Children's home run by Tumblewood Project Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 1 SC028435 Registered provider: Tumblewood Project Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home operates as a therapeutic community for a maximum of 15 girls who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The community is run by a private organisation that offers residential care alongside therapeutic intervention including counselling, play therapy and psychiatric support. Children usually attend the on-site school.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Seven children currently live in this home, two of whom have moved in since the last inspection. The children live in three separate houses.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A further child was admitted to the home for a 16-week assessment in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Unfortunately, after one month, senior leaders asked the social worker to move the child to another placement on an emergency basis; managers did not tell the child she was moving until the social worker arrived to collect her. This request for the child to live elsewhere was made because staff were unable to care for the child safely and to help her manage her behaviours. Leaders and managers did not follow a thorough process to make sure that they had the full information about this Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 2 young person and another child, before agreeing to admit them. Therefore, they did not ensure the safety and care of new children and children already living in the home. The resulting negative experiences, increase in safeguarding incidents and instability that followed could have been avoided. This is a concern that has been raised by inspectors

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

on previous inspections over the past two years.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Serious incidents involving aggression have increased. A social worker is of a view that staff do not follow basic strategies to help children avoid difficult situations and triggers. It is not unusual to hear children shouting and swearing in the home. Since the last inspection, on one occasion staff have called the police when a young person indicated that she was heading towards the railway lines. On this occasion, there were insufficient staff available to keep the young person safe in the home without police intervention.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

On two occasions, children have telephoned the police to tell them about incidents and to make allegations about other young people of a sexual and physical nature. On both occasions, the staff did not display the skills necessary to manage and resolve the incidents themselves. The police have also come to visit the home to interview children without social workers being present, which is a concern. These interviews relate to sexually inappropriate advances made by one child to another. One of these children has raised concerns before about being sexually harmed by another child and was interviewed without a social worker present last year. This practice has not been challenged by the manager.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager and a staff member have reported children to the police for assault. One child was taken to the police station and interviewed the same day. Since last year, this child has received two convictions and three cautions for assault on staff from the home. This approach has proven unsuccessful in helping her to understand and modify her aggressive behaviour.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At least three serious incidents that have happened since the last inspection have not been notified to Ofsted, in line with the children’s homes regulations. This includes an incident regarding a child who suffered an injury following a restraint and was taken to hospital. Consequently, inspectors cannot be confident that they have all the necessary information to monitor the home effectively outside of inspection visits. A requirement was made relating to this regulation twice last year and is now repeated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children are finding it difficult to adjust to living in the home; they have said that it is not homely and they feel lonely. They have complained that their beds are uncomfortable. They also said that they do not know who will be looking after them in the evenings; a requirement was made at the last inspection regarding this. The manager had put a diary system in place for staff to use to inform children as to who will care for them. However, staff complete the diary infrequently.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All but one child has self-harmed in the home. One child has significantly increased her self-harming; risk assessments do not clearly identify strategies for reduction of her self- harming. Another child’s file states that self-harm is infrequent when there has actually been a significant increase. Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 3 One child has started self-harming since coming to live in the home when they did not before. These children have safety plans but staff do not always adhere to these plans: for example, they did not ensure that a child’s razor was collected after use, for safekeeping.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have physically restrained children on approximately 18 occasions. Records indicate that restraint has not always been necessary if staff had managed behaviour differently. Physical intervention that could have been avoided led to an injury of a child. Following physical restraint, staff do not always check with children whether they need medical treatment. The effect on other children witnessing a restraint is not evaluated enough.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When children run away from the home, staff ensure that they follow children. There has been one occasion when a child went missing since the last inspection. Staff took appropriate action and arranged for an independent person to meet with her to understand why and help to prevent this happening again.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children do not attend school as regularly as they should, which has a negative impact on their progress. Staff encourage children to attend school and will often stay with them during lessons.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has tried to improve care to ensure that it is personalised and this is reflected in placement plans, for example different bedtimes for each of the children. However, the ethos of personalised care is not firmly embedded throughout the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The houses that children live in are more homely and fire signage in them has been taken down. Fire signage remains on the outside of the houses. The manager is keen to have these taken down but has not had agreement from other staff in the organisation to do so. Therefore, the recommendation from the last inspection is not met.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements are also evident in the home. Staff have received a range of training, some of which is targeted to address the needs of children living in the home. This training has helped staff use new strategies to help children when they self-harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child said that their staff member was ‘amazing’. Many of the children enjoy more activities in the community, which has increased their confidence and resilience; this includes one child having a summer job. A social worker said that his child ‘has made fantastic progress. The home doesn’t need to improve. I trust the staff’s judgement.’ Other professionals and a parent have praised the home in the anonymous survey conducted by Ofsted.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is now clear what the long-term aims are for all children in the home and placing authorities are working to these plans. She has improved placement plans and included children’s views in these documents. Staff help children to see their families and the registered individual plans to work with a parent to support reunification. Two children have moved on to their next homes in a planned way and staff have supported Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 4 them throughout this process. Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/09/2016 Full Inadequate 13/07/2016 Full Inadequate

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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

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff— provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation (6)(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(viii)) 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— 21/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 6 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 any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard 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 welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home use monitoring and review systems to make continuous

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Requirement Due date

improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 30/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 30/11/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 7 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a–e)) 21/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations; however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than an ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 8 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’.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tumblewood Project Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 The Laurels, Hawkeridge Road, Heywood, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 4LF

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Inspectors

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC028435 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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