Children's home run by Aurora Care Young People’s Services

Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 1 Registered provider: Aurora Care Young People’s Services

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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 offers care and accommodation for up to four young people who may 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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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: This is the first full inspection

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager lacks the skills and knowledge to lead the staff team in a way that promotes young people’s safety and well-being.  The manager has made poor decisions about matching, which have resulted in the early termination of placements for some young people.  The manager has not ensured that staff have the required skills, experience and training to meet the needs of the young people in the home.  Risk management in the home is poor. Individual risk is not adequately identified, understood or managed by the manager or staff. This has not ensured that young people are adequately protected.  Poor recording fails to provide a factual record of young people’s care experience.  Staff have not been able to manage relationships between young people effectively to prevent them from harming each other.  Safer recruitment procedures have not been adhered to and fail to safeguard the young people and to minimise any potential risks to them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Management review and evaluation of the home’s records are insufficient. This hinders improvements in the way that staff understand and respond to young people’s needs and behaviour.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff support young people’s educational progress well.  Staff support young people to gain an understanding of their identity and heritage.  Professionals are complimentary about the way in which staff work and communicate with them about young people’s needs.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 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 in the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other.

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(iv)(vi)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to ensure the care planning standard is met, the registered provider must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home (Regulation 14(1)(a)) 02/03/2018

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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 promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13(1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(c)(h)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for 02/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 4 each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it, notify HMCI of any revision and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

and a description of any injury to the child or any other person and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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’) has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

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Requirement Due date

and within 5 days 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. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the 02/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 5 matters in schedule 2.(Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

* This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home was registered in August 2017. This is the first inspection of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people live in a home that is not managed or led effectively. The home does not meet the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose, because staff members do not have sufficient skills, experience and qualifications to create a safe environment. As a result, young people’s care, progress and safety have been compromised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Poor matching considerations, changes in the management arrangements and inexperienced and untrained staff have resulted in four young people joining and leaving the home in quick succession. Consequently, young people’s experiences have been poor and they have continued to engage in risk-taking behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Contrary to the admissions policy and procedures, not all young people have benefited from a detailed compatibility risk assessment. The registered manager offered a placement to a new young person without clearly identifying, assessing and addressing their full range of needs; nor was full consideration given to the needs of the other young people already living in the home. As a result, the manager has admitted young people with similar identified risks, such as child sexual exploitation, without any evaluation of the impact of this on the young people, and young people have then gone missing together and placed themselves in situations of risk. For some young people, poor matching decisions have contributed to an increase in missing from home incidents and a decline in school attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have not been able to manage relationships between young people effectively to prevent them from harming each other. There have been several incidents of young people physically fighting with each other, resulting in them sustaining injuries. However, it is not always clear from records that the staff have taken effective action to ensure that young people receive medical attention. Furthermore, there are no effective strategies in place to prevent the re-occurrence of incidents. This fails to demonstrate that appropriate action has been taken to protect young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff register young people with health professionals. Staff promote healthy lifestyles in the home and by using external health agencies such as the Brook Advisory Service . Staff also discuss young people’s health with them in keyworker sessions. The manager and staff have made referrals to specialist health agencies. However, it is not always clear that the manager or staff have followed up these referrals to ensure that young people receive access to the services that they require. For example, On 15 December Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 6 2017, staff made a referral to a health service. However, no further action was taken to progress or follow up this referral. Subsequently, one young person’s health needs remain outstanding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some young people have made progress with their education. Staff ensure that daily routines and structures are in place for those who are not engaging in education. The daily plan is documented in individual care plans. Young people are supported to take part in a range of educational opportunities, such as visits to the library, historic sites and museums, and engage in online learning. This enables some young people to learn and develop while more permanent education packages are identified.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff support young people to develop independence skills. Staff encourage young people to go food shopping and help prepare their own meals. This equips young people with the skills that they will need as adults. Staff encourage young people to develop individual interests by listening to them and supporting them to attend activities and groups in the local area. Young people participate in a wide range of activities such as football training and trampolining. Consequently, they develop individual interests, which enable them to develop new skills and increase their confidence. Staff support young people to gain an understanding of their identity and heritage. The staff seek out points of contact and places of worship, to enable young people to pursue their chosen faith and religion. Staff support young people sensitively to access these. The staff team understands the barriers that inhibit effective communication. The staff

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

make sure that young people understand their message when English is not the young person’s first language. They check young people’s understanding through conversation, and ensure that documents are translated and interpreters attend important meetings. This ensures that young people’s views are fully understood, heard and acted on. Not only does this empower young people to take control and be part of the decisions that affect their lives, it also ensures that young people maintain an insight into their cultural and religious identities.

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

The safety and welfare of young people are compromised, as the manager does not have a full understanding of young people’s known risks and vulnerabilities. Therefore, she is unable to support her staff in managing behaviour effectively. The manager’s limited understanding has affected her ability to interpret young people’s known risks and to develop strategies to manage these in line with young people’s risk assessments. As a result, risk assessments do not include specific guidance for staff to follow, to reduce risks such as self-harm and aerosol misuse. Furthermore, the risk of fire, due to young people smoking in the home, has not been considered. Thus, the staff’s ability to consistently manage young people’s known risks and vulnerabilities is hindered. This leaves young people at risk of harm.

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

Young people do not benefit from clear and consistent boundaries or effective behaviour management strategies. The manager has failed to provide clear and detailed guidance for staff to follow to manage incidents of challenging behaviour. Furthermore, only three of the nine members of staff have undertaken training in behaviour management and Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 7 restraint. Thus, most staff in the home do not have the required knowledge and skills to manage incidents of challenging behaviour.

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

The manager does not have the necessary knowledge or skills to provide a sufficient oversight of restraint practice to ensure that young people are kept safe. In her evaluation of significant incidents, she has failed to identify that physical holds undertaken by staff are incidents of restraint. As a result, these had not been recorded accordingly. This is not safe practice for staff or young people and leaves young people at risk of harm.

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

Staff are proactive when young people go missing from the home. They try, firstly, to dissuade young people from leaving the home and they follow and search for them when they do go missing. Each young person has a missing from home risk assessment and staff consistently follow this and missing from home protocols to ensure that young people are located as soon as possible. Staff undertake direct work with young people on the risks associated with going missing when the young people return to the home. Despite this work, there has been an increase in episodes of missing from home for some of the young people.

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

Staff work effectively with professionals such as social workers and the police. Professionals reported that communication from staff is good. Staff share information with placing authorities and the police and attend strategy meetings when required. This ensures that young people receive an effective multi-agency approach to support their development.

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

Safer recruitment procedures are not always followed. The management team has failed to illustrate how it scrutinises and considers information from previous employers to ensure that staff have the skills and experience to undertake their roles and responsibilities effectively. Consequently, the management team is unable to demonstrate that all the staff, including the manager, have the skills, qualifications and experience, and are safe and suitable, to work with vulnerable young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Changes in the management structure have meant that the staff team has experienced a period of unsettlement and change since the home was registered on 21 August 2017. The responsible individual and the registered manager who registered with Ofsted on 21 August 2017 have since left the home. The registered manager left her post on 30 August 2017 and the responsible individual’s employment was terminated on 7 December 2017. Two further managers have been appointed. The current manager has been in post since 7 August 2017, and the other manager left shortly after commencing their role. The current manager is in the final stages of her application with Ofsted. A new responsible individual has been appointed to the home this week.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and provider have failed to ensure that the staff team has the necessary experience, qualifications and skills to manage and meet the known needs of the young people in the home. The majority of the staff team members are new to this role and do Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 8 not have any residential childcare experience. There are currently nine staff members, including the current manager, supporting young people in this home. Only one out of the eight care staff hold the required childcare qualification, and only one staff member has completed training in drug misuse including psychoactive substances, anti-bullying, self-harm, and depression and suicide in children’s homes. Furthermore, the manager has failed to ensure that the whole staff team has undertaken mandatory training in behaviour management strategies, including physical intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Furthermore, the manager and provider have failed to provide sufficient training for the whole staff team in supporting young people who may self-harm or engage in drug or alcohol misuse, or any training in managing conflict or bullying behaviour between young people. This lack of appropriate training and support hinders the staff’s ability to support young people to address their individual risk so that they can become increasingly safe. Additionally, this lack of training and support for the staff has resulted in a number of young people’s placements ending prematurely. This is because the manager and staff have been unable to meet young people’s needs consistently and safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a lack of effective leadership and management in the home. The manager has failed to ensure that she has used the monitoring and review systems, such as the regulation 44 reports, to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. Consequently, areas for improvement have not been addressed and decisive action has not been taken to resolve these issues. For example, the independent visitor identified during a visit on 30 September 2017, that minimal staff training had taken place. The independent visitor raised this again on 27 October 2017. A failure to address this meant it was identified as a shortfall at the recent inspection. This demonstrates that the manager has failed to take effective action to resolve issues and to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Information contained in young people’s records is confusing and contradictory. Some young people’s files do not contain the required statutory documentation in order for the manager and the staff to be assured that they are supporting young people, as their needs require. For example, some young people’s case records identity their history and vulnerabilities, yet in other records this information is not shared. This not only prevents the staff from having a clear understanding of young people’s presenting needs, but it also hinders them in their role to follow up any identified actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although the manager updates the home’s statement of purpose regularly to reflect changes in the staff team, this document is not systematically shared with partner agencies. Consequently, parents and carers, commissioners and Ofsted are unaware of the details, qualifications and experience of the staff to satisfy themselves that young people are receiving a high standard of care and support from an experienced and qualified staff team. Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 9

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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: 1258770 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Aurora Care Young People’s Services

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Pendle Suite, Hawkshaw Business Park, Longsight Road, Clayton-le-Dale, Lancashire BB2 7JA

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Inspectors

Sarah Billett, social care inspector Janine Shortman-Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258770 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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