Children's Home run by Portsmouth City Council in Portsmouth

Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 1 Registered provider: Portsmouth City Council

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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 home is run by a local authority and provides accommodation for three children aged eight to 14. The statement of purpose states that children are admitted who have struggled or are likely to struggle in other care environments. The aim is to provide support for children whose future pathways might include foster care, returning to family, moving on to another residential provision or independence.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted as manager for this home since June 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 14 to 15 August 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2017 Full Good 08/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as is reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, complete the recommended remedial works within the timeframe agreed during the inspection and test the arrangements for a night-time evacuation. 21/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that violent incident reports containing confidential information about children are not shared with other individuals in the local authority who do not have a direct connection with the children’s home. 07/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that documentary evidence of qualifications is available. 07/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or 07/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 4 restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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")

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 07/11/2018

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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 the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

In particular, complete the planned repair work, improving the children’s lounge and replacing children’s wardrobes, and review the arrangements for the car.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy trusting and positive relationships with staff. They are free to express their emotions, confident that staff will understand the underlying message when they express painful emotions through challenging behaviour. They can tell their key workers the things that are worrying them, knowing that staff will take immediate action to keep them safe and secure. A placing social worker said, ‘[name of child] has good relationships with staff and has opened up to talk to them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Staff encourage healthy eating and regular exercise, for Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 5 example swimming, football and cycling. They support children in a dignified way to address their sensitive health issues under the guidance of health professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are determined that children have a positive education. They have travelled long distances to ensure that children are able to maintain a school place. They have been successful in obtaining new school places closer to the home for the start of the academic year. Staff play games with children, such as word games, to promote further their education in the home. Children’s attitude to their learning has changed so that they are more able to access a full education timetable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals talk positively about the support that staff give so that children can see their families and other people who are important to them. Staff help to make these encounters a positive experience for all, being on hand to offer advice to children and parents alike. Children are able to form strong bonds and feel safe, so they can progress to overnight stays with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities in the local community such as golf, trampoline parks and model power boating. They have learned how to behave in the community so they can maximise their enjoyment and enjoy repeated visits.

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

Staff are astute in listening to children. They identify when children are telling them about their safety and well-being. They take swift and decisive action, involving other safeguarding professionals when necessary, to keep children as safe as possible.

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

Staff show children they care by searching resolutely for them when they go missing. If children leave the home without permission staff first try to contact them by phone to confirm their safety. Staff work with the police to gain insight about the suitability of individuals that children may mix with. Strategies to reduce missing-from-care episodes are successful.

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

Staff are aware of the home dynamics. They are on hand to defuse situations. They use restorative justice to help children understand the impact of their behaviour and give them an opportunity to redeem themselves. Staff have been successful in working with local police to prevent unnecessary criminalisation of children.

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

The registered manager relies on the human resource department in the local authority to adopt safer recruitment practices. She does not have a system in place to ensure that this complies with regulation. Records examined at the inspection demonstrated compliance, except that documentary evidence of relevant qualifications is not retained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The senior management team in the local authority has been successful in retaining an experienced and qualified staff team. Staff morale is high. The registered manager and responsible individual provide the necessary support and challenge. Staff are competent Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 6 in their day-to-day support of children and are ambitious for children’s futures, regardless of their stating points.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Placing social workers spoke positively about staff communication with them. They are kept up to date on a regular basis, as well as being informed of any significant incidents immediately. They are impressed with how staff work together in a child-centred way. One professional said, ‘Everyone works together for the child’s benefit.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An independent expert recommended improvements to fire safety, with a clear timescale. The registered manager has not actioned this remedial work within that timescale. She has not ensured there has been a trial evacuation at night during the last 12 months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that staff complete a ‘violent incident report’ following an incident. She sends this on to personnel in the local authority, who are unconnected with the home, for statistical purposes. This compromises the privacy of a child’s personal information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff describe the action they take following an incident of restraint, including talking to the child involved. They do not routinely record discussions and first aid in records, as required by the regulations. The registered manager does not formally review the effectiveness and consequences of intervention in every case.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children are confident to use the complaints procedure if necessary. The registered manager provides a written response. She does not keep written records of the action taken to determine the decision made about the complaint.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has organised maintenance staff to improve the environment. Improvements have been made to the decor in children’s rooms, but not the lounge area, where a mattress is stored. Children do not have wardrobes in their rooms; some were removed having been damaged during an incident. Staff do not have a clear plan to provide wardrobes soon. The home uses a car that is designed for wheelchair users. Some children feel uncomfortable when travelling in the vehicle as they are not disabled. They say they feel self-conscious when going out on an activity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is aware of the need to include the use of bedroom door sensors in the statement of purpose, and to send the final version to Ofsted.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 7 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: 1239948 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Portsmouth City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Portsmouth City Council Head of Children and Young People’s Services, Civic Offices, Portsmouth PO1 2EA

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Inspector

Keith Riley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1239948 9 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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