Children's home run by Willows (Devon) Ltd in Dorset

Inspection report children’s home: SC367637 1 SC367637 Registered provider: Willows (Devon) 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

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for nine children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Children live in two separate houses. The on-site school provides education for the children who live in the company’s three registered homes. The registered manager has been registered since November 2007.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, inspectors considered the actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform judgements.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspection of this children’s home was aligned with a progress monitoring inspection of the provider’s school. Both settings are on the same site.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 September 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers 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: 16 January 2018

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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: SC367637 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2018 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/10/2016 Full Good 15/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC367637 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 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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, undertake a management review of events that led up to children going missing from the home without staff’s knowledge, and act upon the findings of this review to ensure that children are always kept safe. 30/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all areas of the children’s home provide children with a welcoming and homely environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). In particular, review the heating arrangements to ensure that children live in a home that is adequately warm and Inspection report children’s home: SC367637 4 comfortable.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that a full employment history is obtained prior to staff commencing work in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop positive relationships with the children. They know the children well and provide them with nurturing, sensitive and individualised care and support. Children speak well of the support they receive. When asked about the staff a child said, ‘They listen to me and what I have to say.’ Children say that they like living at this home and some children gave 10/10 and 8/10 for how much they like living here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thoroughly enjoy the wide range of activities that are available to them. This includes visits to theme parks, the beach, local towns and shopping facilities. A child said, ‘It’s also good that we make ourselves cosy and drink hot chocolate.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from attending the school that is on the same site as their home. Attendance is good, and children are now making stronger progress towards their individual educational targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they like the food. They are involved in meal planning, preparation and the cooking of their meals. Mealtimes are a typical family-style occasion and this approach benefits children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop their independence skills well. They regularly undertake ‘chores’ in and around the home. One child said that she must clean and tidy her bedroom every Saturday and understands why this is needed. Another child said she considers that her skills in day-to-day household activities have improved.

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improvement to be good

In recent months, the incidents of children going missing from the home has decreased. Staff respond effectively when they know that children have gone missing. They work together with safeguarding agencies, local authorities and parents to ensure that children return quickly and safely to the home. Staff talk with children about why they go missing, and independent return home interviews also take place. Staff use the information from these discussions to inform their work with children. Inspection report children’s home: SC367637 5 Despite this good work, on three occasions staff were not aware that the children had left the home. The registered manager has not conducted a formal investigation into these incidents to establish how the children left the home without staff knowing, and to identify measures to prevent it happening again. Not all records in relation to children going missing are clear and concise.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage positive behaviour well. Children have a good understanding of the reward systems in place to encourage good behaviour. A child said, ‘The rules are fair, and the reward system helps me to improve my behaviour.’ Restraint is only used as a last resort. However, not all records include information about the actual time that an intervention is used.

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improvement to be good

Generally, leaders and managers ensure that a thorough recruitment and selection process is followed. However, on one occasion a comprehensive employment history has not been obtained prior to a person working in the home.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that they communicate safeguarding matters to safeguarding agencies and other professionals effectively. Since the last inspection, one referral has been made appropriately to the designated officer. The designated officer has not raised any concerns in relation to the reporting process.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities, because they receive regular safeguarding training. Children say that they feel safe at the home and that they would talk to staff if they had any worries or concerns.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager ensures that children stay in a safe and well-maintained home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced, well-trained and qualified manager manages this home. She places the needs of the children at the centre of her practice. She has been the registered manager since November 2007.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A significant improvement since the last inspection is the engagement between residential staff and education staff in relation to the progress children are making at school. Leaders and managers have introduced monitoring and reporting systems to share information between the two provisions. In addition, weekly management meetings take place to review and report on children’s progress, their achievements and to identify any areas of concern. As a result, the registered manager has a better understanding of the progress that children are making in relation to their education.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has conducted a detailed review of the quality of care and has identified the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She ensures that the independent visitor undertakes regular visits and responds effectively to recommendations made from these visits. Inspection report children’s home: SC367637 6 Placement plans and risk assessments clearly identify how children’s individual needs are to be met. These are regularly updated and reviewed. Children say that they are aware of their placement plans and contribute to these documents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak well of the support they receive from the registered manager and senior managers. They benefit from a wide range of training, including both mandatory training and specific training that equips them to support the children well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children live in a very homely and welcoming environment. Children are delighted with their bedrooms. They have personalised their rooms and have an abundance of photographs and personal possessions around them. Children said that they consider that an improvement in relation to the central heating system is required. Leaders and managers are aware of this request and have plans to make improvements.

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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: SC367637 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Willows (Devon) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Granary, Hinton Business Park, Tarrant Hinton, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 8JF

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC367637 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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