Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 1 SC059755 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a national private provider. It provides care and accommodation for up to five children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

p.1

young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

p.1

young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has addressed all of the requirements made at the full inspection and demonstrates strong leadership. Following the last inspection, one child’s needs were not able to be met successfully at this home, and they moved to another home. The remaining children have made very good progress since the last inspection. One new requirement is made at this inspection.

p.1

young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has made significant improvements to the maintenance and furnishing of the home. Children now live in a warm, welcoming and homely environment. They use the extra space created by the removal of a downstairs office to relax and have time by themselves. The home’s environment is now much more centred on the children and their needs, and repairs are carried out quickly. Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 2 The manager ensured that children attend school provisions that have given them every opportunity to succeed and socialise with other children. One child started to attend school again in September 2017, after a period of not attending. Another child now spends one day a week at a comprehensive school as part of their full-time education package and care plan to move home.

p.1

young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager took effective action to ensure that the dynamics between children living at the home improved. In agreement with their local authority, one child moved out of the home to live at another home without any other children, as this was assessed as being more suitable for him. This enabled staff to work successfully with the two remaining children to look at alternative ways to control their own feelings and to identify the reason why they may feel this way. Both children have benefited greatly from this period of stability and support.

p.2

young people since the most recent full inspection

All staff have undertaken recent safeguarding training to ensure that they know how to respond to an allegation or complaint made by a child. The manager tests the staff team’s competency and understanding in supervisions and team meetings. Staff have also received specific training that was missing at the time of the full inspection to help them to better support the children’s needs.

p.2

young people since the most recent full inspection

Children can now access a phone in the home without having to ask staff first. A new landline handset has been installed in one of the rooms that children access freely. Some children also have a mobile phone.

p.2

young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has taken effective action to ensure that any staff from an agency who are used are subject to the same rigorous suitability checks as staff who are directly employed by the home. The manager met with the recruitment company to ensure that it provides the necessary documentation before staff work their first shift at the home. The manager has not used agency staff since the full inspection, so this has not been tested in practice, but all the necessary processes are now in place to help to protect children.

p.2

young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager ensures that all staff involved in a restraint are spoken to about the use of the measure within five days. This discussion can take place individually or as part of the team handover, and offers opportunities for the staff to learn from each event. Staff continue to prioritise speaking with children after a restraint to seek their point of view and check how they are feeling. The majority of restraints have been carried out safely and proportionately. However, on two occasions a staff member had performed a restraint to enforce children to comply with their instructions. Children were not physically hurt during either of these measures and they were used for a short amount of time. Managers and staff have reflected on one of these occasions specifically, and had acknowledged that things should have been done differently for the child.

p.2

young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager responds effectively to all complaints received. She works collaboratively with children’s placing authorities to help to achieve the best outcome for the child. Children are also now more involved in the investigation and outcome of any complaint that they raise. The manager ensures that the child’s social worker contacts them after they go missing and speaks to them in person if they make an allegation against staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 3 Both children living at this home have moved on considerably in their development since the full inspection. There has been a significant decrease in the number of serious incidents and both have shown maturity when it comes to demonstrating their wishes to move back into a family environment. As such, staff are supporting one child who has recently moved into a foster family, and another child has started his transition to spending more time at

p.2

young people since the most recent full inspection

his family home with a view to moving there permanently.

p.3

young people since the most recent full inspection

Following the last inspection, some concerns were raised directly with Ofsted about practices at the home. The issues of concern were looked at during this inspection.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/10/2016 Full Good 16/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.3

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty

p.3

Requirement Due date

(1) Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing — (a) injury to any person (including the child); (b) serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or (c) a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home. (2) Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (3) These regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. 31/01/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.4

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’.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

p.4

Inspector

Guy Mammatt, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC059755 5 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.

p.4

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Inspector

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

p.5