Children's home run by Shyne Together Limited in Rushcliffe

Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 1 SC441865 Registered provider: Shyne Together Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that provides care and accommodation for up to three young people. The home is registered to provide care for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or mental health problems.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following this interim inspection, Ofsted has issued two compliance notices and a restriction notice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the full inspection, six requirements were made in response to shortfalls in practice. This inspection found that three of the six requirements set at the last inspection have not been met.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Requirements relating to the protection of children, and leadership and management, have not been adequately addressed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are not being adequately safeguarded. Some young people are at high risk of child sexual exploitation. Risk assessments detail strategies for minimising risk, one of which is for staff to monitor young people‟s use of mobile phones. This inspection found that young people use their mobile phones throughout the night, with no Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 2 monitoring or restrictions in place. This places young people at a heightened risk of exploitation, despite this vulnerability being known. Staff are not adhering to risk assessments and demonstrate a lack of understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. This places young people at further risk of harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people have said that they do not always feel safe in the home. They feel vulnerable when they are cared for by staff who they feel do not know them well and do not know their needs. This inspection identified that on two recent occasions, young people were in the sole care of newly recruited staff. When asked, the registered manager was unsure of what training staff had completed, or had not completed, prior to lone working with young people. This is unsafe practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one young person has been discharged from the home. The decision to end this young person‟s placement was prompted by safeguarding concerns, as this young person was at risk of child sexual exploitation. Staff took the young person to hospital due to concerns about suspected drug misuse. Social workers based at the hospital raised safeguarding concerns about the young person. Following nine days in hospital, the young person was accommodated in a secure children‟s home. The provider did not notify Ofsted of this significant safeguarding incident. As a consequence, Ofsted was unable to review the effectiveness of the provider‟s safeguarding response in a timely manner.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have been at high risk of child sexual exploitation in the community. The provider has worked appropriately with social care professionals and with the police in these cases. However, managers have failed to challenge the local authority to hold safeguarding meetings. The provider has demonstrated weak safeguarding practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been instances of young people being missing from the home since the last inspection. The manager has notified Ofsted when there have been additional concerns, such as potential child sexual exploitation. However, independent return home interviews do not always take place. In one case, a young person made clear reference to having been harmed while missing from the home. Managers could not provide any evidence that an independent return home interview had taken place. This fails to safeguard young people, and is a missed opportunity to capture essential information about the reasons for young people going missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home provides care for young people who engage in self-injurious behaviour. Managers track the frequency of incidents. The inspection found that records of self- harm were not clear in regard to their content, what actions were taken and outcomes. Some records were handwritten and were not legible. This means that it is difficult to assess whether strategies for managing self-harm have been effective.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The day-to-day management of the home does not enable young people to fulfil their potential. Arrangements for promoting education, and social and recreational activities are not effective. There is a lack of structure in the home and this fails to support young people to establish a routine. Young people do not make good progress. Safeguarding incidents have a negative impact on some young people. Managers do not show they Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 3 understand the importance of providing consistent, good-quality care for young people. They do not have plans in place for improving the quality of care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, management monitoring of the home has been ineffective. The registered manager has not submitted the required internal quality assurance reports to Ofsted for a period of 12 months. External quality assurance processes are more effective. An independent visitor visits the home each month. The visitor undertakes a rigorous quality assurance assessment. The registered manager has failed to send the independent visitor‟s reports to Ofsted. This means that the regulator does not have oversight of how well the home is being managed or whether recommendations are being responded to.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some improvements have been made since the full inspection. Records relating to complaints and the administration of medication have improved. The manager has provided Ofsted with an up-to-date statement of purpose. The five recommendations made at the last inspection are also met. Staff follow missing-from-care protocols and have received training on issues such as radicalisation and child sexual exploitation. However, despite this training, safeguarding practice is inadequate.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The responsible individual was present at this inspection and is clear about what action is necessary to rectify the shortfalls.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/10/2016 Full Good 13/07/2016 Full Inadequate 16/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children‟s needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet this quality standard, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 06/04/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 4 ensure that if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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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 in paragraph (2) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that 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. (Regulation 12(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

With particular reference to children being cared for by staff who understand their needs and have appropriate training and experience. 06/04/2018

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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 in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff have the skills to identify and act on signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

With particular reference to acting upon information which highlights concern/risk and harm in relation to young people. Particularly, monitoring and supervising the use of mobile phones, in accordance with risk assessments. 06/04/2018

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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 helps children fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(f)) 06/04/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 5 With particular reference to ensuring children receive education, activities and daily routines, and reviewing the impact of behaviours/safeguarding incidents on other residents.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; a child protection enquiry is instigated or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40(4)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 06/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person- if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. The independent person must produce a report about the visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‟s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)(4)(a)(b)(7)(a)) 06/04/2018

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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 report must monitor, review and evaluate the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it, and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. The registered person must supply a copy to HMCI within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(4)(a)) 06/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 6 opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 44, paragraph 9.30)  Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child.

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Recommendations

With reference to records of self-harm. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC441865 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Shyne Together Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 61 Stratford Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 6AZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Charlotte Proctor

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Inspector

Amanda Ellis, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC441865 8 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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