progressed with therapy and what impact it is having on their emotional well-being and behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers and staff do not routinely complete a compatibility assessment prior to young people moving into the home. As a result, managers do not consider possible risks and the impact of admitting a new young person on the young people who are already resident. This shows neither considered care planning nor a thorough assessment of whether the home is suitable to meet each young person‟s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Daily community meetings allow young people to express their views within a group. However, young people do not receive regular, individual key-working meetings. For example, records show that one young person had only had one such meeting in nine months. This does not allow young people time to develop positive relationships with their key workers. Furthermore, it does not allow young people and staff to talk on a one-to-one basis about their progress, feelings and any issues causing them or others concern.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people attend the organisation‟s own school. Most young people attend school regularly. School and care staff meet daily to share information about each young person‟s day. However, these positive factors do not fully support young people‟s progress. Young people‟s files do not contain enough information about young people‟s progress in school and do not contain education plans. As a result, staff do not sufficiently understand and monitor young people‟s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home is well resourced, and has a pool table and a games console room which the young people enjoy using. Young people enjoy some activities outside of the home. These include visits to the cinema, bowling and the gym. However, young people are expected to pay the staff from their weekly activity allowance when they require supervision and support on activities and eating out. This decreases their ability to be involved with regular wider activities funded by the home. Furthermore, it can sometimes can hinder their full enjoyment of an activity. For example, on a go-karting activity a young person did not have the opportunity to engage in this with a staff member.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Bedroom doors are numbered, due in part to the past use of the home as a hotel. This gives the upstairs corridor an institutional feel. However, young people are increasingly encouraged to personalise their bedrooms to reflect their individual interests and tastes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people state that they have some good relationships with individual staff members. Staff support young people to maintain contact with their families. This helps them to keep in touch with people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people attend a range of health appointments. Staff are trained in supporting those with specific health needs, and this promotes young people‟s well-being. Arrangements for the administration of medication are appropriate. Records show that staff administer medication in accordance with young people‟s health plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

A good system is in place for young people to develop new skills. Older residents have Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 9 access to an additional kitchen where they can cook their own meals. Staff help young people to develop some practical skills which will help them to be more independent.

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

Managers and staff have failed to properly assess and manage health and safety risks during building work. Managers took action to respond to such concerns only when inspectors highlighted these during the inspection. Furthermore, managers have not responded promptly to actions identified by a recent fire risk assessment of the home. This inaction compromises the safety of the young people and staff.

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

When serious incidents happen, staff fail to write adequate records. As a result, safeguarding records fail to show a chronology of events and an outcome. Poor recording makes it difficult to understand whether staff have taken appropriate steps to safeguard children and that any investigations have reached a satisfactory conclusion.

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

Young people have, on occasion, sustained an injury during a restraint. Managers have not evaluated the incident record to determine whether any follow-up action is required, including a referral to the local authority designated officer. Furthermore, a lack of monitoring of incident records means that managers do not look at how they can prevent the same thing from happening again. This failure does not adequately protect young people.

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

The recording by staff of restraint incidents is poor. Records do not include the circumstances leading up to the restraint, and some accident records do not correlate sufficiently with the incidents. Young people do not always have the opportunity to talk about the incident with someone who was not involved in it. This failure to fully record and respond to restraints does not show that staff always manage young people‟s behaviours in a safe way.

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

When young people go missing from the home, staff take action to try to locate them. However, when young people return to the home they are not afforded the opportunity to talk to an independent person. Consequently, young people cannot raise possible concerns with an independent person about the home or about what happened when they were away from the home. Neither the acting manager nor the responsible individual showed an awareness of the need for such return home interviews. This shows that managers do not have the required knowledge about missing from home protocols and procedures. This does not protect young people.

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

Staff do not sufficiently challenge bullying. Staff know which young people are being bullied, but have failed to act to protect their well-being. There is no clear action plan to respond to either the victim or the bully to reduce this behaviour. This compromises young people‟s safety and experience of living at the home.

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

Staff implement consequences for behaviour, but these are not always effective. One young person said: „It is all about the consequences, the staff don‟t seem to be able to control us in any other way, (there are) no real rewards, (they) just take things off us.‟ Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 10 Consequences do not link to the behaviour and so do not help young people to learn from things that happen. Managerial oversight of consequences is inconsistent, with managers often taking too long to review them. On one occasion, managers did not respond to a sanction for six weeks. This does not help managers to ensure that consequences are proportionate, appropriate and effective.

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

Young people‟s rooms are searched when there are concerns about items that they may be concealing that could be harmful to themselves or others. Records relating to room searches are poor and do not show how staff work with the young people to educate them about the risks they are taking and to bring about change.

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

Managers do not ensure that they carry out all the required checks on new staff. For example, references are not verified, managers do not take steps to check the reason why staff have left their previous employment and some application forms do not contain a full employment history. Poor recruitment practice does not prevent unsuitable people from working at the home and potentially leaves young people at risk.

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

The location risk assessment does not account for all environmental factors within the locality of the home. For example, it does not reflect the proximity of the home to a busy main road and any strategies to minimise risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management of this home are weak. This means that young people‟s safety, progress and experiences are not protected or promoted. The registered manager left the home in April 2017. There have been two acting managers, and both have failed to ensure that young people receive good-quality and safe care. A new manager and deputy have been appointed and are due to start work at the home in the coming weeks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Internal and external monitoring activity is poor. A person who has another role within the organisation conducts the monthly monitoring visits to the home. As a result, someone who is independent does not conduct them. The visitor does not liaise with parents or relevant people, and rarely meets with young people. This dilutes the quality of their assessment about how well young people are cared for and how safe they are. The six-monthly quality of care review report does not provide enough evaluation about the strengths and needs of the service. Furthermore, it does not include an action plan to improve the service. This limits the capacity of the staff to contribute to improvements. Managers do not submit the quality of care review reports to Ofsted in a timely way. This breaches regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff have links to a wide range of professionals who are involved in the care of the young people. However, social workers raised concerns with inspectors about staff not sharing with them information about young people‟s progress. One social worker raised a concern that their young person had made little progress since being at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff and young people are concerned about the high number of hours that the staff work. One young person stated: „Some staff are working double shifts day after day; Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 11 some can‟t cope and have walked out.‟ Risk assessments state that young people require one-to-one support, yet staffing levels do not always facilitate this. Although new staff have been recruited, the impact is yet to be fully realised. In the meantime, insufficient staffing compromises the safety and welfare of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is aware of the need to notify relevant people of significant events. However, notifications received by Ofsted are sometimes late and the information contained in some notifications lacks detail. Managers and staff are not evaluating incidents and informing Ofsted what steps they have taken to manage and reduce risk. As a result, the regulator needs to make additional enquiries to obtain a clear picture of what has happened and what action the provider has taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home‟s statement of purpose has recently been updated. It contains some errors, including about restraint and young people‟s meetings. Consequently, it needs to be revised to accurately reflect practice at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers coordinate training well. Staff have access to a range of training courses to support their development. Most have completed the level 3 qualification. Those that have not are in the process of doing so and are on track to complete it within the required timescale.

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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 difference 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: SC448209 12

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amberleigh Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Amberleigh Care Ltd, Golfa Hall, Golfa, Welshpool, Powys SY21 9AF

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Inspector(s)

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Tracey Coglan Grieg, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC448209 13 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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