Children's home run by Care 4 Children Holdco Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco 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

The home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and 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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Requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Requires improvement to be good

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Requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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Requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 31 October 2016

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Requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The registration of this service was suspended for three months following a monitoring inspection on 5 May 2017. Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Concerns in April 2017, relating to inappropriate restraint by staff, resulted in a number of staff dismissals. However, a further incident has occurred since the home re-opened. This involved a member of staff, who primarily works in another of the organisation’s home, using unnecessary force. However, the member of staff had not received updated restraint training at the appropriate time. Managers did take appropriate action after the incident.  Staff are unclear about their roles and responsibilities. It is unclear if all staff working in the home have a good understanding of young people’s placement plans, as they have not signed to indicate this. This is significant, given the number of staff from other homes that have been required to work shifts in the home. Furthermore, a young person aged 13 years was playing on a computer game with an age rating of 18 years. This was identified by inspectors and had

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Key findings from this inspection

not been removed by staff prior to this inspection.  Since the last full inspection, a number of young people have needed to move on from the home on an emergency basis.  Recruitment checks on new staff are yet to comply with the principles of safer recruitment, as checks required by regulation are not always evident.  Insufficient emphasis is given to the views of young people. Weekly young people’s meetings have been used as a means of reviewing young people’s behaviour rather than securing their views on living at the home. In addition, sufficient feedback has not been given in relation to any requests made by young people.  Insufficient planning in advance of a young person’s planned placement resulted in the need for him to move on from the home, as managers were not aware of the necessary historic background information prior to placement.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Social workers say that communication from staff in the home is good.  Young people’s placement plans and risk assessments are of a good quality.  Staff implement clear boundaries in the home.  Repairs and improvements have been made to the home. It is now a pleasant environment for young people to live in.  Young people and staff have access to the organisation’s therapists in order to seek advice and guidance.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 3 31/10/2016 Full Good

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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

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard Ensure that staff help each child to understand how their views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7(2)(a)(iii)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard Ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(2)(v)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard Ensure that children have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(b)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty Ensure that restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(2)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers Ensure that staff are recruited using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety and that full and satisfactory information is available in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

37: Other records Ensure that the home maintains the records listed in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) Specifically, that the admission and discharge register contains the required information. 15/12/2017 Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person only accepts placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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improvement to be good

The manner in which young people have moved on from the home since the last inspection has been variable. Most young people have not moved on from the home in a planned or positive manner. Some young people were forced to move in May 2017 when the home closed. Since this time, two young people have been resident here. Both placements have been short lived. While the placement of one young person was planned, insufficient information had been requested from the placing authority prior to placement. When this information was subsequently received, this resulted in the home appreciating that it was unable to meet the young person’s needs. This young person is now resident in another of the organisation’s homes. He did make a planned move. The second young person moved here in an emergency from another home within the organisation, but on the day of the inspection was moved elsewhere. However, the young person had received no preparation for this move and had left for education that

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improvement to be good

morning, thinking that he would be returning later in the day. Such practice is likely to cause young people anxiety and result in further distrust of the adults caring for them. Young people living in the home have access to the organisation’s in-house education provision. This offers a vocationally based alternative curriculum. Young people have the opportunity to take part in a range of practical-based activities, such as motor sports. Some young people have engaged successfully with this programme. However, there was a decline in education attendance for one young person, who was attending school prior to his admission. Staff were unable to engage him in this alternative provision. His social worker commented that the young person ‘just got into the school refusal mode’. The quality of young people’s placement plans is good. These clearly outline young people’s needs and routines. However, the process for ensuring that all staff working in

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improvement to be good

the home were familiar with these placement plans was ineffective. The staff signature sheet only contained four signatures, which included that of the registered manager. This is despite a number of staff working shifts in this home from other homes in the organisation, who need to familiarise themselves with the young people they are working with. Consequently, young people may not be cared for in line with their agreed plan and are more likely to be successful at manipulating those caring for them. The quality of relationships between staff and young people is variable. When the home reopened in August 2017, a completely new staff team was in place. However, due to the needs of the first young person admitted, the complement of staff was insufficient to Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 5 manage the young person. Consequently, a number of staff from other homes have been required to assist. In addition, two staff members who were newly recruited have

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improvement to be good

already left. This degree of change and instability does not help young people to settle, as they are reluctant to invest in these relationships. A social worker for one young person commented that her young person had consistently refused to engage with staff. Inspectors were unable to talk to any young people during the inspection, as the only resident was not returning to the home that day. Staff had taken some limited feedback themselves. This indicated that young people got on okay with staff and that they liked their living environment. Staff complete weekly young people’s meetings, designed to gather the views and opinions of young people resident in the home. However, minutes of these minutes appear to indicate that these have been used as a means to evaluate the young person’s behaviour over the preceding week. When young people have requested that staff make enquiries about the possibility of engaging in a new activity, it is not clear if staff have

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improvement to be good

taken any action, as the young person does not receive feedback from staff. The meetings are not child focused or conducive to creating an atmosphere for them to share their thoughts about changes or improvements in the home. The organisation employs its own psychologist and therapists. They usually meet with young people while they are attending education. Therapists are also available for staff consultation, offering advice on how to approach any current challenge. The registered manager attends a weekly meeting where she discusses the needs of the young people. However, it is unclear how staff receive prompt feedback from these meetings, as staff meeting minutes do not include details of the advice given.

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from consistent boundaries when they live in the home. The rules of the home, and staff expectations about reasonable behaviour, are clear. While some young people have responded well to this, others have not. Consequently, young people have put themselves at increased risk by going missing from the home. In particular, the incidents for one young person have increased, as he was unwilling to accept the boundaries imposed. Furthermore, other young people have been encouraged to go missing alongside him. They have travelled a considerable distance with no money, putting themselves in a risky and dangerous position as a result. Staff have taken the appropriate actions when incidents have occurred and do keep a detailed chronology of their actions. Staff also request independent return interviews, although young people usually refuse to engage. Staff work in partnership with the police and liaise with them

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improvement to be good

in relation to other areas of concern, such as venues that young people are frequenting to purchase drugs. The quality of information sharing is good and helps to reduce the risks to young people. Young people benefit from regular key-worker sessions, designed to help them problem solve and look at alternative ways to deal with their behaviours or difficult situations in the future. Young people also receive incentive rewards for positive behaviour, for which they receive a financial reward. They understand this system and generally respond well Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 6 to it. All staff working in the home have received safeguarding training, as they undertake this as part of their induction process. Staff also receive training in behaviour management, including the safe use of restraint. Concerns in April 2017, relating to inappropriate restraint by staff, resulted in a number of staff dismissals. However, a further incident

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improvement to be good

has occurred since the home reopened. This involved a member of staff, who primarily works in another of the organisation’s homes, using unnecessary force. However, the staff member concerned had not received updated restraint training at the appropriate time. Managers did take the appropriate action after the incident. This included the involvement of the designated officer for the local authority. Personalised risk assessments help inform staff about the pertinent issues for each young person and ensure that they are alert to young people’s specific behaviours. These risk assessments are of good quality and contain relevant and updated information. However, staff remain confused about their responsibilities, as a computer game with an age rating of 18 years was evident in the young person’s bedroom during the inspection. Staff either chose not to challenge the young person or did not understand the significance of the age restriction.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment processes are not yet sufficiently robust to ensure the safe recruitment of staff. Verification for leaving employment is not routinely sought when an individual has previously worked with children or vulnerable adults, even when this has preceded a period of unemployment. In addition, risk assessments do not demonstrate how the decision to offer employment to an individual has been made, when issues have arisen as part of the organisation’s pre-employment checks. Consequently, current procedures do not ensure the integrity of those working in the home. A range of health and safety checks are regularly completed and updated to ensure the safety of young people. Door alarms alert staff to young people leaving their bedrooms during the night. Regular fires drills also take place, including following the admission of a new young person to the home, ensuring that they know what action to take in the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She has managed the home since it reopened in August 2017. She moved from another home in the organisation, where she had been the registered manager for almost 12 months. However, since the last full inspection of this home there have been four people in charge of the home. The home currently has no deputy manager, but there are plans in place to promote one of the senior staff to this position. Similarly, there have been many staff changes over the last 12 months and the home does not yet have a full complement of staff. The home’s statement of purpose reflects the aims and objectives of the home. The current manager is enthusiastic about developing a family environment for young people to reside in. The home is in a good state of repair and is a welcoming environment for young people. It is located in a pleasant residential area, close to the beach and with

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 7 easy access to the town centre. It is indistinguishable from other residential properties. While the registered manager clearly has ideas for further developing the home, she was unable to locate a development plan during the inspection. She has needed to focus her time on the recruitment of new staff over recent weeks. However, the use of a dynamic development plan would aid the timely completion of her identified areas for further development. Monitoring visits to the home in May and July 2017 identified five requirements that needed to be addressed as a matter of some urgency. The registered manager has taken action to meet these. For example, necessary repairs to the building have been completed, serious events have been notified to Ofsted, and improvements are evident to children’s case records. New staff follow a formal induction programme when they start work in the home. They

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

receive regular supervision to help them reflect on their practice and develop their skills. Currently, only three staff members have completed the necessary minimum level 3 childcare qualification, reflecting the inexperience of the staff team. However, training opportunities are available in order to meet the specific needs of the cohort of young people. For example, training is available in attachment and in self-harming behaviour. Both taught and online training opportunities are available for staff. The external monitoring of the home takes place regularly and the provider sends reports to Ofsted, as required. The independent visitor consults with young people, staff, family members and social workers to get their views about the home. A written report evaluates the home’s performance, and makes recommendations if necessary. This helps to drive forward improvement. However, neither this monitoring, nor that of the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

manager herself, identified that the home’s admission and discharge register does not contain all the details that regulations require. The registered manager had started a new register when the home reopened and, in the process, had omitted to include details of the placing authority. Liaison with other agencies is effective. Positive relationships exist between managers and other professionals. Comments include, ‘Communication from staff has been good’ and ‘Staff have worked alongside me and in line with the young person’s care plan.’ The registered manager will also challenge local authorities to take additional action when required. Six requirements and one recommendation are raised at this inspection, to secure further improvement in the home.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 8 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: 1240803 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Inspector

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240803 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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