Children's home run by Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School Limited in West Suffolk

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 1 SC443009 Registered provider: Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is one of a small group. Care and accommodation are provided for up to six males who have moderate to severe learning difficulties.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the staffing and management of the home. A new manager has been appointed and two senior staff have left the team. The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted. The organisation is actively recruiting new staff. Currently, there are vacancies in the staff team and regular agency staff are used. Since the last inspection, progress has been made in small steps, but there remains work to do.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has met the majority of the numerous requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. However, three requirements and one recommendation have not been met, and these will be restated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager is making changes to improve the service. She is proactive at ensuring that the children and young people receive a good level of care. The manager Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 2 has considerable experience in adult services and is being supported by the organisation to ensure that her skills are transferable to this children’s home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and young people, who have wide-ranging needs, enjoy varied activities. Activity planners guide the staff to ensure that the children’s and young people’s days are filled with learning and social activities in the local community. Two of the young people are young adults and are being supported with their transitions. The staff support the children and young people to progress their life skills, such as cooking and shopping. This support helps them to grow in confidence when undertaking new tasks.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff communicate with the children and young people effectively. The staff use a number of communication aids to ensure that views are understood, listened to and actioned. During the inspection, the children and young people communicated with staff during dinner, signing that they were OK and were enjoying their meals. Some of the children and young people have been at the home for a considerable time; the staff know them well and their individual personalities. Consequently, the children and young people feel comfortable and safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Social workers are happy with the level of care provided to their children. One social worker said, ‘This a lovely home. The fact that he [the child] is moving is not a reflection of the home. He is making progress. He can now do tasks that he could not do before. He is happy with the staff. If he was not he would tell me.’ There is effective communication between the staff and other agencies. The staff inform the local authority if there are incidents, and provide reports. The social workers say that reporting is regular and clear.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One parent said, ‘He [my son] seems to be happy and has an abundance of activities. He gets on well with the staff. I can’t really fault the staff, and the home is working out well for him.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff meet individuals’ health needs. They have worked well with one young person and his family, providing aftercare following an operation. Staff administer the young person’s medication effectively and monitor his recovery and rehabilitation. His parent reported that the staff have been really supportive throughout this process.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and young people each have education plans. Most of the young people attend the organisation’s school. Their attendance is good, and the staff actively encourage them to engage. This encouragement helps the children and young people to make progress towards their individual academic targets. One young person is excelling at his work experience coaching sport to younger students at a nearby mainstream school.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The external monitoring and reporting is effective and identifies tasks and actions. The internal monitoring report is evaluative and reflects the experiences of the children and young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The location risk assessment has been completed but it does not contain sufficient detail Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 3 in relation to the surroundings, including the main road located close to the home. Local and current police information is not included. These omissions result in a lack of clarity about the potential risks and ways to reduce them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has significant outside and inside space. The bedrooms are large and personalised. However, some areas of the home are not of the expected standard. One young person’s bedroom window blind was not properly secured and had fallen down. There is evidence of some damage upstairs to the wall and door, caused by one young person. The manager advised that this will be repaired when the young person moves within the next two weeks. The garden is large, but the grass and shrub areas need attention. A pond is evident and is covered with a large metal cover, and there is a Jacuzzi in need of repair. These issues could present a safety hazard, and mean that the children and young people are not provided with a suitable environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records in relation to physical interventions are signed by the manager but are not regularly dated. The information in these records does not provide sufficient detail of events leading to the intervention. This is not transparent practice. Consequences and rewards are used by the staff, but have not been consistent until recently. This has caused challenges for one child who at times has struggled to accept consequences for his behaviour. It is acknowledged by the manager that there needs to be further work to ensure that a consistent approach is fully embedded.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

New staff are pleased with their induction and the training provided. There are two staff teams assigned to different floors of the home, as the children and young people in each part of the home have very different needs. The children and young people can access any area of the home. The staff are placed in teams to ensure that familiar staff know the specific needs of the children and young people and are able to manage their behaviours. However, parents do not always benefit from clear and consistent information-sharing about their children. The manager identifies that this is an area that needs to improve.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One regular agency staff member has not received a recent supervision, despite being a regular worker at the home. This does not provide suitable professional development, oversight and support.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2016 Full Requires improvement 19/01/2016 Full Good Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children, and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) 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 to aspire to their full potential and promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)) 06/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 06/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year, taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1)(2)) 06/04/2018

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34) This is with particular regard to the use of positive and negative consequences.  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 5 practice and respond promptly when any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) In particular, ensure that all records include details of events leading to the

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Recommendations

restraint and that the registered manager adds the dates that records are signed and overseen.  The registered person has a key role in seeking to develop the home’s effective working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with other relevant persons which may include services and individuals (including parents). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.3) This is with particular regard to ensuring that all staff on duty communicate effectively with all parents.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Garland House, Garland Street, PO BOX 10, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1EZ Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 6 Responsible individual: Keith Boulter

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Inspector

Debbie Young, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC443009 7 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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