Children's home run by R Place Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 1 SC429189

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R Place Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home has operated without a registered manager since February 2017. The home has been unsuccessful in recruiting a permanent registered manager. The home is currently being run by a newly appointed responsible individual and an acting manager.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home had declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 28 February 2018 and required improvement at the full inspection on 11 April 2018.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection monitored the progress in relation to the eight requirements made at the last full inspection. In addition, recent notifications to Ofsted were reviewed, including serious events which highlighted issues regarding behaviour management strategies and risk assessment and management.

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This monitoring visit

The home has operated without a registered manager since February 2017. The home has been unsuccessful in recruiting a permanent registered manager. There is a new responsible individual and an acting manager currently in place. An agency manager was appointed on 16 April 2018 and was dismissed on 30 April 2018 for misconduct. The deputy manager is currently covering the duties of the home manager.

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This monitoring visit

The home has made insufficient progress in addressing six of the eight requirements made at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Plans to ensure that young people’s behavioural and emotional needs are addressed remain deficient. Young people’s plans are not updated and do not identify the steps Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 2 to be taken to address individual need. The acting manager stated that all plans had been the responsibility of the previous responsible individual. The new responsible individual and acting manager are in the process of reviewing all young people’s plans. At the time of this monitoring visit, two young people’s plans have not been updated. Furthermore, two young people admitted to the home, seven weeks ago, do not have a residential behaviour management plan, healthcare plan or risk assessment. Consequently, young people’s needs are not clearly identified or sufficiently assessed.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management remains inadequate. While risk assessments for some young people identify concerns, they fail to guide staff in the safe management of risk- taking behaviour. For example, on 30 July 2018, a young person burned his face while setting alight the gas from an aerosol. In another incident, a young person attempted to set fire to a chair in the presence of a fire officer. Furthermore, young people are regularly found smoking in their bedrooms. The risk assessment regarding young people fire setting includes details of health and safety guidance on appliances that may cause a fire. Therefore, assessments do not detail the specific risks that young people present or the steps to be taken to address these concerns or to minimise risk. Consequently, there is a lack of a proactive and planned strategy to manage the risk-taking behaviours of young people.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring inspection, the responsible individual and the acting manager were reviewing the training of staff in the home. One third of the staff team members have completed the diploma in social care and two thirds are either near completion or have recently been enrolled on the programme. Staff undertake regular online training courses through the social care hub. However, it was established that four new members of staff employed between April 2018 and May 2018 have not undertaken physical intervention training. The acting manager stated that the new staff induction had not been followed according to the home’s policy and they were back-tracking to ensure that the new members of staff were now booked on the relevant courses. The responsible individual stated that all mandatory training would be refreshed and face-to-face training was being arranged through placing authorities. However, currently, the newer staff employed to work in the

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This monitoring visit

home have not been provided with the basic training required, regarding the safe care and management of young people living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The management monitoring of the home in accordance with Regulation 45 is inadequate. The last report received by Ofsted was in June 2017. Consequently, there is no consistent, knowledgeable and experienced overview of the care provided in the home. Therefore, care practice is not sufficiently evaluated for effectiveness in order to identify and address both positive and poor care practice within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Young people do not receive planned and effective care in this home. Staff are not involved in the development of care plans and they do not attend important meetings such as statutory reviews. The acting manager stated that the previous Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 3 responsible individual was responsible for overseeing plans and attending meetings. Staff lack guidance in managing young people’s plans and are uncertain of the long- term arrangements for young people. The acting manager said, ‘We are pulling things together and with the help of the new responsible individual we will get it right this time.’

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/04/2017 Full Good 16/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 4

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11 (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (a) (i)) The registered person must ensure that staff address the child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. 17/09/2018

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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. The registered person must ensure that staff— (i) 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; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2) (i) (iii) (iv) (b)) 17/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of the name of the person so appointed and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (2) (a) (b)) 17/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in 17/09/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 5 relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to their full potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (a) (b) (2) (a) (c)) 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 and the feedback and opinions of children about the

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Requirement Due date

children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2) (a) (b)) 17/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (Regulation 6 (1) (a) (b)) 17/09/2018

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 6

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 7 to 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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