Children's home run by Devon and Cornwall Autistic Community Trust (t/a Spectrum) in Cornwall

Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 1 Registered provider: Devon And Cornwall Autistic Community Trust (t/a Spectrum)

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 21 to 22 November 2017

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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: 25 October 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person’s quality of life, participation and emotional well-being have improved since he moved into this home. All stakeholders, and significantly his parents, report that he is much happier.  The progress and achievements made by the young person are exceptional.  The care provided is led by a competent and suitably experienced team manager. She is dedicated to providing a child-centred service that continues to evolve and improve to benefit the young person.  Staff strive to provide for the continuing safety of the young person, whose main risk factors continue to be around self-injurious behaviour. The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some areas of the environment appear less than homely and some repairs and maintenance take a long time.  Staff retention remains problematic and there have been a lot of staff changes.  Two staff have not met the regulatory timescale for completing a suitable childcare qualification.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard The quality and purpose of care standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff— (2)(b)(viii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. In particular that the environment is well maintained and refurbished. 31/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers (2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

(5) The relevant date is— (a) in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b), (3)(b), (4)(a)(b) & (5)(a)) 30/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care provided is bespoke to cater for precise and well-defined needs. A wealth of support agencies are involved and all have played a part in the success of the home and the advancement of the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection there has been significant and exceptional progress for the young person. Professionals and parents alike describe the achievements as brilliant.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person looks better, he has gained some much-needed weight and his diet has improved. He is livelier and described by those who know him best as ‘much happier’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education attendance is currently at 100%. Alongside improved attendance and participation he is also spending time with other pupils and eating in the school dining room. It was not possible for him to do these things 12 months ago. The young person also has a work experience placement at a local farm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is also spending time in the community, visiting the library, going out shopping and enjoying the beach. This was a favourite activity when he was a small child and both parents described this last school summer holiday as one of the best ever. Previously any disruption to routine, in particular that created by school holidays, was very problematic and anxiety-provoking for the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person sees family who are important to him; he has spent time in family homes and been out on activities with brothers and sisters. One parent described The home as a second home. The family feel included in the decision-making process and feel that they can visit the young person whenever they want.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A consultant for the young person described the staff as ‘brilliant, doing what they can to make a difference; they are thoughtful and reflective rather than reactive’. The young person is generally doing nicely. The staff have focused on important life-skills that ensure that the young person gains a sense of achievement.

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

Risks are well understand and managed in this home. There is constant scrutiny and reflection on restrictions affecting dignity, privacy and safety to make sure that these continue to be necessary.

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

The care provided in partnership with health, education professionals and parents has improved the young person’s safety. Incidents of self-injurious behaviour have decreased as the young person has become more settled and less anxious. Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 5 Staff seek the advice of a behaviour specialist and a clinical psychologist to aid their understanding and inform risk-management practice.

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

The process for administration of medication has additional safeguards. Permission is always sought from an on-call manager who is not based in the home. The additional record and permission needed avoids duplication and other mistakes.

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

The need to use physical restraint to keep the young person or care staff safe has dramatically reduced in the last 12 months. This indicates that the young person feels safe, less anxious and less frustrated.

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

Safer-recruitment practice means that those who may seek to harm children by working in this environment are not employed. Newly employed staff do at least two weeks of shadowing a mentor, which allows them to get to know the young person and vice versa.

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

The young person is able to express discontent and staff can tell if he is unhappy. The young person feels safe with staff and will often choose who he wants to help him or spend time with.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a qualified, effective and dedicated manager employed in this home. She holds and maintains high expectations for the young person. The organisation has also employed a new leader who is head of children’s services. He has brought and implemented some new ideas, particularly around child-centred practice and making sure that the voice of the child is central to the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular analysis of the care provided and the progress made by the young person is compiled by the manager. Over time it is clear that there have been significant improvements in the life of the young person. Consultation with professional stakeholders and the use of reflective practice allow for greater understanding of behaviour and suggest further action if needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The support available for staff has been developed. Improvements to the induction process and a mentoring system for all new staff are now in place. All staff receive regular supervision. The appraisal system identifies strengths and encourages continuous personal development for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation has taken some action to try to address staff retention problems. The recruitment process has been made more robust in the hope of attracting more suitable candidates. Conditions of service have improved, including shortening the length of shifts worked.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A large number of professional stakeholders are involved essentially in the life of the young person. Managers have had cause to implement rules for visitors to the home to avoid unnecessary disruption to the life of the young person and protect his privacy. Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 6 Professional visitors are expected to make appointments where possible and provide a photo for the young person and a brief explanation of why they are visiting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are tuned into the communication methods used by the young person. The care provided is bespoke and responsive. Plans are in place and the young person already has workers appointed from adult care services in preparation for a move to this provision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most records are now kept electronically; this has improved the quality of records, access to information and the confidentiality of personal material.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is under constant scrutiny by a number of professional stakeholders and commissioners. Following a gap in the formal independent monthly monitoring and reporting, a new visitor has been appointed. The reports provided are robust and thorough and contribute to improving the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been some improvements to the environment and the young person has been involved in decisions around these changes. Some maintenance remains outstanding, such as the conservatory windows, which are difficult to see out of clearly as the units have broken down. There are also a number of unnecessary notices around the house with information for staff. These distract from what is in most areas a homely environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two members of the staff team who work during the night have not yet completed childcare qualifications. This qualification is expected of those working with children to ensure that there is a suitably qualified staff team.

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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

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: 1183618 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Devon And Cornwall Autistic Community Trust (t/a Spectrum)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lakeside Offices, The Old Cattle Market, Helston TR13 0SR

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Martyn Zahan, Shelley Cooper

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Inspector

Janice Hawtin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183618 8 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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