Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 1 Registered provider: Homes2inspire 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

This children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to care for up to five young people who 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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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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

 Staff require additional training and support so that they can respond well to some of the complex and challenging behaviours that children and young people are presenting. Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 2  Some children and young people have poor routines. As a result, they are not maintaining education attendance and they are making poor lifestyle choices that will affect their health and development.  Children and young people require support to keep themselves safe. Behaviour management plans have had limited impact in reducing behaviours such as smoking and substance misuse.  Quality assurance processes used by managers requires improvement so that they consistently identify when staff have not followed procedures and address shortfalls in recording effectively.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children and young people are building positive relationships with staff that support them to make progress in some areas of their lives.  Professionals are positive about partnership working and its effectiveness in supporting children and young people to make progress.  The management team is committed to improving practice to ensure that children and young people stay safe and make progress.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

N/A Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (2 )( a ) (i) (iii) and (iv)

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to enhancing staff skills and knowledge so that they better address risk taking behaviour. In addition staff should ensure there are robust risk assessments in place in respect of children and young people’s use of digital technology. 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered person to ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (2 ) (b) and (e))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring staff adhere to risk 30/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 4 assessments regarding the security of the home and monitoring of the home throughout the night.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, staff should receive training and adhere to the home’s child protection policies in respect of allegations of harm against adults who work with children.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard requires the registered manager to:

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of quality of care provided within the home; and

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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)(c)(e) (f) and (h)) 30/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children to understand, and where necessary work to change, negative behaviours in key areas of health and well-being. This is with particular reference to staff intervening to reduce and prevent children and young people misusing substances and smoking tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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improvement to be good

Social workers and an independent reviewing officer report that children and young people have made progress, and that they do not have concerns about their welfare. However, progress is not consistent, and improvements are required so that the home Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 5 fully supports young people to maximise their potential.

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improvement to be good

Young people have individual placement care plans. These are not consistently good. For example, some plans have not been updated with new information about risks or behaviours. Information about the effectiveness of behaviour management strategies is not routinely updated. This means that the plans do not inform good, effective practice.

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improvement to be good

Young people are building positive relationships with staff and their peers. However, there have been a number of changes in the staff group. This has affected the continuity of care.

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improvement to be good

All of the young people are receiving education and training. An education coordinator supports staff to ensure that each young person has an appropriate education placement. The education coordinator tracks personal education plans and planning meetings to ensure that young people make progress. Some young people have experienced difficulties in accessing education in the past, but since living at this children’s home they have gradually increased their attendance. Others have not maintained engagement and their attendance has recently declined. Staff are monitoring this closely. They liaise with social workers and request meetings with education professionals to support young people’s participation in education.

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improvement to be good

Some young people have poor night-time routines and poor morning routines. This lack of structure means that bed times and breakfast times become contentious. Conflict between staff and young people at these times reduces the quality of relationships. Poor routines are also impacting education attendance. Poor sleep patterns could have a negative effect on young people’s health and development if they do not improve. Records do not always show what strategies have been used to influence and improve routines. When staff have made efforts to establish structured routines, these have not been effective.

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improvement to be good

Good healthcare plans are developed at the point of admission for each young person. Staff ensure that they gather all relevant information about health needs and medical histories. Staff ensure that young people are given good health advice and guidance. Children and young people are registered with a local general practitioner, dentist and optician. When there are specialist health needs, young people are referred to appropriate services. Staff support young people to attend appointments. Young people’s emotional and mental health needs are identified and addressed well. Staff have regular consultations with the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in respect of some children and young people’s needs. Consequently, some children and young people have improving emotional and mental health.

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improvement to be good

Care plans identify where there has been a history of substance misuse. There is evidence of individual sessions being undertaken with young people to educate them about this issue. A voluntary organisation addressing drugs use has undertaken some work with the group. In addition, young people have been referred to smoking cessation programmes. However, young people’s smoking and substance misuse has not noticeably reduced. Therefore, managers need to develop more effective strategies and Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 6 interventions.

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improvement to be good

Although the home is quite new, having been registered in August 2017, the provider has developed good working relationships with external agencies. There is a well- established referral process. The home manager and referral manager complete an impact risk assessment for each young person who is referred to the home. This assessment considers the needs of the other young people living in the home as well as the needs of the young person being referred. All admissions to the home have been planned and well organised. Young people report that they received information about the home that helped them to settle, and that staff were welcoming.

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improvement to be good

One young person has moved on from the home. This was an agreed change to the care plan. The move was in response to concerns about increased risk-taking behaviours, and the impact that these behaviours might have on other young people. Staff supported the young person well so that the potential negative impact of the move was minimised.

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improvement to be good

All young people are encouraged to maintain relationships with their family and friends. Staff support and facilitate a range of safe contact arrangements. Staff develop good relationships with families and, where this is agreed with the local authority, share information well. Social workers report that the home manager and staff are good advocates for the young people and are proactive in supporting contact arrangements and advocating for young people.

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improvement to be good

Young people are consulted about their day-to-day care and their plans. Young people generally contribute to regular young people’s meetings. Young people also have access to an independent visitor and independent advocate who visit the home. None of the young people raised concerns during the inspection. They reported that they had good relationships with staff, that they felt listened to and that they had confidence in raising concerns with staff and managers of the home.

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improvement to be good

All of the young people are encouraged to help with preparing meals, planning menus and shopping. Young people also help to care for pets in the home. All are encouraged to develop life skills and take responsibility for their own bedrooms. There has been mixed success in supporting young people to develop new skills, establish good routines and maintain interests. Some are not responding to current incentives and structures.

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improvement to be good

There have been periods of stability that enable young people to live in a calm, nurturing environment. Some young people have reduced their risk-taking behaviours, such as running away from home. Some young people have also reduced their levels of aggression. Some young people have reduced the scale and frequency of offending behaviour. However, there have also been periods of time when the home has been unsettled and disordered. During these periods, staff have not been able to provide young people with the structured and settled environment that enables them to make good progress and reduce risk-taking behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 7 All young people have detailed risk assessments, risk-reduction plans, and behaviour management plans. However, the effectiveness of these plans would be improved if staff consistently recorded an analysis and evaluation of incidents. Risk assessments and

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improvement to be good

behaviour management plans need to be reviewed so that they better support staff to proactively manage behaviour and reduce risk.

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improvement to be good

Because staff use de-escalation techniques effectively, few incidents result in a young person being restrained. However, an audit of records by the provider’s quality assurance manager has identified that a young person had raised concerns about one incident of restraint. Staff had recorded this in an open and transparent way, but it had not been identified as a child protection concern and reporting procedures were not followed. This was subsequently referred to the designated officer and has concluded. A requirement is made to ensure that staff receive training about allegations against adults who work with children, and are reminded of the procedures to report concerns.

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improvement to be good

There are sufficient staff on duty to respond proactively when a young person is missing from home and is assessed to be vulnerable. However, some records of return interviews are too brief. In one particular incident, a more effective return interview may have prevented a second similar incident that was more serious. When young people move into the home, a contract is agreed about access to the internet. Young people also complete an e-safety information exercise. However, only one of the young people had an individual risk assessment addressing risks associated with the use of digital technology. All of the children and young people have access to mobile phones and a range of devices. A requirement is made to ensure that all children and young people have an individual plan to support them to be safe in their use of digital technology.

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improvement to be good

Staff make referrals to services that work with young people to address concerns about substance misuse, knife crime and going missing from home. Staff reinforce positive changes in behaviours through incentives and rewards. However, behaviour management strategies, risk assessments and individual work have not been effective in reducing smoking and substance misuse by some young people. This has meant that other young people have been exposed to risky behaviours.

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improvement to be good

There have been a low number of incidents where referrals to the police have been necessary. One recent incident has raised concerns about young people leaving the home during the night. This was a potentially serious incident and is currently subject to investigation. Managers have put measures in place to increase night-time monitoring, have reviewed the security of the home and have strengthened daily health and safety checks. Senior managers are undertaking a rigorous review of the incident and will complete a ‘lessons learned’ exercise.

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

Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 8 This is a new home with a new management team. The registered manager has a good track record of achieving good outcomes for young people. He understands many of the underlying challenges that need to be addressed so that the experiences of young people are improved.

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

There have been a number of staff changes that have impacted on continuity of care and relationships between staff and young people. Currently, shifts are being covered by staff from within the provider group. The managers are recruiting new staff.

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

Managers are currently spending much of their time directly supporting those staff who need to develop their skills and knowledge. This means that some quality assurance tasks have not been prioritised.

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

Since the home opened, positive relationships with neighbours have been established. These relationships are a strength of the home and enable young people to feel part of a supportive and welcoming community.

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

There is good partnership working. Social workers report that staff and managers are proactive in contacting them and that they share information appropriately. Local police officers say that they work constructively with the home. Education providers have worked closely with staff to support young people’s progress. There have been occasions when the manager has challenged professionals in order to prevent delays in care planning or securing resources for young people. The manager has also requested planning meetings when there have been concerns about children and young people making progress.

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

Staff have regular team meetings. They receive regular supervision. There is an established induction process and good quality training. Staff also have protected time to become familiar with children’s records, policies and procedures prior to commencing employment. However, staff require additional training and supervision to respond effectively to children and young people’s complex needs and challenging behaviours.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 9 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: 1258134 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes2inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Prospects House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley BR1 1LT

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258134 11 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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