Children's Home run by New Forest Care Limited in Hampshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 1 SC363268 Registered provider: New Forest Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company which also owns several other homes in the local area and a school. It is located in a rural area. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 14 November 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people benefit from a nurturing and supportive environment in which the daily meetings are effectively used to reflect on the day‟s events.  Each young person is making progress towards their goals.  Close working across the young people‟s networks ensures that goals are Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 2 shared and understood.  Education is positively promoted by leaders and managers who are interested in the young people‟s learning.  The young people are encouraged to take ownership of the home by contributing to decisions in daily meetings.  Strong management has given consistency to the young people amidst numerous staffing changes.

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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

 The recruitment procedure has not selected staff suited to the environment, resulting in multiple staff changes. This has meant some discontinuity for the young people living at the home.  Safer recruitment checks have not been sufficiently thorough or included clear assessment of risk when necessary.  Staff working at the home have not attained a suitable qualification within the anticipated and required timescale.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2016 Full Good 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/11/2015 Full Outstanding 25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 30/06/2018

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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— details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to 30/03/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 4 use the measure; (Regulation 35(a)(v)) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, administering and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 30/03/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child‟s assessed needs as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The children‟s guide should help children to understand: what the day-to-day routines of the home are („what happens in the home‟); the Statement of Purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there). („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to

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Recommendations

the detriment of the safety of a child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people living at this home have trusted relationships with the manager and deputy manager. They benefit from the nurturing and supportive culture in this home. The organisation provides in-house and external therapy services as and when young people need this support. For example, young people receive input from therapists, specialist nurses and speech and language therapy. This helps to meet the complex needs of some young people. Medication is administered and signed for by staff. However, some medication was not clearly labelled and controlled drugs were not correctly stored. Examples of this include prescribed medication and homely remedies such as cough syrup and creams not labelled for individual use. Admissions to the home are carefully considered. The registered manager visits young people who may be coming to live at the home. The therapeutic team confirmed that careful matching had been discussed. However, the written assessment does not show

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

consideration of the impact on young people already living at the home. Therefore, the previous recommendation is repeated. Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 5 House meetings give the young people the opportunity to contribute to the daily running of the home. Young people are supported by staff to reflect on the day‟s events and discuss their thoughts and feelings. The staff are interested in the young people‟s day, using a recognised approach to nurture the young people and support them to build resilience. As a result of this, the young people benefit from engaging in daily reflection and learn to take some responsibility in contributing to the home‟s plans. The young people know how to make complaints. Examples seen included a young person who felt that a staff member had mocked him. The registered manager met with the young person, and agreed a „repair and rebuild‟ meeting with the staff member to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

resolve the issue. As a result of this type of intervention, the young people know that their voices are heard and staff are accountable for their actions. The plans in place for the young people meet their needs. The plans ensure that staff have clear objectives to work towards and that the young people are encouraged to stretch themselves and acquire new skills. One young person has begun independence. He has walked to the local shop to buy things for dinner. This is a good example of the home‟s practical approach to promoting independence. The young people benefit from regularly spending time with important people in their lives. The staff are sensitive to the need for the young people to maintain their identity through such meetings. Staff seek to support the young people and their families to rebuild relationships and overcome past difficulties. A parent said, „My son has made so much progress that I am planning on taking him on holiday soon. Before he came to the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

home, I could never have imagined this.‟ As a result, the young people are able to spend time with key figures in a safe, supported way. Community resources are used effectively to ensure that the young people have a wide range of social and learning opportunities. Attendance in local clubs has enhanced the social experiences for some young people. These opportunities for success support the young people‟s developing sense of identity and help them to build resilience. As a result of this, the young people are developing social skills and making friendships outside the home. Feedback from families and social workers is positive. One social worker said, „The time invested in [young person] when staff explain and reflect things to him has massively increased his understanding of his own emotions and of those around him.‟ This is a good example of the progress that the young people are making due to the therapeutic

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

care being delivered. The young people are able to earn rewards and pocket money through positive behaviour and helping with chores. Sometimes, they help on the organisation‟s farm to earn extra money to save up for things. Development plans include the young people owning pets. The daily meeting was used to explore the cost and practicality of pet care. Both of the young people engaged in meaningful discussions about the need to provide consistent care for their pets. This was a good example of the insight into feelings that the young people have gained through the reflective practice that is well embedded in the practice at this home. The home is generally comfortable and welcoming. One bathroom is currently being Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 6 refurbished. Development plans include the refurbishment of the kitchen. The children‟s bedrooms are decorated to their individual taste, providing a comfortable space for them

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

to relax. Since the last inspection, one young person has left the home. Plans for his move to another home in the organisation were thorough and detailed. As a result of this, the move was successful. The young people living in the home are prepared for any changes in the home during the daily meetings. This is a good example of the staff‟s effective use of the therapeutic model of care outlined in the statement of purpose.

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

Young people at this home feel safe and all named trusted staff that they can talk to. All staff have received safeguarding training. The staff have the knowledge of what to report, to whom and when, should concerns arise. Any concerns are well evidenced, reports are clear and transparent, and communication with social workers and the designated officer is prompt and effective. There is good evidence of the registered manager following up concerns with external agencies. However, safeguarding is not a regular agenda point during staff supervision. Risk assessments are detailed and demonstrate that staff are reliably informed of the risks and strategies to reduce them. Polices and procedures further inform staff of what to do in the event that challenging incidents occur. Regular communication with the young people‟s network ensures effective interagency work. An example of this is parents and teachers sharing concerns regarding online safety in the home. This enabled

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

the staff to review the online safety of the home‟s network and to discuss online safety in the young people‟s meetings. As a result of this, the young people‟s needs in this area are effectively understood and managed. Regular key work ensures that the young people are making progress towards their individual targets. When one young person arrived at the home, he would only eat limited foods. The staff patiently worked alongside the young person to gradually introduce new foods. As a result of this, the young person is now able to eat a balanced diet, and his health has improved. The staff are attuned to the young people‟s needs. The staff take time to get to know the young people, listen to them and work with them. As a result of this, the young people benefit from care delivered by interested and attuned staff. Physical intervention is used as a last resort. However, records sampled do not detail the

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

steps taken before the holds are used, such as asking the young person to stop before staff physically intervene. The manager analyses holds to look for triggers and patterns. Furthermore, there is good use of reflection after holds, with staff using a nurturing approach to help the young person reflect on what happened and discuss different ways to manage difficult thoughts and feelings. As a result of this, physical interventions have become less frequent for the young people over time. Most staff recruitment is well managed. However, the recent recruitment for one staff member failed to seek a reference from a recently attended education provision, despite there being only one previous employer. Other employee records sampled revealed a staff member working with no individual risk assessment in place. Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 7

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in post for two years. He and his deputy have the required skills and attributes for their roles. However, they have been hampered by inconsistent staffing. Experienced staff have been moved to other homes. Several new staff have left during their probation periods. There is a pattern of new staff not being suited to the work environment. The fact that the registered manager is not directly involved in the recruitment process prevents him from assessing the skills and attributes of candidates who may suit the home‟s needs. This has impacted on the young people who have suffered further loss when staff move on. Induction for new staff is comprehensive. A new staff member said, „My induction has been really thorough and detailed.‟ Staff are trained in mandatory courses such as safeguarding and prevent. There are clear reviews during probation and regular supervision to monitor staff‟s progress. As a result of this, new staff feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision for staff is regular. The registered manager is skilled at reflecting on practice with staff and analysing the events at the home to aid their development. Where the young people haven‟t liked something staff have said or done, the registered manager has held mediation sessions to enable learning from all participants. However, the impact of frequently inducting new staff to the team is hampering the manager‟s ability to strengthen practice in the home. Some long-standing staff have fallen behind with their level three qualification and are now beyond the required timescale for completion. The manager has monitoring systems in place. He makes good use of the independent reports to monitor progress and drive forward practice at the home. However, the impact of the inconsistent staffing has contributed to a variation in the quality of the records made by staff. Samples included some very reflective, detailed and meaningful

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

records in key work written by the senior staff. Other records are not providing a useful account to support the practice of the home. The statement of purpose provides stakeholders with information about the services that the home provides. The young person‟s guide gives information to children about the home; however, it does not inform the young person what to expect in terms of routines and activities. Despite the challenges with recruitment and retention, the registered manager and his deputy have been the core of consistent care at this home. The shortfalls highlighted in this report have impacted on them and the young people. The requirements and recommendations made to address the shortfalls are intended to support the continued development of this home.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 8 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: SC363268 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Forest Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC363268 10 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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