Children's home run by Slough Children First Limited in Bristol, City of

Inspection report children’s home: 1183479 1 Registered provider: Slough Children’s Services Trust Limited (09487106)

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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 service primarily offers residential short breaks for children who have learning and/or physical disabilities. In exceptional circumstances, the home may provide known children with an extended or full-time care package. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since 17 March 2017. The manager currently in day-to-day charge of the home is in the process of applying to Ofsted for registration.

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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 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: 1183479 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/08/2016 Full Good 04/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1183479 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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

Full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each matter in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 03/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated, or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40(4)(d)(i)(ii)) 03/09/2018

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children, administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment, help children to manage long-term conditions and where necessary meet specific, individual health needs arising from a disability, chronic condition or other complex needs. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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improvement to be good

The overall judgment is directly affected by the service not having a registered manager. Inspection report children’s home: 1183479 4 The children that use the service are provided with positive experiences. They have care arrangements in place that meet their complex needs. The children develop friendships while socialising during activities with other children that have similar needs.

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improvement to be good

The staff have a good understanding of the children’s individual needs. Their calm disposition while working directly with the children earns their trust. All children observed during the inspection engaged well with the staff.

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improvement to be good

The voices of the children are obtained, heard and listened to by the staff. The staff’s knowledge of the children helps them to communicate their wishes and feelings, including those who are non-verbal. The children are encouraged and supported to use their identified forms of communication, such as the picture exchange communication system.

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improvement to be good

The complex medical needs of the children are known and supported by staff. Special equipment is available to meet and monitor the medical needs of the children. The young people’s files contain up-to-date information about pre-existing medical concerns and medications. Medication is safely stored, administered and monitored.

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improvement to be good

The garden area and the sensory room have yet to be refurbished. The previous inspection identified that the sensory room was worn and that some areas of the garden were unavailable to the children. At the time of inspection this remained the case.

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

One-to-one care provided by the staff gives the children safety and security while they are staying in the home. The children are consistently within arm’s reach, and are closely monitored by staff assigned to be their primary points of care.

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

The young people do not go missing from this home. There has been a reduction in significant events. Established links with local professionals and police are in place should any concern arise. Consultation with the designated officer for the local authority occurs for any matters of child protection.

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

The process of recruiting new staff is unclear. At least six new members of staff have joined the service in the last year. Electronic records regarding their recruitment were reviewed and found to be incomplete.

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

Risks associated with the children are appropriately identified and assessed. The staff are able to safely manage the behaviours associated with the learning difficulties of the children. Escalating or concerning behaviours displayed by children are successfully defused. There are many examples of staff successfully intervening, using the behaviour management training that is now embedded in staff practice.

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

The physical environment of the centre is maintained to ensure that the children are safe. Health and safety assessments for electrical, gas and fire are current. Hoists and Inspection report children’s home: 1183479 5 other types of specialised equipment have been properly checked for functionality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The service has not had a registered manager for well beyond 26 weeks, which has resulted in the inadequate judgement in this section of the report. A new manager for the service has been in post for two months and has submitted an application for registration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The previous requirement about reporting significant events has not been met. Managers are still not being diligent in providing updates to previous notifications. The outcome of a child protection enquiry initiated by the manager had to be requested during the inspection, and was not already known to the managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a high number of staff who have failed to complete training that is essential to their roles. Moving and handling training, along with first aid, has yet to be undertaken by the new starters, despite some having been in post for over six months. When considering the physical disabilities and medical needs of children that use the service, there should be no delay in this type of training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff morale is currently high. The majority of staff are qualified with a few new starters undertaking the level 3 qualification. The staff show a lot of enthusiasm when they talk about the children, their roles and the support provided by the new manager. Appraisals and monthly supervision have occurred as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The external monitoring of the home has not been an area of concern since the last inspection. When reviewed, the monthly reports were found to be informative, identifying the progress of children, and the strengths of the home and areas for improvement.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1183479 6 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: 1183479 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Slough Children’s Services Trust Limited (09487106)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ground Floor West, St Martin’s Place, 51 Bath Road, Slough, Buckinghamshire SL1 3UF

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Inspector

James Harmon: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1183479 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 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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