Children's home run by Semi-independent House Limited in Peterborough

Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 1 SC452107 Registered provider: Semi-Independent House 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

This home provides care and support to a maximum of three children aged between 10 and 18.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 5 December 2017. A newly appointed manager is in post.

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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 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: 20 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2017 Full Good 24/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/10/2016 Full Good 15/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 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 complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1)(3)(4)(a)) 16/07/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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improvement to be good

The house is comfortably furnished and there is good use of the space. There is now a trampoline in the garden, which the children use regularly. The children are growing flowers at the front and rear of property. These were all requests at recent children’s Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 4 meetings. These additions demonstrate that the children’s views are listened to and acted on.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved on and one child has moved in. The two children who currently live at the home have lived there for over a year. They are very settled and have grown in stature, confidence and emotional stability. One child now feels able to attend medical appointments and review meetings. Feedback from a parent is extremely positive. She feels that her child has more opportunities and is experiencing more than he had in his previous placement. She said, ‘My child has settled in and is getting on really well; he is a lot happier there. It’s a weight off my mind knowing that he is genuinely happy and well looked after.’

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improvement to be good

The children interact like siblings and have a genuine warmth for each other and the staff. The children set targets for themselves with their key workers. These targets are focused on a combination of life skills aimed at building the children’s level of independence. The children can earn additional pocket money for the tasks that they achieve. In addition to the financial incentive, these targets encourage the children to achieve important life skills. The household tasks ensure that the children recognise their responsibility in a group-living setting.

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improvement to be good

The staff offer the children continuous support and encouragement that help the children to appreciate and understand the value of their education. Attending education is the norm for the children who live here. The children rarely miss school. The staff have good liaison with the school staff and the transport staff. This communication ensures that everyone is aware of anything that may be affecting the child’s mood or behaviour. One child is undertaking GCSEs and has secured a college place to commence in September. The child’s improved grades and attendance have resulted in the college offering a higher-level course than the child had originally applied for. The staff’s approach to education and recognition of achievement help the children to realise their potential and plan for their futures.

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improvement to be good

The positive relationship that the children have with the staff enables them to have some difficult conversations and tackle matters that would otherwise escalate. The children can access independent advocates. The children said that they do not often use the advocates, as they are able to speak with the staff about their wishes or concerns.

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improvement to be good

Each child has at least one photo album that details the variety of activities, both individually and as a group, that the children participate in. These albums provide the children with photographic memories of their time at the home. The children are looking forward to their upcoming summer holiday. They spoke excitedly about the last holiday and their plans for this one. This excitement mirrors that of many family households at this time of year.

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

The managers undertake a matching process that fully considers the children’s needs prior to any new admission. Staff who have the relevant training care for the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 5 This training assists the staff to recognise the signs or changes in the children’s behaviour that may indicate that they are at risk.

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

The staff work closely with the children to ensure that each child can recognise the potential dangers that they may encounter in situations such as if they go missing. The staff do this through key-work sessions, children’s meetings and debriefings after incidents.

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

The home prides itself on not having to use physical restraint. The staff are adept at managing difficult situations and often defuse them well before they escalate. The staff follow up any incidents with debriefing conversations with the children. These conversations enable the staff to ascertain whether there are any patterns evolving or any unresolved issues. This evaluation process demonstrates strong practice.

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

Following a spate of incidents, the frequency with which children go missing from the home has greatly reduced. The records demonstrate that during the periods of absence the children maintained contact with the staff. Due to the children’s relationship with the staff, and the staff team’s persistence, the children often told the staff where they were during any absence from the home. The staff then conducted welfare checks to ensure that the children were safe. One child who was going missing has since moved on, and the other child has worked with the staff to reduce the incidents of absence. The staff have negotiated that the children have differing levels of free time. The amount of time is gradually increased and is dependent on the children’s risk assessments and targets. The recent increase in one child’s agreed free time has significantly reduced the frequency with which the child goes missing.

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

Notifications made to Ofsted about significant events are comprehensive, although there have been occasions when there was a delay in the sharing of this information. Such delays can prevent Ofsted from having a true picture of the current events at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager became registered and then left two months later. Despite numerous attempts to recruit, the home has been without a manager until very recently. The newly appointed manager is the former deputy manager and has worked at the home for two years. She has a good knowledge of the progress that the children are making and the strengths and areas for development. She is addressing these aspects of development through the staff supervision sessions and the staff meetings. The new manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The two requirements made at the last inspection have been met:  Supervision sessions are now occurring at the required frequency.  The independent visitor is now making clear their view on safeguarding in the monthly monitoring reports.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team is relatively new and recruitment is ongoing. There are two new starters who are undergoing suitability checks. The manager uses a regular agency worker to cover a Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 6 vacant post. A team of bank staff is now employed to cover any gaps and to minimise the use of agency staff. This non-reliance on agency staff provides the children with consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers challenge responses that are not effective. They ensure that each child is cared for in a personalised, child-focused way that is fair and equal yet respects and acknowledges their differences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A clinical psychologist works with the staff team. This provides the staff with the opportunity to establish different strategies and approaches that they can use in their work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care report has not been completed and/or supplied to Ofsted. This omission prevents Ofsted from having sight of the manager’s overview of the progress of the children and the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have positive relationships with the children’s parents, former carers and professionals. The home regularly seeks written feedback from them at meetings or when they visit the house. The staff have received a high number of compliments and positive feedback. A police community safety officer said, ‘The children are always happy and friendly when we visit. The mood around the place is always good and it seems that children and staff have a good rapport.’

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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: SC452107 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Semi-Independent House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Ploverly, Peterborough PE4 6HZ

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC452107 8 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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