Children's home run by Portsmouth City Council

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 1 SC037762

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Portsmouth City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority operates this home. The home is registered for up to seven children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The aim of the home is to provide stable and consistent care for young people, who are often placed in an emergency.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 19 October 2017. Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice for the period 25 October 2017 to 25 January 2018.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted issued one compliance notice on 14 November 2017 and one compliance notice on 15 November 2017.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to assess compliance with the notice of restriction of accommodation only.

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and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child was missing from

care or away from the home without permission.

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and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child was missing from

The registered manager is now using a missing-children toolkit from the Local Safeguarding Children Board. This provides guidance for staff on identifying risk, guidance on the use of interventions and consideration of the push-pull factors. It includes information on the role of the police and other agencies. The registered manager has given due consideration to statutory guidance. He has developed a system that enables staff to keep a chronological record of the action they take in order to contact and locate a young person during a missing episode. Records examined during the monitoring visit and conversations with staff confirmed that the Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 2 revised procedures and responsibilities are clear to the staff. Currently, this system does not sufficiently consider the necessary arrangements should a young person go missing at night, such as the need to call in additional staff. This aspect needs to be

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and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child was missing from

added in order to further strengthen the guidance.

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and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child was missing from

The registered manager has designed a spreadsheet to use as a tool for monitoring and analysing trends. He ensures that return interviews are completed and documented. The number of missing episodes for some young people has significantly decreased since the interim inspection. One young person who continued to place himself at risk has been discharged temporarily from the home in an attempt to break this cycle of behaviour.

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and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child was missing from

The registered manager requested that the social worker assess the appropriateness of contact with a family in the community where a young person often goes. This has been completed, but its findings have not been used to formulate a clear plan of intervention or provide support for the young person or those he is visiting. The registered manager has no plans to assess other individuals with whom the young person has contact, especially regarding those for whom the police or staff have raised concerns. Such practice fails to scrutinise and understand the range of influences that affect decisions young people make that place them at risk of harm.

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During the interim inspection on 19 October 2017, the inspector found

The registered manager has written succinct placement plans. He has revised the risk assessments and has included the known risks and control measures. However, the assessment for one young person who presents with violent and challenging behaviour lacks sufficient detail. There is no indication as to the specific risk, the level of risk, who is at risk or the specific control measures to be adopted. There have been two violent incidents since the interim inspection where staff or the young person have been injured, but there is no clear indication as to what preventative and reactive measures are to be used in the future. Such gaps and omissions fail to provide a clear strategy for protecting the young person and the staff in the event of future episodes. This particular example also demonstrates a lack of proactive, targeted support for the young person, such as working on his understanding of healthy relationships.

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During the interim inspection on 19 October 2017, the inspector found

One risk assessment has included control measures following a recent incident of attempted arson. The attempted arson was not detailed in the notification to Ofsted that was seen during the monitoring visit. Ofsted is not currently in receipt of the notification. Such delays restrict the regulator’s ability to monitor the home between inspections.

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During the interim inspection on 19 October 2017, the inspector found

The registered manager has taken action to introduce more structure and routine for the young people. He has specified a time for the young people to be back in the home, in accordance with their referral documents. He has also introduced a revised timetable of activities for the daytime and weekends. These are currently brief and Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 3 the young people show limited engagement. Some progress is noted with young people’s learning opportunities: a qualified teacher is providing a limited amount (one hour per day) of education in the home. Arrangements have also been made for young people to see other professionals, such as the substance misuse team.

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During the interim inspection on 19 October 2017, the inspector found

The registered manager accepts that such plans and changes remain in their infancy. The current opportunities to positively engage the young people in education and meaningful activities are underdeveloped and not yet embedded in individual daily care planning. Strategies for appropriately challenging risky behaviours and guiding young people on developing healthy relationships are not in place. The absence of such strategies and guidance impedes young people’s opportunities to develop better coping strategies in preparation for adulthood. At this stage, the risks to the safety and well-being of the current young people, staff and any new admissions would be heightened with the removal of the restriction of accommodation notice.

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During the interim inspection on 19 October 2017, the inspector found

The home remains compliant with the restriction of accommodation notice and the registered manager is continuing to work towards meeting the steps of the two compliance notices. These have not yet expired. At this stage, the restriction of accommodation notice remains in place. A further monitoring visit will be conducted following the expiry date of the compliance notices, and will be used to inform a decision about the restriction of accommodation notice.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/10/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 08/05/2017 Full Good 16/03/2017 Full Inadequate 06/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 4

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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 care planning standard The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose and that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(2)(a)(b)(i)) 10/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— (a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it, and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 10/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the registered person must ensure 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 and take effective action whenever there is a concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(vi)) 10/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17(2)) 10/01/2018 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 5 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with the notice of restriction of accommodation during the first six weeks of the notice.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Portsmouth City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2BG

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Inspector:

Keith Riley, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037762 7 to 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:

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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