Children's Home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 1 SC467115 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home and provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 29 to 30 November 2017

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 21 December 2016

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 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

 Due to changes in the management of the home, there has been a period of inconsistency and lack of continuity in the services provided. A manager is now in post and has applied to register with Ofsted.  Leaders and managers are not thoroughly scrutinising records in relation to the management of children’s behaviours. Because of this, they have not been able to identify any triggers or trends. In addition, their scrutiny and evaluation of accident records and incidents of children missing from home are weak.  Leaders and managers have not notified all agencies and authorities of all safeguarding concerns and significant events.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that an education provision was in place for the child who recently moved into the home.  Not all staff have undertaken comprehensive training in protecting children from child sexual exploitation, understanding self-harm and first aid.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The current young person is positive about living at the home. She says that she is happy living here and that staff listen to her. She has been actively involved in choosing wallpaper, paint and soft furnishings for her bedroom.  Staff support children well when they leave the home. Records show that staff give appropriate support and encouragement to reassure the children when they move. For one child in particular, staff continue to keep in regular touch.  Social workers speak highly of the care and support that children receive.  The home is homely, well maintained and decorated to a good standard.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/07/2016 Full Good 03/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 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

The education standard requires that children make progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(2)(a)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that a school is identified for the current child to attend. 31/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard requires that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to:

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, consult with and refer any serious concerns about staff to the designated officer. 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard requires the registered person to enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes children’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is 31/01/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 4 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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, thoroughly scrutinise records in relation to incidents, accidents and missing from home incidents to look for triggers and trends.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, following the internal review of the quality of care provided in the home, develop an action plan to address the shortfalls identified in order to improve the service.

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(b)) 15/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of a fire. (Regulation 25(1)(a)(b)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33(4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive comprehensive training in protecting children from child sexual exploitation, supporting young people who self-harm, and training in first aid. 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 15/12/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with their role and responsibilities when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission and how staff should support the child on return to the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28). In particular, ensure that staff speak with children after missing from home incidents, in addition to formal return home interviews.  Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, three children have left the home and one child has recently moved in. One child left due to staff not being able to keep him or others safe. Another child left due to concerns in relation to the frequency of her going missing from the home. This is despite staff making every effort to engage with her and to keep her safe. The social worker said that she was happy with the quality of care that staff provided and that staff considered the child’s needs. Another child had a well-planned and managed move into adult provision. Staff supported him to move into his new home and they have since kept in touch with him.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers meet with children before they move in to determine whether they can meet their needs. The current child confirmed this and said, ‘The staff visited me where I used to live and we discussed the children’s guide. They also showed me photographs of the home on their phone’. The child felt well prepared because of these actions.

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improvement to be good

Impact risk assessments are undertaken prior to children moving in. However, leaders and managers do not always review these assessments in accordance with the organisation’s reviewing processes. This does not ensure that regular reviews take place and appropriate action is taken if there are any concerns relating to children living together. The manager acknowledges this.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers failed to ensure that a confirmed education provision was agreed and in place before the current child moved into the home. The manager confirmed that this was an oversight, and the records viewed confirm that he is actively engaging with the placing authority and education provisions to rectify this. Staff maintain records to show the learning opportunities that the child is receiving until this is rectified. The current child says that staff are assisting her with her education, and was keen to show Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 6 the inspector the work that she has undertaken. Staff develop good relationships with children. The current child says that she is happy to be living at the home. She said, ‘It is very homely, much better than where I used to live. I love the views of the countryside and the horses’. Staff listen to children’s views and involve them in the day-to-day running of the home. The current child agrees and said, ‘I

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improvement to be good

feel listened to and can speak to any of the staff’.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to become more independent and to learn new skills. This includes cooking, shopping and budgeting for themselves. The current child is in good health and has access to a variety of healthcare professionals to promote her health needs and personal well-being. Specialist help is available if needed.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers did not refer a potential safeguarding concern to the designated officer. This concern related to staff practice. The responsible individual investigated the concerns raised and followed the organisation’s disciplinary process. However, the responsible individual took effective action at the time of this inspection and referred the concern to the designated officer.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have made two other referrals to the designated officer, one of which remains open. However, leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of all of the allegations and suspicions of harm.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child left because leaders and managers considered that they could not keep him and others safe. Staff were not able to support him in managing his emotions and feelings. Because of this, a number of serious incidents occurred. Some resulted in staff calling the police to assist. In addition, leaders and managers failed to monitor such incidents in order to look for triggers and trends. Following the child leaving the home and other children moving to planned alternative provisions, the number and severity of incidents have been significantly reduced.

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improvement to be good

To date, there have been no difficulties in staff supporting the child currently living at the home to manage her emotions and feelings. The child says that she feels safe and can speak to any member of staff if she wishes to.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been no recorded use of restraint. Sanctions are fair and proportionate. However, leaders and managers have failed to oversee all the records in relation to sanctions to confirm that they were appropriate and to assess whether they were effective.

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improvement to be good

Staff take effective action while children are missing. They follow the ‘missing from home’ protocols that are agreed by the placing authority and the local police to return the children quickly and safely. However, staff do not always speak with children about their experiences of going missing in addition to the return home interview offered by the placing authority. The records viewed, together with confirmation from a social worker, Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 7 showed that one child consistently refuses to participate although an independent return home interview is arranged and offered.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that there are regular checks on the home’s utilities. However, leaders and managers have not ensured that all staff working at the home have taken part in a fire evacuation.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers use an effective recruitment and selection process that helps to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left to be the registered manager of another home within the same organisation. As a temporary measure, the responsible individual appointed another registered manager to oversee the home. This arrangement did not prove satisfactory, therefore a senior manager from the organisation was temporarily appointed to manage the home. This arrangement was not effective either and, in June 2017, the responsible individual appointed a new manager. The new manager has submitted an application to Ofsted for the post of registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Because of the management changes, there has been a lack of stability, continuity and consistency in the management and oversight of the home. Leaders’ and managers’ scrutiny and evaluation of records, including of incidents, accidents and episodes of missing from home, have been weak.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual has undertaken a review of the quality of care and identified the strengths and weaknesses, and where improvements can be made. However, she has not yet developed a clear action plan to address these areas. External scrutiny of the home by an independent visitor continues regularly. The manager responds effectively to any recommendations made by the independent visitor, to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The recently updated statement of purpose describes the services that the home provides. However, Ofsted has not been sent a revised copy of this document, as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The responsible individual has responded effectively to a whistleblowing incident. The outcome of this incident is still to be reached.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers take effective action to address poor performance by staff members. The manager acted quickly to investigate a recent discrepancy in the management of medicines. The outcome of the investigation required a staff member to undertake additional training in the administration of medicines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive a variety of training in order to meet the needs of the children who live at the home. This includes some specialist training, in addition to basic mandatory training. However, not all staff have received training in protecting children from child sexual exploitation, supporting children who self-harm and first aid. All but one of the current Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 8 staff has a level 3 qualification or above. The member of staff who does not have this qualification is currently undertaking it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children benefit from a home that is homely, well maintained and decorated to a good standard. The child currently living at the home is delighted that she has been able to change bedroom, choose the wallpaper, make paint choices and choose soft furnishings for her room. She said, ‘I love my bedroom’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A social worker provided positive feedback about the quality of care and support provided to a child who has recently left the home. The social worker said that there was good communication between them and the staff, and that the staff kept them informed.

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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 difference 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: SC467115 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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