Children's Home run by No. 57 Ltd in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 1 Registered provider: No. 57 Limited

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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 accommodates up to three children and/or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and is 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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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children’s and young people’s welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 18 January 2018

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the previous inspection a restriction of accommodation notice was issued on 26 January 2018, which remains in place until 20 April 2018. In addition, two compliance notices were issued on 31 January 2018 and reviewed in this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people are not receiving consistent levels of care to meet their needs.  The education outcomes for young people remain mixed in terms of achievement.  Risk assessments and care plans continue to be insufficient to guide positive practice and keep young people safe.  Management monitoring of processes is weak and has not addressed all of the steps within the compliance notices.  There is a lack of understanding of the trauma and emotions behind presenting behaviours of young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is a strong commitment and willingness to address the issues raised.  There is a comprehensive induction programme in place for staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/01/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 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, the 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— protect and promote each child’s welfare; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6(1)(2)(b)(ii)(iv)(v)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and 10/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 4 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10(1)(2)(i)(ii)(iv)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 10/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 5

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11(1)(2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix)(x)) * 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— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 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(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 10/06/2018

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential; and 10/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 6 promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 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 provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(2) (a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) *In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(2)(a)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26(7)(b)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28(1)(b)(i)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is an individual, the individual must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the individual has the skills needed for carrying on the children’s home. (Regulation 29(1)) 10/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 7 * The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety and must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home. (Regulation 41(1)) 10/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 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 the detriment of the safety of a child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)

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Recommendations

In particular, add safeguarding to the team meeting minutes as well as to supervisions, to improve practice and keep young people safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The progress and experiences of young people remain mixed. There is progress for the young people in some areas of their lives, but safeguarding and protection remain a concern.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager and staff team have undertaken work in relation to the care plans and risk assessments, but these remain ineffective as they do not record all the identified risks for each young person. In addition, the strategies are not individualised to the young people but are generic statements about presenting behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The relationships between staff and young people are pleasant and characterised by good humour but do not demonstrate effective attachments that allow staff to positively engage the young people and challenge them when necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The young people are registered with local health services and have attended appointments when necessary. However, there are still no health plans in place that identify the individual health needs and required actions for each young person. Health reports identify some areas where monitoring is required, but this has not been put in place. Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 8 The educational needs of young people are clear. However, the ability of the staff to engage the young people in routines and in their identified education or work placement is limited. One of the young people is in an educational placement but is refusing to attend. The other young person now has a work placement he enjoys, but attendance remains variable. Staff are not engaging the young people in any routine activity. This means that young people are not achieving their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The house is continually monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) both inside and outside the home. The reason for this continual monitoring of the young people is now made clear to the young people and the professionals involved. There are signed agreements in place with social workers and there is a log to monitor when the CCTV is accessed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The staff promote regular contact with family and friends. This helps young people maintain a sense of identity and develop support networks for when they leave.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The young people learn skills which will help them to be independent in later life. They learn to use public transport, cook and budget. There is a plan of activities in place. However, records show that young people rarely engage in these, choosing instead to spend time with their own friends. This limits the opportunities to engage young people positively to develop relationships with staff.

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

The staff team members have engaged in online safeguarding training which has improved their knowledge about the reporting procedures in relation to child protection.

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

Some of the young people have recently developed their own routines. These routines are not always positive in relation to their physical safety and emotional health. Staff remain unable to consistently implement positive guidance and boundaries to help them overcome their issues. The staff recognise the negative cycles from past experiences for each young person and know they are detrimental to the safety and well-being of the young people but are unable to interrupt these behaviours.

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

The staff recruitment practice has improved but is not yet at a level which ensures the safety of young people. This relates to the recording of acceptable references and decision-making when recruiting.

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

The young people’s risk assessments have improved but are still not individualised to each young person. In addition, the strategies identified to manage the risks do not always fall within the boundaries of good practice, as they rely on the young people to identify such strategies.

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

Online safety is a concern relating to all young people in the home. There are some family filters in place on the computer and the wi-fi, but these are not monitored consistently and therefore the level of risk to each young person is unknown. In addition, both young people have their own equipment and access the internet and chat Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 9 rooms unchallenged. This area of high risk is not included on the individual risk assessments. This leaves young people at risk of exploitation and abuse.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has tried to address the issue of monitoring within the home. However, this is an incomplete system and does not provide a clear audit trail of the review of any records or practice in the home. This means there are no action plans in place to address issues and ensure that there is continued good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is not supported to continue his professional development and needs further training in relation to the management of a children’s home. He does receive supervision from the registered individual, but this is, in the main, related to the business aspects of the service. He continues to need supervision and support from a qualified professional who can help him develop his care and management skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings do take place, and minutes are comprehensive but lacking in focus on safeguarding. Staff receive regular supervision, but there is a lack of focus on safeguarding which would help improve practice. They have all completed a full induction. This is a strength, as they contain evidence of competency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There was no evidence of the manager having notified the local authority about young people placed in the area. This could affect the ability of the local authority to provide specialist services to the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This home is not meeting its statement of purpose. The young people are not receiving good care which meets their individual needs.

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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

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: 1244413 10

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Inspector:

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1244413 11 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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