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

Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children

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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 children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a small private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A mobile motorhome is used as the accommodation to access outward-bound activities at set locations.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 08 and 12 December 2017

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: 23 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have positive experiences and make good progress. They participate in outdoor pursuits and gain vocational qualifications, as part of an educational programme. Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 2  The majority of young people are learning to manage their behaviours and emotions well. Risk-taking behaviours such as going missing from care and involvement in crime are significantly reduced.  There are examples of good relationships between the staff and young people. These are built-up through completing outward-bound challenges together.  The staff are very well trained in outdoor activities. This provides for a safer and structured experience during their time at the motorhome.  A new manager is in position who is enthusiastic and committed to developing and improving the service further.  Partner agencies are complimentary about the service. A social worker said, ‘The service was brilliant for [name of young person] and I consider it to have

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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

 Risk assessments are not updated to ensure that they address young people’s risks and behaviours robustly. For example, the timescales in relation to reporting young people missing from care to the police are not always detailed or accurate.  On one occasion the staff did not follow safeguarding procedures. They did not alert a social worker of a potential safeguarding matter regarding a young person outside of this organisation. This shows a lack of understanding by the staff of their roles and responsibilities.  Monitoring systems do not provide detailed oversight of care practice, especially the independent visitor reports.  On one occasion, the staff did not seek medical advice in relation to a young person’s swollen ankle. Moreover, they did not understand their role in administering non-prescription medication.  Administration of a young person’s asthma medication is not recorded or monitored as instructed by the nurse.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff duty rosters are not accurate and do not always reflect the people on duty.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, 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 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)) and (v) 06/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Regulation 13 (2)(c) and (h) 06/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person should ensure that children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)) In particular, gaining advice or services from a medical professional and that staff understand their role in providing non-prescription medication. 06/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that an accurate record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (2)(c)) 06/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the independent person interviews in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home if they consent; and inspects 06/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 4 the premises of the home and such of the home’s records. (Regulation 44 (2)(a) and (b) 37: Other records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home records in Schedule 4. In particular, a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working in the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37 (2)(a) 06/02/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who come to live here experience short-term placements in the motorhome. The mobile nature of this setting allows for young people who have highly complex emotional and behavioural needs to experience the great outdoors. Young people take part in outward-bound pursuits, such as mountaineering, rock climbing, swimming, mountain biking and kayaking with fully qualified instructors. These are all positive experiences for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships are built up through staff and young people being part of a team facing challenges together. Young people develop trust with the staff, and learn new skills and build confidence. For the majority of young people this works and they refrain from harmful behaviours such as crime, violence, going missing from care and gang activity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s educational needs are creatively met through alternative provision during their short-term placement. They gain approved vocational and life skills qualifications. These are good achievements for young people who have been out of educational settings for many years. A young person commented, ‘It is safe, man. It is like being on holiday, it is right for me. I am very sporty. I have climbed Mount Snowdon and been mountain biking. I have come away from bad stuff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people who arrive here, often in crisis, receive a warm welcome from the staff. A children’s guide is also available and explains the running of the motorhome. The majority of young people complete the 28-day programme. One young person’s placement broke down following this young person going missing from care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are generally healthy. They have nutritious meals and an abundance of exercise to keep them fit and healthy. However, on one occasion a young person had a swollen ankle and the staff did not gain advice and services from a medical professional. That said, the staff did monitor this and the ankle healed within three days. Furthermore, the staff did not administer non-prescription painkillers despite having consent from the placing authority to do this. This demonstrates a lack of understanding by staff of their roles and responsibilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have first aid qualifications and medication administration training to promote Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 5 safer caring of young people. However, staff do not consistently record and monitor a young person’s administration of asthma medication in line with the nurse’s advice. An in-house therapy team is accessible and provides advice to the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regular discussions all contribute to young people having their say. For example, the young person currently living in the motorhome has decorated it beautifully for Christmas, choosing all the decorations himself. Furthermore, radical views are sensitively handled to guide and respect young people’s thinking. These are also reported through the appropriate channels to gain specialist help and advice. Additionally, young people have begun completing a questionnaire to gain their feedback in all aspects of their care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are four incidents of young people going missing from care since the last inspection in January 2017. These incidents have significantly reduced. The current risk assessments do not clearly identify the timescales for reporting these incidents to the police, which causes confusion. For example, a young person who should have been reported missing from care after 15 minutes was reported at 60 minutes. That said, the staff thoroughly search for the whereabouts of young people and do work with the police to promote the safe return of young people. Return to home interviews are completed by an independent person.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff have regular safeguarding training, and organisational policies are in place to guide their practice. However, on one occasion the staff did not follow procedures. They did not alert a social worker of a potential safeguarding matter regarding a young person outside of this organisation. This shows a lack of understanding by the staff of their roles and responsibilities. This shortfall did not compromise the safety of the young person living in the motorhome.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The safety and protection of young people is central to the overall organisational care practice model. A young person said that he ‘feels safe’. Moreover, high levels of staffing helps to minimise risks and vulnerabilities with the majority of young people. For example, there are significantly reduced incidents of young people taking drugs and being involved in crime during their placement. This helps to make them safer.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff understand young people’s needs and have developed strategies to manage their individual behaviours well. As a result, physical interventions with young people are low. These are reviewed by the registered manager for their appropriateness, and discussions and de-briefs take place with the staff and young person involved. The staff are also trained in a certified method of physical intervention to safely hold young people if necessary.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff are recruited and selected through a process that takes account of safer recruitment practice to promote the safety of young people. This includes checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and references from previous employers to guard against unsafe adults working at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 6 The physical environment of the motorhome is safe and secure, and protects young people from hazards. This is accompanied by health and safety risk assessments and routine maintenance checks. Furthermore, a fire risk assessment and evacuation plans are in place to safely guide young people in the event of a fire.

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

Since the last inspection, a new acting manager has started in post. His application to become registered is currently being processed. He is also the registered manager for one other home in the company, which offers a similar mobile service. He is enthusiastic and passionate about making a positive difference to young people’s lives. He has the experience and skills necessary to work with young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. He is currently undertaking a management qualification.

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

The independent visitor’s monthly reports are not robust. For example, within the past four consecutive reports there is no consultation with young people, staff, parents or social workers to gain their opinions and views on any aspect of the care young people receive. This compromises the independent person’s ability to reach a rigorous judgement of the quality of the care.

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

The manager’s monitoring systems are effective in some areas of practice, especially the review of restraints. However, weaknesses in practices identified in this inspection, such as inaccuracies in risk assessments and rosters and poor quality independent reports, were not picked up by these systems. The manager accepts this and is focused on improving further.

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

The staff team is relatively new and the majority of the team does not hold a suitable qualification in residential work. One staff member is qualified, and others will be enrolled once they have passed their probation. However, staff are well qualified in outward-bound activities. Duty rosters are in place, but these are not always accurate to reflect the actual staff on duty.

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

Liaison with partner agencies is effective. They speak very positively about the progress young people make. A social worker commented, ‘[name of young person] seems to be thriving with them and is joining the experience. I have visited [name of young person] in the mobile… On both occasions he presented as being much happier, looked healthier than he had been before going to them.’

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

The staff members spoken to enjoy their work and spoke highly of the manager. They have guidance, policies and procedures to support their care practice. They also have regular supervisions and mandatory training. This helps to assure the competence of the staff in meeting the young person’s needs during their time living in the motorhome. Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 7

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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: 1240754 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240754 9 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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