Children's home run by Adventure Care Limited in High Peak

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 1 SC375136 Adventure Care Limited

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place following the receipt of a complaint which highlighted safeguarding concerns. The purpose of the monitoring visit was to investigate information received that suggested that there may be a breach of regulations. This visit raised serious concerns about the care and safeguarding practice in this home.

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This monitoring visit

Regulatory requirements made at the last inspection were not reviewed during this monitoring visit due to the safeguarding focus of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, a further eight requirements have been made. Additionally, enforcement action will be considered. Ofsted will undertake further visits to monitor how effective the provider has been in responding to the requirements made, and to ensure that robust management arrangements are in place.

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This monitoring visit

Young people have not consistently been cared for safely since the last inspection. A serious incident occurred following the admission of three young people within a 24- hour period. Admission processes did not take account of the young people’s needs, risks and vulnerabilities, nor did they take into account the home’s capacity to safely care for the young people. Within a very short period of time, staff lost control of the situation. The young people engaged in high levels of risk-taking behaviour, in which young people were harmed. Staff did not take effective action to intervene and protect them. This monitoring visit identified a lack of risk assessment at the point of Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 2 young people being admitted. Young people were not provided with adequate supervision and support, due to an insufficient number of qualified, experienced and

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This monitoring visit

skilled staff. Strategies used for managing behaviour were ineffective.

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This monitoring visit

More recently, a young person took medication from a staff member’s bag. The young person was subsequently admitted to hospital after ingesting the medication. The member of staff had not taken steps to store this medication securely. Staff failed to intervene when the young person threatened to self-harm. These staff practices are ineffective and unsafe.

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This monitoring visit

Physical restraint of children and young people is not always carried out in line with the provider’s physical intervention approach. The responsible individual confirmed that some physical interventions used were unauthorised. This is unsafe practice. Additionally, records of physical restraint are not always sufficiently detailed, or evaluated by managers as required in regulation. Restraint records demonstrate a lack of leadership and management oversight. This is a missed opportunity to review the effectiveness of the physical intervention and identify and challenge any inappropriate practice.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to challenge poor staff practice. One member of staff features in several complaints and allegations. A young person, a parent and professionals have complained about this staff member’s conduct. Managers have been aware of this member of staff using inappropriate behaviour management strategies. The responsible individual could not find investigation records in relation to the concerns raised. Supervision and appraisal records also lack any detail about action taken to deal with known concerns. A young person complained that this member of staff had spoken to her in an offensive manner. Despite these concerns, managers failed to take action or notify the designated officer. These omissions indicate that managers do not ensure that staff provide safe, child-focused care.

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This monitoring visit

Young people who live in this home are taken camping. This is an aspect of care described in the statement of purpose. The responsible individual described the use of camping as ‘therapeutic’. Camping is described as an opportunity for young people to have ‘time out’ in a low-stimulus environment. The monitoring visit found that some young people perceive camping as a punishment. A member of staff said: ‘Some young people may perceive camping as a threat. They are taken on time out (camping) if their behaviours are not acceptable.’ In one case, staff told a young person that she was going camping upon her discharge from hospital, where she had been assessed by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Staff made the decision to take the young person on a camping trip despite this being contrary to her care plan and against the express wishes of the placing authority. This young person attempted to run away from staff to avoid going camping. In

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This monitoring visit

doing so, she was at risk of harm. It is clear that decisions to take some young people camping are not made in their best interests and that camping is not a therapeutic activity for some young people. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 3 Staff and the responsible individual confirmed that some young people have been taken ‘wild camping’. This has meant that young people have been unable to access toilets or showers, and have had to improvise. This activity fails to provide for young people’s privacy and dignity. The responsible individual showed the inspector a draft policy document relating to therapeutic camping. She told the inspector about the underpinning philosophy regarding this activity, but added that this approach may not be universally understood or applied. A risk assessment to support this activity was not seen. The responsible individual advised that ‘wild camping’ trips would no

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This monitoring visit

Since the last full inspection, the registered manager has left. Additionally, most members of the established residential staff team have left. As a result, some of the remaining staff have worked long hours. The provider is actively recruiting more staff. A new manager has been identified, and has a planned start date of January 2018. Ofsted is awaiting the manager’s registration application. The responsible individual will have day-to-day management responsibility until this time.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/06/2017 Full Good 30/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/05/2016 Full Good 06/01/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children, and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; treat each child with dignity and respect; provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s aims (as defined in the statement of purpose). With regard to the use of camping as a therapeutic intervention, ensure that this is not perceived by children as a punishment. In addition, ensure that camping activities do not transgress the rights of children (dignity, privacy and provision of basic physical necessities). 15/12/2017

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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 harm to the child; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are 15/12/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 5 assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific regard to ensuring that impact risk assessments are consistently undertaken prior to new admissions being agreed, and that staff have a clear understanding of how to intervene and protect children when they are at risk of harm. This also refers to ensuring that staff understand their roles as residential childcare practitioners and that their conduct reflects professional and child-centred practice. This means upholding their responsibility to adhere to protocols and procedures, as defined in behaviour management and safeguarding procedures.

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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 that helps children fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with regard to managers ensuring that they recognise and act on safeguarding concerns, as outlined in the statement of purpose and safeguarding policy. Also to ensure that there is sufficient staffing at all times. 15/12/2017

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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, and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if the registered person 15/12/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 6 considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this refers to ensuring that all care plans and decisions made through statutory reviews are upheld.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing injury to any person (including the child); serious damage to the property of any person (including the child’s). Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(1)(a)(b)(2))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that all restraints take place in accordance with the physical intervention approach used by the provider, as defined in the statement of purpose. 15/12/2017

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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. In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(a)) 15/12/2017

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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 date, time and location of the use of the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(iii)(vii)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 15/12/2017

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 7 regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection, specifically in response to safeguarding concerns that have been raised.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adventure Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Manchester Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6SB

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Inspector

Amanda Ellis, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC375136 9 to 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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