Children's Home run by Park Blue Homes Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 1 SC482872

p.1

Fairfield House Bishop Auckland Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is part of a small organisation. It is currently registered to provide care and accommodation for five children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A full inspection was undertaken in November 2017. During that inspection, serious and widespread shortfalls were identified. This monitoring visit was undertaken to review what action the providers have taken to address the previous shortfalls. Following the last inspection, leaders and managers produced an action plan setting out their proposal to address the shortfalls. While some good progress has been made implementing this plan, not all shortfalls have yet been fully addressed. Leaders and managers fail to ensure that all referrals made to the designated officer are done so in writing. This practice makes it impossible to understand what information is shared. One referral, which resulted in the need for an internal investigation, highlighted that leaders and managers failed to rigorously investigate an allegation that was made by a child about a member of staff. The documentation produced to inspectors failed to demonstrate thorough exploration of the concerns.

p.1

This monitoring visit

In addition, the conclusion that managers drew was not supported by evidence and no strategies were put in place to reduce future risks. Leadership and management of the home remains weak and evidence of some poor oversight was identified by inspectors during this visit. For example, no questions have been asked by leaders and managers about why two staff members sanctioned a child who was in bed after an incident had occurred and who had already calmed. Leaders and managers have not ensured that all sanctions and consequences are recorded effectively. Inspectors were advised that there had been no sanctions since the last inspection, but incident documents show that consequences have been given to children. At times, staff respond to children’s behaviour by giving sanctions reactively. This means that the sanctions are not always restorative and in line with Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 2

p.1

This monitoring visit

the approach that this service is aspiring to deliver. Inspectors noted some improvements in children’s care planning documentation. Care plans are now individualised to each child, and behaviour support plans contain more information about the strategies that staff are to use to help children. Further action is required to ensure that these plans fully reflect the children’s presenting needs and risks in more detail. This will help to ensure that approaches to care are more consistent. Incidents in the home have reduced since the last inspection. There have been no physical interventions used. All previous incidents have been reviewed by leaders and managers and they have taken steps to address any concerns that they identified. Leaders and managers have ensured that some of the poor practices identified at the last inspection have been addressed directly with the staff involved. Managers have spoken with the staff members, recorded the conversations, and provided

p.2

This monitoring visit

some staff with additional and specific training to support practice improvements. Leaders and managers are communicating better with staff. Training has been provided to support improvements. Team meetings are taking place regularly and children and their needs are discussed in these meetings. This means that staff are more aware of the expectations on them in respect of the care that they provide to children. Another full inspection will take place for inspectors to review the previous requirements and to assess the ongoing performance of the home.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/11/2017 Full Inadequate 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 08/01/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 3

p.2

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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that

p.3

Requirement Due date

prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; (ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; (d) ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that— (i) relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and 01/02/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 4 (ii) is not arranged or provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3). (3) The conditions are— (a) that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority; (b) that the care meets the child’s needs; (c) that the care is delivered by a person who—

p.3

Requirement Due date

(i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care; and (d) that the registered person keeps the child’s general medical practitioner informed, as necessary, about the progress of the care throughout its duration. 12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) 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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child

p.4

Requirement Due date

is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and 01/02/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 5 delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

p.4

Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each

p.5

Requirement Due date

child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, the registered manager must demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills required to effectively be in day-to-day control of the home and deliver safe and consistent care for children. In addition, the registered person must ensure that oversight 01/02/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 6 by leaders and managers is effective and ensures that reviews of any incidents or occurrences are reviewed by

p.5

Requirement Due date

someone who was not directly involved. 19: Behaviour management and discipline (1) No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are clear about what, if any, type of discipline should be used and ensure that the approach to behaviour management does not have a detrimental effect on children’s emotional well-being. 01/02/2018

p.6

Requirement Due date

20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty (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); (2) Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. 01/02/2018

p.6

Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (a) the individual is of integrity and good character; (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; (d) the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then

p.6

Requirement Due date

01/02/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 7 considered satisfactory by the registered person. 33: Employment of staff (1) The registered person must— (a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; in particular, this must provide them with the skills that they require to safely care for children. 01/02/2018

p.6

Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records 35: Behaviour management policies and records (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the

p.7

Requirement Due date

need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— 01/02/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 8 (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. This regulation refers to all behaviour interventions including

p.7

Requirement Due date

restraint, sanctions and searching. 37: Other records (1) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. (2) The registered person must— (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; (b) ensure that the records are kept up to date. 01/02/2018

p.8

Requirement Due date

40: Notification of a serious event (4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; (c) there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; (d) a child protection enquiry involving a child— (i) is instigated; or (ii) concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (5) A notification made under this regulation— (a) must include details of— (i) the matter; (ii) the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

(iii) any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; 01/02/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 9 (b) must be made or confirmed in writing. (6) In this regulation, references to the PPO include a person appointed by, or working on behalf of, the PPO for the purposes of an investigation under paragraph (2). 44: Independent person: visits and reports (4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (5) The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (6) If the independent person becomes aware of a potential

p.8

Requirement Due date

conflict of interest (whether under regulation 43(3) or otherwise) after a visit to the home, the independent person must include in the independent person’s report— (a) details of the conflict of interest; and (b) the reasons why the independent person did not notify the registered provider of the conflict of interest before the visit. (7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— (a) HMCI; (b) upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located; (c) the placing authorities of children; (d) the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and (e) the responsible individual (if one is nominated). 01/02/2018

p.9

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.9

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fairfield House Bishop Auckland Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fairfield Lodge, Evenwood Lane, Evenwood, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 9NH

p.10

Inspector(s)

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Paula Lahey, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC482872 11 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.

p.10

Inspector(s)

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 http://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.11

Inspector(s)

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

p.11

Inspector(s)

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

p.11