Children's home run by Sunfield Children’s Homes Limited in Bromsgrove

Inspection report children’s home: SC038435 1 SC038435 Registered provider: Sunfield Children’s Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a children’s home registered with Ofsted. It is also a residential special school registered by the Department for Education. Since May 2017, it has been a subsidiary of the Ruskin Mill Trust. The registered manager has been registered since April 2018. The home is registered to accommodate 61 children who have severe and complex learning difficulties and behavioural needs. Seven placements are for children who require short breaks. There are 12 houses in the grounds of the school. At the time of this inspection, five houses were open, and were accommodating 18 children. There is also an adult accommodated in a separate house on site by staff from another organisation within the Ruskin Mill Group. The adult has no contact with children from the home.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 26 September 2017

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been many improvements since the last inspection. Improvements in the administration of medication, which promote children’s health and welfare, have been sustained. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff, and staff teams are more Inspection report children’s home: SC038435 2 consistent. Managers and staff have improved consultation with children and involve them in day-to-day arrangements, such as menu planning. New consultation forms are being developed in different formats to make these more accessible to children. Once finalised, they will be used in key-worker sessions and in children’s meetings.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Many children are making good progress. For example, one child who previously refused to go outside is now managing to leave the home and go on outings. This is significant progress for him.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home environment also continues to improve. Communal areas are generally homely and inviting, although some houses require continued development. In one house, children’s toys were locked away, and the sensory room lights needed a staff key to activate them. Children’s bedrooms are reflective of their individual needs and tastes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Senior managers continue to develop monitoring systems to help them to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. There are some exciting developments being discussed, such as reopening the farm and widening the children’s curriculum to include creating a herb garden and growing their own food. Staff state that they feel supported by the management team. They are hopeful, for the future of the houses, the children and themselves.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some work has been undertaken to meet the requirements raised at the previous inspection and subsequent monitoring visit. However, these improvements are not yet fully embedded, and shortfalls remain.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of care provided to children in some houses is not consistently good. Children’s safety is compromised because staff do not always ensure that vehicles are adequately secure. The inspector witnessed, on one occasion, a car with its engine left running and doors open. This occurred while a member of staff was in a house trying to get a child to leave. This was a shortfall raised at the last inspection after a child was able to get into an unlocked vehicle.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all staff have achieved their level 3 qualification in residential childcare. However, it is recognised that this is an improving picture. Furthermore, managers have made significant attempts to ensure that staff undertake core training requirements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There continue to be some shortfalls in safe recruitment practice around background checks for agency staff. Managers are not adequately scrutinising the agency’s practice. As a result, they do not have the necessary assurance that all agency staff working for them have checks undertaken to meet the requirements set by regulation. This leaves the potential for unsuitable people to be working with children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

On an isolated occasion, staff did not fully implement procedures to keep a child safe. This led to one young person going missing and travelling a considerable distance from the home. Although he received a welfare check from staff on his return to the home, he did not receive a return home interview from an independent person to ascertain his wishes and feelings. Inspection report children’s home: SC038435 3 When incidents involving ground holds have taken place, there are deficits in the levels of oversight and learning. As a result, behaviour management plans do not contain sufficient guidance about how to better manage children’s behaviour when it is highly challenging.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The good work carried out by staff is not reflected in some children’s plans. For instance, work to help develop children’s skills in the kitchen in one house is not reflected in their care plans or learning targets. As a result, managers are unable to fully understand children’s progress and development.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/06/2017 Full Inadequate 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2016 Full Requires improvement

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 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; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(vi)) 30/06/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC038435 4 This is with specific reference to when young people go missing, and in ensuring that vehicles are appropriately secure. The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children’s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) This is in respect of agency

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 11 (1)(2)(a)) 30/06/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45 paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 Ensure the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15 paragraph 3.9)

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC038435 5 after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sunfield Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Clent Grove, Clent, Stourbridge, Worcestershire DY9 9PB

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Inspector(s)

Sue Young, social care inspector Louise Battersby, social care inspector Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC038435 6 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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