Children's home run by The Percy Hedley Foundation

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 1 Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to 14 children and young people who have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or a sensory impairment. The accommodation consists of a residential unit and a three-bedroom cottage. A private provider operates both settings.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection took place following Ofsted receiving two complaints about the children’s home. The complaints include concerns about the welfare and the safety of the children and young people, staffing arrangements, and leadership and management.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and young people live in a residential unit that does not fully meet their needs. The general environment shows signs of damage, and wear and tear, and the home does not resemble a homely, domestic dwelling. In addition, a young person’s bedroom door has been fitted with an inappropriate, unsafe lock. There is no risk assessment that sets out the potential risks to the young person or information to justify the use of the lock. This compromises the young person’s safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Shortfalls in safeguarding practice put the children and young people at risk. There have Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 2 been errors made by leaders and managers when addressing potential child protection concerns. Safeguarding procedures have not been adequately followed and safeguarding investigations, which have been carried out by senior staff, are deficient and unsafe. The home’s safeguarding policy includes a number of factual errors, and not all the staff have received good-quality child protection training.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staffing arrangements are unsatisfactory due to several factors. There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection, and staff shortages have been exacerbated by the resulting high number of staff vacancies. Consequently, the home is relying on large numbers of agency and bank staff to maintain minimum staffing levels. This creates an unstable, inconsistent environment for the children and the young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are several new staff who have not had the training, or previous experience, that they need to meet the complex needs of children and young people. This includes dealing with some significant healthcare needs that require emergency medication. There are always staff on duty who can administer emergency medication, but they are not always working directly with the children and young people who are most at risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been no registered manager in post since the previous registered manager left at the beginning of May 2018. The provider failed to notify Ofsted, in a timely manner, that the previous registered manager was leaving. They also failed to provide Ofsted with the required information about who would be managing the home, and the relevant timescale for this appointment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Other lapses in leadership and management include poor record-keeping and document management; for example, the recording of staff rosters and other records to show which staff are working and where within the residential unit. There is no rota that includes all the staff on duty, their actual hours worked, their designation, and on some occasions, who the person in charge is. This compromises the children and young people’s welfare should this information be needed for investigation or safeguarding reasons.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All the children and young people have made progress since the last inspection, and most are experiencing some positive outcomes. Educational outcomes are very good, and the children enjoy a range of positive activities. Relationships, observed during this inspection, between the staff, children and the young people are positive.

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 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 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; and

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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 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i)) 29/07/2018

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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.

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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

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 harm to the child

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about the child’s welfare

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi)(e)) 29/07/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 4 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and

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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(2)(c)(e)(h)) 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located; and,

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34(1)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must report any allegations made about staff to the appropriate designated officer before beginning an internal investigation; and, ensure that any staff who carry out internal investigations have the knowledge, training and the experience that they need to undertake this role. 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 29/07/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 5 maintain in the home the records in schedule 4 and ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation (37)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, Schedule 4 (3), a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual hours worked. If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to the HMCI of the proposed absence.

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Requirement Due date

Except in the case of an emergency or unforeseen absence, a notice under paragraph (1) must—

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Requirement Due date

specify with respect to the proposed absence—

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Requirement Due date

the address, name and qualifications of the person who will be responsible for the home during the absence; and

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Requirement Due date

in the case of the absence of the registered manager, the arrangements that have been, or are proposed to be, made for appointing another person to manage the home during the absence, including the proposed date by which the appointment is to be made. (Regulation (48)(1)(2) (b)(iv)(v)) 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected to take place—

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Requirement Due date

a person ceases to carry on or manage the home. (Regulation (49)(b)) 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 6 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

Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Percy Hedley School, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8YY

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Inspector

Debbie White, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1234990 7 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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