Children's home run by Quantum Care UK Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 1 SC417371 Registered provider: Quantum Care UK Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The setting is registered to offer five placements for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private organisation.

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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 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: 20 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 In the absence of the registered manager, the provider has ensured that the interim management arrangements in place are effective.  The staff form trusting relationships with the young people that make them feel safe.  The relatively new staff team is settling in well. Recent changes to the staff team are having a positive impact on the home.  There is good decision-making at the point of referral, which has taken account of the current mix of experienced and new staff.  The staff promote the importance of education and work hard to engage the young people in their schools and colleges.

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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

 There is a practice of unnecessarily locking some internal doors.  The effectiveness of training and competency of the staff team is not well monitored.  The home‟s location assessment does not utilise all information that it usefully might.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2017 Full Outstanding 29/06/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 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 registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children‟s home‟s premises; and any limitations placed on a child‟s privacy or access to any area of the home‟s premises (1) is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; (2) is necessary and proportionate; (3) is kept under review, and if necessary, revised; and (4) allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the embedded practice of routinely locking some of the home‟s internal doors is stopped. 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(1), (4)(a)) 31/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff receive good quality supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular, ensure that safeguarding matters are covered in more detail and that the effectiveness of training is assessed during these sessions.  Ensure any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home‟s care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 4 standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular, consideration should be given to visits being unannounced, as well as the current practice of announced.

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Recommendations

 Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home‟s location and strategies for managing these. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1) In particular, include known detail relating to local drug use and child exploitation risks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home where the staff deliver individualised care within a nurturing environment. Young people are supported to develop and are given the opportunities to learn to manage their emotions appropriately and to decrease their risk-taking behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The current level of risk-taking behaviour is very low. However, there have been periods since the last inspection when it has been high. Records show staff‟s management of risks at these times to be good. The staff team is very well informed of actual or potential risky behaviours and encourages the young people to make the right choices, with good levels of success. For some young people, this improvement can be seen very soon after they arrive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress as a result of the good quality of care that they receive. Those who are new to the home settle in quickly, forming trusting relationships with the staff team. Forming appropriate trusting relationships is a key focus for the staff team in enabling progress to begin and develop. Areas of progress include education, health, mental well-being and social interaction. The staff offer sensitive support guiding the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The interim manager and staff show an interest in and care for the young people, sharing positive interactions and experiences. This supports the young people to recognise their own strengths and abilities and raises their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s views and opinions are valued. Their views are incorporated into their care plans. This makes their plans more meaningful, showing how they work in partnership with the staff team. Individual key-working sessions are held regularly and help young people to focus on their behaviours and express their feelings, as well as identifying the progress that they are making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Close monitoring of the young people‟s physical and emotional health ensures that the Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 5 staff identify specific needs and are clear what young people need in order to be healthier and happier. Support is given for attendance at health appointments. Although currently no medication is administered, the procedures in place allow for safe administration and close monitoring of practice. Young people are encouraged to have a healthy diet and the opportunity to experience different foods. They are encouraged to participate in the preparation and cooking of meals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive valuable support to maintain and improve the time that they spend with families, friends and other important people. Contact arrangements are confirmed when young people move into the home to ensure that any restrictions are known and planned for.

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

Policies, procedures and training ensure that the staff have knowledge of safe practice and follow suitable guidance. Young people live in a safe environment and are provided with support from a range of professionals to begin to understand the negative impact of their previous unsafe behaviours and lifestyles. The staff clearly know the young people well and are aware of their vulnerabilities. As a result, they assess and plan for young people‟s behaviours and put measures in place to protect them.

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

The staff are competent in following child protection procedures and liaise effectively with safeguarding agencies. The staff receive child protection training, which includes training on the risk of child exploitation and e-safety. They have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and are confident about what action to take if they have a concern. Referrals are made appropriately to safeguarding agencies, when needed.

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

The staff follow agreed protocols when a young person goes missing, including following them and encouraging them to return. Individual risk assessments provide guidance and strategies for the staff to use to lessen these risks.

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

The embedded practice of routinely locking some of the internal doors overnight is neither risk assessed nor necessary. The interim manager took action to change this during the inspection. A senior leader in the organisation who was present during the inspection is to follow this up across all of the organisation‟s homes.

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

The young people experience an environment that is free from discrimination and promotes equality and individuality. Respectful and sensitive practice was observed throughout the inspection.

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

All health and safety checks take place. The interim manager and deputy manager are preparing for a comprehensive internal health and safety audit. The home‟s location risk assessment, although satisfactory in most areas, does not contain sufficient detail about the local risks of drug use and child sexual exploitation.

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

Staff recruitment procedures are thorough, and all appropriate measures are taken to ensure that the adults who are employed at the home are suitable to work with young Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 6 people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In the absence of the registered manager, the provider has ensured that there are effective interim management arrangements in place. The home is being overseen by a registered manager of another of the organisation‟s homes that is located close by. She is fully supported by an experienced deputy manager and a team of experienced and newly employed staff. Careful consideration is being given to admissions at this time. This allows for the new staff to settle in and be trained so that they, together with the more experienced staff, can manage more challenging behaviours effectively. This inspection found the current needs of the young people to be fully met and managed well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced staff have appropriate training to the required standard. New staff are completing their induction programme and have dates to commence further level 3 training. The current mix of experienced and new staff is closely monitored in relation to the staff working rota. The deputy manager is supernumerary to the staff on shift, and offers valuable support. The staff receive regular supervision, although records do not show how the effectiveness of training is assessed or if safeguarding matters are sufficiently discussed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been a considerable number of staff leaving since the last inspection for different reasons unrelated to the running of the home. Recruitment has been very active, with new staff commencing. The use of agency staff is now low. Agency staff have been used during periods when behaviours were challenging and in the gaps between staff leaving and new staff commencing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Referrals and admissions take into account the current situation at the home in relation to the formation of a new staff team and the interim management cover. As a result, the home is not admitting young people whose needs they cannot meet.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and auditing systems are well established. Leaders and managers understand the home‟s strengths and areas for development. Monthly visits by the independent visitor are all announced. No recent visits have been unannounced. Monitoring by the manager, resulting in a quality of care report, has not been submitted to the regulator in in the expected timeframe or every six months. This is currently being addressed by the interim manager and the service manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a statement of purpose, which is reviewed regularly. This ensures that it is up to date and that all stakeholders are aware of what the service provides. Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 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 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.

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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: SC011972 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quantum Care UK Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Castlecare, The Manor House, Squires Hill, Rothwell, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14 6BQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Wells

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Inspector

Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC011972 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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