Children's home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Cheltenham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 1 SC482141 Registered provider: Beacon Child Care 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

A private company owns this home. It is registered for up to four young people who have social and emotional difficulties. The home‟s statement of purpose indicated that the home will also provide care and support for young people who are remanded into the care of the local authority and who are accommodated because of police and criminal evidence (PACE) arrangements.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post. This manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/08/2017 Full Inadequate 14/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ix)) 28/09/2018

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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 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d)) 31/08/2018

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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. 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 and understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any individual who 04/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 4 works in the home in a care role has achieved the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (5)(a)) The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to raising staff awareness through training to the risks children can face of child sexual exploitation, substance misuse, mental health, anti-bullying and youth justice. 28/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)) 31/08/2018

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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. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 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”). (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3) 30/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes 31/08/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 5 of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance and supplement that provided by their school through personal, social and health education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand and, where necessary, work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 35, paragraph 7.18)  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

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Recommendations

opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  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

Since the last inspection, six young people have moved into the home and five young people have left. Weak planning by managers means that young people‟s needs and risks are not understood prior to placements commencing. Consequently, some young people have moved out of the home soon after being admitted, because staff have been unable to meet the young person‟s needs. Poor matching has also affected the behaviour, experiences and progress of one young person already living at the home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 6 The young person has been exposed to challenging behaviours, including witnessing aggression and violence towards staff.

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improvement to be good

The dedication of staff in supporting one young person with completing daily school work at home has prepared him to start back at school after a long period of absence. However, insufficient attention by staff to the daily routine of another young person means that she is not getting the support she needs to equip her to take part in further education in the new term.

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improvement to be good

Staff support young people to attend routine and specialist health-related appointments, for example accessing child and adolescent mental health services. Staff also encourage young people to follow a healthy diet and to lead an active lifestyle. However, staff miss opportunities to support and encourage young people to understand the impact of and change negative lifestyle choices, such as smoking tobacco. Furthermore, one young person‟s record does not hold a copy of their annual health assessment. This means that staff do not have access to all the necessary information about the young person‟s health.

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improvement to be good

As part of their daily routines, young people are encouraged to develop their independence skills and are involved in shopping, cooking, laundry and cleaning their bedrooms. This helps young people to build their confidence and make good progress in developing the skills necessary for successful adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Weekly meetings give young people an opportunity to be involved in decision making in areas such as meals, activities and holidays.

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improvement to be good

The physical conditions of the home need attention to meet good standards. For example, walls in the lounge and kitchen are dirty. Kitchen cupboards and the kitchen floor are grubby. There is a stain on the kitchen ceiling. Doors and skirting boards are dirty throughout the home. The temperature dials are missing from the young person‟s shower. Insufficient attention to the maintenance and cleanliness of the home detracts from young people having a safe and comfortable place to live.

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improvement to be good

The behaviour management policy has been reviewed and gives staff clarity about the action that staff should take when young people act outside of acceptable boundaries and expectations. Management oversight of incentives and consequences is helping the team to develop a more consistent approach to behaviour management. The use of physical intervention is rare. However, when physical intervention has been used the manager does not always ensure that staff and young people are spoken to following the incident. This limits the manager‟s ability to understand young people‟s views and whether practice is safe.

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improvement to be good

Young people have individualised plans and risk assessments. However, risk assessments are not always thorough. For example, one young person‟s risk assessment Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 7 does not give enough detail about risk posed by self-harm. This means that, in practice, the knowledge of staff about specific behaviours, triggers and the risk management arrangements is variable. Poor-quality risk assessments leave staff with shortfalls in their understanding, which could leave young people at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

When young people have gone missing from the home, staff have been prompt in reporting this to the police and significant others in accordance with the young person‟s plan. However, when an independent return home interview has taken place managers have not followed up the outcome of this visit to inform their future planning and risk management arrangements.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been several allegations made by young people about staff conduct. Good communication and partnership working between the manager, the local authority designated officer and other relevant professionals have helped matters to be investigated and concluded appropriately. However, on some occasions when there has been a significant incident, staff have failed to notify Ofsted in a timely way. This reduces the external oversight of the operation of the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people feel safe, are comfortable in the company of staff, and positive relationships are developing. One young person shared with the inspector, „I like the people and the way they treat young people. They know how to speak to young people even when they are trying to tell you off.‟ However, gaps in staff training mean that the knowledge and skill of staff is variable. For example, some staff have not received training in understanding the risk of child sexual exploitation, anti-bullying, substance misuse or mental health awareness. Furthermore, the organisation has not given staff training to raise their awareness of the youth justice system. This is despite staff giving care and support to young people who are in their care because of being remanded to the care of the local authority. Shortfalls in training mean that staff lack knowledge in key areas needed to support the safety and well-being of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The last registered manager left in April 2017. Between June 2017 and May 2018, two new managers were appointed and both have left the home. A new manager from within the organisation started in June 2018. She intends to apply to Ofsted to be the next registered manager. As a result of all the changes in managers the home has been without a registered manager for a significant period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is enrolled on a level five leadership and management award. One member of staff has achieved a level 3 diploma in residential childcare and four staff are enrolled on the award. However, three members of staff have not achieved the award within the required timescale. The qualifications of one staff member need to be confirmed as equivalent to the required level 3 award. This means that staff do not have the necessary knowledge required for their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are optimistic about the new management arrangements and the potential of the team. One member of staff told the inspector, „I have a lot of confidence in the people I Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 8 work with. We communicate really well. Since the new manager has come, the team‟s confidence has become a lot higher.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The new manager has acted to ensure that staff who have been in post for over 12 months have had the opportunity to receive an appraisal. However, changes in the management arrangements of the home since the last inspection have resulted in shortfalls in staff support. Some staff have not received regular, good-quality supervision. This means that staff have not had the benefit of discussing the strengths of their practice or areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to ensure that the safe recruitment of staff. Staff have started in post without managers verifying gaps in employment or the reasons why they left previous posts when they worked with vulnerable adults or children. A lack of attention to staff vetting compromises the safety of young people through potential exposure to care from unsuitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Instability in the management arrangements for the home means that there has been limited progress in developing the service. Prior to the current manager coming into post, the action to respond to the independent visitor reports was slow. A review of the quality of care was completed by a previous manager. The new manager was unable to find key evidence to show that young people or other key stakeholders are consulted to help shape the home‟s development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has reviewed the safe area assessment for the home. However, a lack of consultation with relevant others means that the manager has been unable to thoroughly assess if there are any risks arising to young people because of the location of the home.

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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: SC482141 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beacon Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham GL50 3AT

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Inspector

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC482141 10 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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