Children's home run by Plus One South West Ltd

Inspection report children's home: SC386428 1 SC386428 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Limited

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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 privately run children’s home is registered to provide accommodation for up to three young people, who may 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 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: 19 December 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Due to the good support provided by staff, young people make good progress when living at the home. They develop new skills that help them to become more independent. In addition, they attend college regularly and seek part-time Inspection report children's home: SC386428 2 employment.  Young people said that they feel safe at the home. If they go missing, staff take robust action to look for them. As a result, young people return to the home quickly.  Young people are treated with dignity and respect, and staff build trusted relationships with them. The home is welcoming and homely. One young person thoroughly enjoys living there and said, ‘This is my home.’ Another young person said, ‘I like my bedroom.’  Positive behaviour is promoted and restraint is not used. If sanctions are imposed, these are fair and proportionate. Young people are given the opportunity to discuss the measures imposed, and learn from them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff support and encourage young people to maintain relationships with their family and friends. Parents and social workers speak highly of the care and support provided to young people.  Comprehensive placement plans and associated risk assessments provide staff with clear and detailed guidance in how to support the young people. These plans are regularly reviewed and updated.

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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 registered manager must ensure that young people’s individual missing from home protocols are reviewed and updated to inform staff of the action to take when young people go missing from areas other than the children’s home. In addition, all young people must receive an independent return home interview, and the outcome of these interviews obtained.  The registered manager must ensure that all medicines are kept safe and secure, and that young people only self-administer if assessed to be able to do so safely.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2016 Full Good 01/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC386428 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

23: Medicines Ensure 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(2)(a)) In particular, ensure that all medicines are stored safely and securely, and young people self-administer medicines based on risk. 30/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

34: Policies for the protection of children Before implementing or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to the missing child policy. The registered person must: consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34(5)(a)(b)) In particular, identify the agreed action for staff to take if a young person goes missing when they are not staying at the children’s home. 30/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. In particular, leaders and managers should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing the risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s home’s regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report children's home: SC386428 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress from their starting points. For example, for one young person, the frequency of them going missing has significantly reduced, and they have not been missing from the home since they moved in. In addition, the young person is now attending college, and is being supported in adjusting to this as they have not attended college before. Young people are developing the skills to live more independently. This view was confirmed by one young person who said, ‘I am encouraged to cook, hoover and wash my clothes.’ A social worker agreed and said, ‘The staff promote his independence, they recognise his skills, and teach him new skills.’ A parent made positive comments about the progress that her child is making and said, ‘Staff promote her independence, she goes food shopping and learns budgeting.’ Young people are treated with dignity and respect, and staff build trusted relationships

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

with them. At the time of this inspection, staff were observed to be engaging with young people in a professional and nurturing manner. One young person agreed and said, ‘I feel I can talk to any member of staff if I was worried about something, and I give 10/10 for living here. I feel listened to.’ Both young people attend college on a full-time basis and are actively encouraged and supported to gain part-time work. Where difficulties arise at college, staff are proactive in contacting the college and supporting young people through this. One young person successfully secured a part-time job, but decided that this was not for them, and is now looking for other opportunities. Young people are welcomed to the home. The registered manager ensures that the needs of young people can be met before they move in. He obtains the most recent placement plan from the placing authority, and undertakes a detailed assessment of the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young person’s needs. Staff support and encourage young people to maintain relationships with their family and friends. A parent said, ‘I am happy that staff support my son to visit me at home.’ Parents speak highly of the support that their child receives. One parent said, ‘I cannot fault the staff in any way. Communication with them is brilliant.’ Young people’s healthcare needs, including sexual health, and encouragement to cease smoking, are clearly identified. The support that young people receive from staff is beginning to have some positive impact. Detailed discussions about how staff support and encourage young people in relation to this are recorded in young people’s personal files. Young people have access to all healthcare professionals, and receive specialist support if required. Following an incident in the home in relation to the management of medicines, staff took effective action to safeguard the young person. The registered manager acknowledges

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

that there are lessons to be learned from this incident. The associated risk assessments in relation to this incident have been updated. Inspection report children's home: SC386428 5

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

The registered manager handles safeguarding concerns well. Since the last inspection, there have been two safeguarding concerns raised with the designated officer. These concerns were in relation to allegations against adults who do not work at the home. The registered manager took effective action and informed the necessary agencies and professionals to safeguard the young person. Detailed and clear audit trails demonstrate the good action that staff took. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of safeguarding procedures and receive safeguarding training. Young people said that they feel safe. In addition, parents and a social worker, who was spoken with at the time of this inspection, consider that the young person is safe at the home. Through good staff support, young people are nurtured and guided in how to manage their emotions and feelings. Staff are provided with detailed guidance in how to assist

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

young people with this. In addition, comprehensive key-worker records demonstrate the supportive and guiding discussions that are held. Restraint is not used at the home. If sanctions are imposed, these are fair and proportionate. Following a sanction being imposed, young people countersign the records to confirm that this has been discussed with them, although they don’t always wish to make a comment. Since the last inspection, there have been two incidents of young people going missing from the home. Staff respond effectively to these incidents. They actively search for and attempt to keep in contact with young people. Staff keep all agencies and professionals informed and respond in accordance with the agreed, individualised missing from home protocols. On one occasion, a young person went missing while on a visit to a family member. Staff have been commended by the placing authority in how well this incident

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

was managed. However, the missing from home protocol has not been updated to reflect this incident. Staff try to ensure that young people receive a return to home interview, and that this is recorded in their personal files. However, independent return home interviews have not been conducted for all incidents, and feedback following the interviews has not been provided to staff. The registered manager has attempted to obtain information about the outcomes of these interviews, and was continuing to do so at the time of this inspection. Proactive and effective working relationships are in place with placing authorities and the police and this helps to support and protect young people. The registered manager ensures that young people’s individual risk assessments are updated following episodes of missing, and of any other significant incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is efficiently and effectively managed by a registered manager who has the skills, knowledge and experience to manage the home. He holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare (England). The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. He has undertaken a thorough evaluation of the quality of care provided in Inspection report children's home: SC386428 6 the home and has identified where improvements can be made. However, he has not clearly identified the priorities and target dates in order to achieve the identified improvements. External scrutiny of the quality of care being provided is effective and identifies where improvements can be made. This monitoring is taken seriously by the registered manager who acts on any recommendations to improve the service. Staff receive effective regular supervision that includes reflective practice discussions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are encouraged to review a specific area of their practice and identify what went well, lessons learnt, and how they can improve their practice. Staff speak highly of the support that they receive. A member of staff confirmed this and said, ‘The registered manager is supportive, encourages growth in your professional development, listens to our opinions and takes what we say into consideration.’ The staff team is well qualified and provides young people with stability. The training that the staff receive equips them well to meet the needs of the young people. The registered manager takes immediate action to address any concerns in relation to staff performance and, where needed, he instigates the organisation’s disciplinary policy. There have not been any complaints made since the last inspection. Comprehensive placement plans and associated risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance in how to meet young people’s needs. Placing authorities are provided with

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

monthly updates about young people’s outcomes as well as day-to-day communication. The help that staff give ensures that young people achieve important milestones and goals. This includes the encouragement of further education to enhance young people’s employment opportunities, and assisting them in applying for, and securing, part-time employment. The registered manager collaborates well with other agencies, other professionals and parents. This approach benefits young people. A social worker agreed and said, ‘There is good communication between us. There is a stable staff team and I’m impressed. The staff genuinely care.’ A parent echoes these views and said, ‘Communication is brilliant, they let me know what’s happening and will text me, too. I also ring them.’ Staff ensure that the home is warm and welcoming. It is decorated and furnished to a good standard and provides a homely environment that benefits young people.

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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. Inspection report children's home: SC386428 7 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

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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: SC386428 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC386428 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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