Children's home run by Care Management Solutions Limited in Kirklees

Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 1 SC423442 Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 28 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The children and young people are making progress which is evident in numerous ways.  The children and young people have built upon their relationships with the staff, are relaxed in their company and enjoy interacting with them.  The children and young people are being helped by the staff to understand their needs and behaviours. The staff gained specialist guidance to ensure that their approach to the care they give to the children and young people is appropriate and suited to their needs.  The children and young people are regularly encouraged by the staff to share their views and feelings about the care that they receive. This ensures that the children and young people feel listened to. This feedback ensures that changes are made to improve the home.  The staff understand the importance of safeguarding and the impact upon the children and young people. As a result, the children and young people are safe.

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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

 To help the children and young people further, the manager needs to utilise the specialist support available and use it in care practices to support the children and young people.  When a child or young person is presenting with a current or historic risk or need, this needs to be clearly detailed in their records.  The manager needs to strengthen the admission procedures to ensure that he has relevant signed documentation at the point of admission.  Although the home environment meets the needs of the children and young people, there remain concerns about the overall presentation and comfort of the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2017 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 3 05/01/2017 Full Inadequate 07/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children‘s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority. The registered person must co-operate with the child‘s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child‘s placement plan. (Regulation 17(1)(2)) 08/12/2017

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 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(10(2)(a)(iii)(b)) 08/12/2017

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Recommendations

 For children‘s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children, they will in most cases be homely, domestic environments (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, that the concern relating to damp in the converted cellar is explored to ensure that there is no mould producing allergens that could impact on the health of those in the home.  Homes are required to develop and keep under review a ―Statement of Purpose‖ (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 14, paragraph 3.5). This is with particular reference to the home‘s statement of purpose having clear details about their admission and emergency admission procedures.  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children‘s homes. Case Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 5

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Recommendations

records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 62, paragraph 14.3). This is with particular reference to ensuring that any record of restraint is clearly signed and dated to reflect those who were involved and witness to the incident, and when the detailed debriefs took place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children‘s and young people‘s outcomes and progress vary greatly. It is evident that from their own starting points the children‘s and young people‘s progress is clear. However, the progress for some young people is limited. One young person was able to say: ‗The staff have helped me with life. I now enjoy life, which includes completing activities.‘

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are being helped to talk about their needs through the key-work sessions that are being completed frequently by the staff. These records have undergone significant development, and are ensuring that the staff are proactive in helping the children and young people to talk through concerns. This also enables the staff to implement strategies to help the children and young people identify concerns and manage them. One young person is developing her ability to re-form and maintain relationships, particularly after incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are benefiting from clear routines and boundaries that are consistently implemented by the staff. Although some children and young people are fully engaged in the day-to-day plans and expectations, other children and young people require continuous motivation. The staff implement incentives for the children and young people to encourage them to be responsive and follow each day‘s planned agenda and daily routines. This has been crucial for one young person. He is now motivated by working towards getting parts for his bike.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people experience planned admissions into the home. The manager has clear processes to ensure that their needs and associated risks are fully explored. However, upon the admission of the children and young people, the manager is not utilising the home‘s specialist knowledge. The home‘s therapist should be used to implement direct practice measures to support the presenting needs and behaviours that the child or young person may have. The children and young people who reside in the home are consulted about future admissions, and their views are considered when the manager reviews any referrals. As a result of the home‘s approach to admissions, one young person said: ‗I have a good relationship with [Name of child], although we do still argue.‘

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the fact that of some of the children and young people were admitted to the home only recently, they have started to build upon their relationships and interactions with the staff. The children and young people were observed to be naturally comfortable Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 6 in the presence of the staff, and requested their company and reassurance when in the presence of strangers. One young person said: ‗I haven‘t got a problem with being here, it is sound.‘

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people are regularly encouraged to share their views and feelings about the care that they receive and what they want to be developed. This means that the children‘s and young people‘s views are being listened to. The staff actively advocate for the children and young people to ensure that their wishes are heard by the identified person or agencies. This results in the children‘s and young people‘s needs being appropriately assessed, and plans being implemented to support these needs. Unfortunately for one young person, despite the implementation of an advocacy service and challenge by the staff, the young person‘s transition from the home was not smooth or in their best interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides the children and young people with plenty of space that they find beneficial when living in a group. However, as a direct result of the age and the size of the home, there are apparent maintenance issues which will require ongoing attention. These include the concerns regarding damp in the home that continue to be explored and addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Each child and young person has their own bedroom. Due to the structure of the home some of these rooms are extremely large and this makes it difficult to create a warm and homely feel. Despite this, one young person is able to identify that they have a sense of permanence in the home, and want to live here until they reach 18 years of age.

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improvement to be good

The risk of being missing from home remains a significant concern for one young person. However, the staff are working in partnership with family members and professionals to reduce these incidents in order to ensure that the young person is safe. A professional said: ‗The staff could not do any more without putting themselves at great risk. The staff follow the missing protocol and I am always informed. It is probably the best home that I have worked with, in respect of being kept updated.‘ In addition, the police identified that although this young person continues to go missing, the length of time that he is missing for is reducing and therefore there is more insight into his whereabouts and well-being. However, this process can be strengthened, as currently the young person‘s risk assessment, including the missing-from-home protocol, does not contain pertinent information about the young person‘s associates and places that he

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improvement to be good

The children and young people are protected from the current dangers of social media. The manager is knowledgeable about the safeguarding concerns surrounding online social media. The manager gains this information and gives updates to the staff so that they can build upon their practice and their knowledge. These updates impact on the information that the staff give to the children and young people. As a result, the children Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 7 and young people have more insight into the dangers of social media. This maintains the children‘s and young people‘s safety.

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improvement to be good

The children and young people are being helped by the staff to develop their own awareness of their behaviours. They are now able to identify their triggers and this is reducing the escalation of behaviours into incidents that affect them or others. When incidents do require the use of a restraint, there is a clear record of the debrief with the child or young person. However, this document can be strengthened by the consistent recording of dates and signatures.

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improvement to be good

Through their relationships with the staff, the children and young people are able to talk about taking age-appropriate risks as part of their journey towards independence. For one young person, this includes being able to independently travel to the local shop. Previously, this young person was having limited free time. The children and young people are helped to keep safe while they are out in the local community. This safety is enforced as the manager continues to gain and share his knowledge of the current trends and risks in the local area. This knowledge relates to gangs and other forms of exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a wealth of experience and understands the needs of the home and the developments required to sustain the continued improvements and outcomes for the children and young people. A staff member said: ‗He is very approachable and he provides us with guidance.‘

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is developing the care practice of staff to provide care to the children and young people. It is recognised that the staff prefer to use a restorative approach to incidents and the implementation of reparation is an excellent example of practice development. It is evident that the staff are learning from incidents and changing their practice based on the debriefs and information gathered from the children and young people. However, as result of reflection on particular incidents, it has been identified that illegal drug use is a concern for one young person, and that the staff need to develop their knowledge and understanding around this current concern. A professional said: ‗The staff are great and when I visit I have no concerns. All the children come to greet me and speak in a polite manner.‘

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has restructured the leadership team and its roles and responsibilities. This is further developing the monitoring of staff practice and is strengthening the knowledge and experience of the team. As a result, the children‘s and young people‘s records are being developed. An example of this is the recording of key-work sessions. However, there are gaps in the children‘s and young people‘s records that need to be addressed. For one young person, information about his future mental-health support was not evident in the home‘s care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have built positive relationships with professionals and family members. The Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 8 manager and his team are using the feedback and experience from the wider agencies to strengthen the service and build upon the care plans for the children and young people. A parent said: ‗The home is good and I have no worries. They are doing their best to help my son and this means they are also helping us.‘

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although the manager is striving to ensure that the children and young people experience a positive start to their time in the home, the manager has admitted the children and young people into the home without signed documentation from the local authority. The home‘s statement of purpose is not clear about the manager‘s expectation of local authorities when placing the children and young people, irrespective of whether it is a planned or emergency admission.

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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: SC423442 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Management Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Ravens Lodge, Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF13 3EE

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon: social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC423442 10 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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