Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicester

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC488930 1 SC488930 Registered provider: Barford Children’s Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for a maximum of six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged 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

The home has continued to experience managerial changes since the last inspection. A new manager has been in post since the summer of 2017. He has applied to register with Ofsted. However, the home has been without a registered manager for over 26 weeks and this has resulted in a judgement of declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager has had a positive influence on the home. He has implemented, and continues to introduce, a number of improvements that have had a positive effect on the lives of young people. These include improvements to the fabric of the home, improvements to the way in which young people are consulted with and improvements to the recruitment of permanent staff. The manager has devised a clear development plan and has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. He is taking positive action to continue to improve the functioning of the home. The home is Interim inspection report children’s home: SC488930 2 now fully staffed, and this provides better continuity of care for young people. The manager monitors staff development and performance closely, taking action when staff practice falls below the expected level. For example, on one occasion when an allegation was made, staff did not follow the home’s safeguarding policy. No young people were

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

put at risk as a result of this. When staff are not performing as expected, the manager takes robust action to ensure that this is addressed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been several changes in young people since the last inspection. The reasons for their placements ending have been varied. Some young people have made positive transitions to semi-independent placements. Other young people’s placements have ended when it has become apparent that the home can no longer meet their needs, for example when young people’s behaviour is putting other young people at risk. The manager has reflected on these placements and the reason for the placement breakdown. As a result, he has increased his efforts to ensure that placement matching is detailed, and that he has as much information as possible about new young people before they move in. This enables the manager to make a more informed decision. This approach appears to be working well as the three young people currently in placement are well matched.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people currently living in the home have been in placement for between two weeks and six months. The two young people who have been in placement the longest are settled, engage well in education and are making positive progress. Both social workers gave positive feedback. One of them said: ‘I’ve got a very positive impression of the care my young person is receiving. They are really responsive to the young person’s needs.’ Another social worker described very good levels of communication and a homely feeling in the home, and described how their young person’s confidence and self-esteem are building. The newest child is settling in well. The manager is proactively seeking an education placement and, in the meantime, the young person is kept busy with activities around the home or in the community so as to encourage a good routine. Young people respond well to the clear guidance and boundaries that are put in place by

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good quality consultation with young people is a priority. As well as frequent direct work and young people’s meetings, the manager meets regularly with young people and provides them with feedback about any changes he makes as a result of their meeting. For example, young people requested a trampoline for the garden. This was agreed on the condition that young people’s behaviour improved. It did, and a trampoline is now in the garden for young people to use at their leisure. Systems such as this mean young people can directly influence their own care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents are generally managed well. Staff use a diverse array of skills to help young people regulate their emotions and behaviour. This can include singing and dancing to help lighten the atmosphere. Staff confirm that they have the opportunity to debrief after any incidents, and young people also have the opportunity to speak to a member of staff about their feelings. The manager monitors all incidents and uses this information to build a picture of the quality of care provided for young people. However, on one occasion the manager did not thoroughly review an incident which involved the Interim inspection report children’s home: SC488930 3 police using physical intervention on a child. It is not clear exactly how the police officers restrained the child. The manager was not professionally curious enough when reviewing and monitoring this incident. This was a missed opportunity to consider and to discuss

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

with stakeholders how things could be managed differently should the situation arise again.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/04/2017 Full Good 20/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 09/12/2015 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

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 aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 23/04/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC488930 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Barford Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Coach House, Drinsey Nook, Lincoln LN1 2JJ

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Inspector

Catherine Honey, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC488930 5 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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