Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited in New Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 1 SC461781 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 children’s home provides residential care and accommodation for up to four young people who have a learning disability and/or additional difficulties. The home offers an integrated service that includes therapy, education and care. The home is one of a number operated by a private provider.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Pre-admission assessments do not evidence decision-making in regards to the impact on young people living in the home.  Staff do not always implement the home’s own safeguarding policies and guidance.  Social workers and parents are not always consulted in regards to important changes to policy or practices.  An important issue was not communicated to young people in a way that they could understand. Young people are not encouraged to challenge decisions.  Managers have not consulted young people as part of the review of the children’s guide.  Monitoring processes have failed to identify the shortfalls above.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Interactions between staff and young people are positive. Young people enjoy good relationships with staff and each other.  Staff work closely with therapists and school staff.  Young people make progress socially and learn to self-regulate their behaviour.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 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

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, the registered person must ensure that staff— 5(a) seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, particularly in relation to changes to managing clothing money and in relation to taking a young person out in the community with staff and family. 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person must ensure that staff— 7(2)(c) keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that they — (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(vi)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

13(2)(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of the child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. 31/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet the child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulation including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  Children should be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the children’s cognitive ability in the Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 4 development and implementation of any consultation processes. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) In particular, consult children on decisions about their clothing money, and the content of the children’s guide when it is changed.

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Recommendations

 The level of delegated authority should be recorded in the placement plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.9) In particular, this should include a delegation of responsibilities agreed with the social worker and parents in relation to staff’s decisions about changes to young people’s care plans.  When considering new placements, the registered manager should fully consider the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children and evidence their judgement supporting compatibility with existing residents. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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improvement to be good

The variable quality of pre-admission assessment practice results in relevant information being missed. In one example, a young person’s impact risk assessment was too brief and did not cover all relevant areas. Other examples did not address the impact that young people moving in has on those who already live here. Such shortfalls compromise the decision-making process at the point of admission. When young people have raised allegations, the managers and staff have not always responded appropriately. On two occasions allegations made against staff have been treated as complaints rather than safeguarding matters. On one occasion, an allegation was not responded to and was not taken seriously immediately. On another occasion, the decision-making following the allegation was not clearly evidenced. These were missed opportunities to demonstrate to young people that their concerns are taken seriously. Young people are not effectively consulted in regards to matters of importance to them.

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improvement to be good

The withdrawal of unspent clothing money after two months was discussed at the community meeting. This was not communicated sensitively or in a way that the young people could understand. They were not informed about their right to complain about this matter. One young person was not informed of this change. This practice did not value the views of young people sufficiently. Regular key-working sessions are held. However, recording is inconsistent. Some key- working sessions are descriptive and focus on what the person has done. There were also some examples of effective engagement with young people. For example, staff evidenced how they helped one young person take responsibility for his online safety. All the young people are attending education. Staff work closely with teaching staff to ensure that they work to the agreed outcomes. There is a multi-disciplinary approach to Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 5

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improvement to be good

the care given to young people. The team includes a mental health nurse and therapists who consult and train staff. Professional support is readily available to staff. The staff were observed to have positive relationships with the young people and engage well with them. Young people undertake chores together and the inspector observed them enjoying interacting with each other. Staffing levels are such that young people are able to undertake individual activities. Staff equip young people to be practically and emotionally ready for independence. For example, they all take part in household chores and help to prepare and cook meals. They are encouraged to learn to travel independently. Young people’s health is well managed, including prompt involvement of specialists when required. In many aspects, young people are doing well and making progress. One young person has learned to self-regulate and manage his behaviour better. He is able to accept

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improvement to be good

advice and guidance from staff, something that he previously struggled to achieve. Another young person has reduced the number of incidents requiring physical interventions.

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improvement to be good

Staff are inconsistent in their understanding and use of the home’s safeguarding procedures. One example of this is when staff failed to alert the on-call manager for advice following an allegation made of physical harm by a young person. In addition, there was a considerable delay in the matter being reported to the designated officer. This left the young person in a potentially unsafe situation. For another incident, recording of the processes was poor and the decision-making unclear. Furthermore, recording of actions taken in relation to a staffing matter was not sufficiently detailed and this compromised the ability of external professionals to review and analyse actions taken to safeguard young people. A risk assessment in regards to staff lone working in the community does not include all potential risks. The registered manager did not seek agreement with the young person’s parent and social worker in regards to this matter. This is unsafe practice, and does not

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improvement to be good

demonstrate that the young person’s safety is prioritised. Staff are proactive in supporting young people to manage their behaviour. There are clear behaviour management plans with strategies to manage any challenging incidents. Staff are trained in the home’s preferred behaviour management approach. The registered manager has analysed the use of physical interventions for one young person to identify any trends and inform practice. Effective sanctions are recorded, evaluated and analysed. Managers monitor their use and ensure that they are proportionate. Staff agree sanctions with young people to enable them to take responsibility for their actions.

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 6 The manager holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management and has experience in residential care. The manager has been supported by a senior leader to ensure consistent management and opportunity for development. Leaders and managers failed to identify when safeguarding policies and procedures have not been followed. Safeguarding practice is not embedded in practice. Safeguarding is not discussed routinely in supervisions as an agenda item. Supervision includes young people’s care and outcomes as central to discussions. Staff discuss young people’s needs and reflect on practice and its impact on young people. The manager has undertaken a six-monthly review of the service. This record includes sensitive information. Social worker and parent feedback has not been included, which is a missed opportunity to consult with stakeholders. However, the registered manager has

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

devised other methods to consult with staff and collate social work feedback. Stakeholder and staff directly inputting into this monitoring process would ensure that it is more effective. The culture of the home results in subjective, derogatory language being used to refer to young people in their presence as ‘YPs’. This behaviour and language is common practice. In other ways, the staff speak positively to young people and are proud of their achievements. Staff have updated the children’s guide without young people contributing to any changes. They have not been encouraged to take an active role in the review of this document. This indicates that opportunities to consult with young people are not utilised. Generally, care plans are updated and reflect any changes of circumstances. An agreement made with the local authority and parents in regards to who can make day- to-day decisions for young people is not in place, and there is a corresponding lack of

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

clarity in regards to responsibility for decision-making. Leaders and managers have developed positive relationships with some stakeholders. Feedback is positive. An independent reviewing officer reported, ‘The key worker was able to talk through the young person’s care plan and I felt reassured that the support plan in place was meeting his needs.’ Staff support young people to have contact with those who are important to them. Staff promote and support contact with parents. Social workers report good communication in relation to practice issues. They receive weekly reports and are told about any incidents that occur. Staff speak positively about the support that they receive from leaders and managers. A new member of staff described experiencing a positive induction, receiving relevant training and shadowing a mentor. She reported that, ‘The senior leader managed my induction brilliantly.’ Team meetings are constructively challenging and include

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

discussions about the young people and how to support them.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 7 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

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: SC461781 8

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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: New Forest Care Ltd, West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC461781 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 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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