Children's home run by Northamptonshire County Council in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 1 SC374180 Registered provider: Northamptonshire County Council

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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 Northamptonshire County Council. It is a residential home for young people who have autistic spectrum disorders and moderate to severe learning disabilities, whose behavioural difficulties are such that they are unable to live with their own or a substitute family.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager at the home since October 2017.

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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 inadequate

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2017 Full Good 19/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Outstanding 04/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)2(b) (vii) and (viii)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children are to have access to toys and activities in the home and their bedrooms are to be personalised. 25/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(h)) 25/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 4 12: 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—

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Requirement Due date

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)(b)) 25/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 28/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) and (2)(a)(b)) 25/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to 28/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 5 matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii))

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improvement to be good

The quality of care is variable. Although staff are working hard, they are inconsistent in their encouragement of children’s chosen forms of communication. For example, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is not always used when working with children. Not all staff understand this system and not all have had the relevant training in order to use it properly. As a result, it is unclear how staff fully recognise or consider children’s views.

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improvement to be good

The home presents as unwelcoming and institutionalised. Toys are locked away and not easily accessible to children. Children’s bedrooms are unnecessarily sterile because they are not personalised to take account of young people’s tastes and preferences.

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improvement to be good

Despite these shortfalls, children are making progress in a number of ways. A parent said, ‘The staff are absolutely fantastic. They got my daughter eating when I could not. The proof is in the pudding. I could not get her to brush her teeth and do her hair, but they have. They are fantastic.’

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improvement to be good

The positive relationships that staff have with partner agencies are a strength of the home. A worker from the learning disability community team said,

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improvement to be good

‘Staff have been accepting of the work and support that has been offered. This has resulted in the child becoming calmer. Her toilet training has really developed and her behaviours have improved. This is definitely progress when considering how she used to present.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are promoted and, when required, referrals are made to specialist services. All children see the dentist, which is progress for them given their starting points.

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improvement to be good

Children are in full-time education and are doing well. Staff ensure good home-school relationships by spending time with children in the classroom each month. A teacher said, ‘Not long after she started, staff requested that they visit the school. They have Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 6 visited three or four times and spent time getting to know her routine, what she likes and dislikes, and what happens during the school day. Communication is very good. They definitely have her best interest at heart.’

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate well on behalf of children. When a recent incident occurred, staff called a meeting with other professionals to address their concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their families. Strong, practical help is given to families.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessment are unclear. They are not fully updated and are difficult to understand. This does not help to ensure children’s safety and protection.

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improvement to be good

Most doors in the home are locked. However, during the inspection the laundry room, containing an industrial washer and dryer, which children could climb into, was left open. A drawer in the kitchen containing sharp knives was also unlocked and easily accessible to children – immediate action was taken to rectify this.

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improvement to be good

While some staff try hard to understand and meet the needs of the children, this is not yet of a consistently good standard. On occasions, some children’s complex behaviours are allowed to escalate, resulting in children becoming distressed.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management plans are unclear and not updated. One staff member said, ‘We have a one-size-fits-all approach, which is not helpful regarding the children we are working with.’

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improvement to be good

The provider has failed to ensure that a staff member who returned to work following a lengthy suspension has received the appropriate managerial supervision, training and support. This has the potential to have an adverse impact on practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager for a period of 28 weeks. This has resulted in the leadership and management being inadequate, and has contributed to a period of instability in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new manager has very recently started and is yet to register as the manager. The new manager has an impressive history of working with children who have disabilities. He has strong, child-focused ideas and presents as being fully committed to improving standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The new manager and senior managers understand and accept that there are a number of shortfalls that require improvement. They are committed to addressing these concerns. Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 7 In the absence of a registered manager, the assistant manager has been running the home. The assistant manager is a dedicated and committed worker. She is held in high regard by staff and external agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Systems to monitor the progress that children are making require improvement. Limited data is used to monitor and evaluate children’s behaviours and the care they are receiving. Consequently, it is difficult for leaders and managers to demonstrate the impact that living in the home is having on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Good-quality, reflective supervision has not consistently taken place, leaving staff occasionally feeling unsupported. Staff morale and motivation is low.

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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: SC374180 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northamptonshire County Council, John Dryden House, 8-10 The Lakes, Northampton NN4 7YD

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Inspector

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC374180 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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