Children's home run by New Forest Care Limited in New Forest

Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 1 SC461781 Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children‟s home provides residential care and accommodation for up to four young people who have a learning disability and/or additional difficulties. The home offers an integrated service that includes therapy, education and care. The home is one of a number operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 September 2018

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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: 7 February 2018

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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: SC461781 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Interim Requires improvement to be good Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 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— understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 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— understand and apply the home‟s statement of purpose; ensure that staff— protect and promote each child‟s welfare; provide personalised care that meets each child‟s needs, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans, taking account of the child‟s background; and help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(ii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, use key-work sessions more effectively. 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child‟s relevant plans; understand the child‟s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child‟s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child‟s age and understanding; take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the 26/10/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 4 purpose of meeting the child‟s health and well-being needs; and understand and develop skills to promote the child‟s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all options are explored and professionals contacted to promote each child‟s well-being.

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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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments are completed when allegations against staff are made, details of internal investigations are clear and confidential information is kept appropriately. 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 26/10/2018

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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 restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made 26/10/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 5 which includes— the name of the child; details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 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; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet the child‟s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.11) In particular, ensure that suitable sleeping areas are provided to staff.  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) In particular, there are clear time frames when redecoration and maintenance will be undertaken.  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for

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Recommendations

safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home‟s care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 66, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 6  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Ensure that staff engage proactively to contribute fully to the relevant plans for the child‟s care on an ongoing basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.3) This specifically relates to demonstrating progress in targets in operation.

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Recommendations

 Ensure policies for the protection of children are reviewed regularly and revised where appropriate. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 44, paragraph 9.19) This specifically relates to including reference to children with disabilities. Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 7

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improvement to be good

There has been a lack of monitoring and oversight of children‟s needs and progress, with a reactive rather than proactive approach to some of the young people‟s behaviour. As a result, not all the young people have been given the support that they need to be able to progress fully. Individualised care is provided to the young people by the staff team. Staff ensure that they listen to young people and spend quality time with them.

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improvement to be good

The same group of young people have remained living in this home since the last inspection. Young people‟s social interaction and engagement with education has improved. Young people are now much more able to accept and understand the boundaries that are in place and to manage their difficult feelings. However, there has been a lack of professional curiosity in relation to the additional vulnerabilities of young people with a learning disability.

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improvement to be good

Young people are supported well to build relationships with the staff team and with each other. It is positive that some young people have been helped to accept that they will not always get along well with everyone. Relationships with staff have been enhanced by limited staff turnover. This has enabled attachments to be formed between staff and young people. The culture of language within the home needs to continue to be embedded. For example, the use of the term „YPs‟ is still used at times, and the young people say that they do not like this.

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions are not consistently used well enough to build on young people‟s relationships with staff, and there appears to be little understanding of the therapeutic impact of these sessions. Key-work sessions are inconsistent in quality and in number, with too great a focus on what young people have done wrong and the sanctions to be imposed. The sessions do not always provide young people with sufficient support, direction and advice.

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improvement to be good

Young people do raise with staff any concerns that they have and when they make a complaint, it is taken seriously. However, in some instances, young people have not felt fully heard during times of upset or distress.

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improvement to be good

A range of activities are available, and these are adapted to meet young people‟s interests and to motivate them to try new opportunities. Some young people now access activities that they had not previously tried, including karate and sea cadets.

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improvement to be good

Young people‟s increasing independence in the community is encouraged, and this is risk assessed taking into account their individual support needs. The home is in the process of developing individual independence targets for young people. This is not yet embedded in practice.

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improvement to be good

The home‟s care plans are not always informative enough and they therefore do not Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 8 routinely support staff in giving young people the most appropriate information and advice, for example in relation to medical and sexual health needs. In some instances, staff have not been curious enough about the possible triggers for a young person‟s behaviour. When they have appropriately considered what these triggers might be, they have not always followed this up assertively enough. For one young person, physical interventions have not been analysed closely enough to consider whether alternative strategies might be possible and how these alternative approaches might influence the care plan. In a small number of instances, care planning has been too reactive, with insufficient analysis of alternative approaches to physical restraint. Care plans do not include all the multi-disciplinary approaches that have been agreed for individual young

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improvement to be good

people, because recording is not streamlined enough. The manager and staff have reflected on how behaviours are managed and how to de-escalate situations more effectively, but this is yet to be documented.

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improvement to be good

Staff react promptly to any safeguarding concerns and report them to the necessary managers and agencies. The young people told the inspector that they feel protected from harm and that they feel increasingly able to talk to staff if they do not feel safe. One young person is struggling with anxieties and how to manage these and staff are working well with other professionals to help the young person to feel safer and less anxious. The inspector observed young people being open with staff and there appeared to be a level of trust and understanding in the home.

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improvement to be good

Managers have made positive changes to safeguarding processes since the last inspection, including improving the audits that take place. Although appropriate and safe decisions have been made following allegations against staff, in some instances, the decisions have not been fully documented. The inspector could not always find clearly recorded risk assessments to support these decisions and some safeguarding records do not include sufficient detail about internal investigations. Two allegations that had been appropriately investigated had been recorded within the complaints logs for all staff to access. This is confidential information.

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improvement to be good

The safeguarding policy does not specifically refer to the vulnerabilities for young people with a learning disability or direct staff to appropriate resources and information to support them in their care for young people with these needs.

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improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home, but strategies for responding to episodes of going missing, should they occur, are included in young people‟s risk assessments. Young people who access the internet are monitored and staff are given guidelines on how to keep young people safe online.

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improvement to be good

Although most children have not experienced a physical restraint incident since the last inspection, overall there has been a relatively high number of these interventions, including higher risk strategies to keep young people safe. Records of floor restraints are Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 9 not always comprehensive enough. Although records include information about the trigger for the incident and some evaluation, they do not always include enough detail about how or why young people are taken from one hold to another. The home is in the process of changing its recording systems and during the transition period the records of restraint incidents are held in different places and are not clear or streamlined enough, reducing the ability of the manager to monitor practice effectively. The manager and the staff team are beginning to recognise trends but have yet to fully explore them. Debriefs

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improvement to be good

are not always detailed enough and during these conversations, young people are not routinely asked about whether things could have been managed differently. The leadership team has not undertaken any specific analysis or reflection about the impact of using restrictive holds on young people who have a learning disability.

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improvement to be good

Sanctions have been used, but the recording of these is also not consistent enough. Young people‟s views are not always explored and, although in more recent records the oversight of the manager is evident, reflection about the effectiveness of the sanction is not included. Time frames for the removal of items is not clear in all cases. A restorative approach to enable young people to learn from their behaviours and to develop relationships is not common practice.

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

The manager clearly prioritises the young people‟s needs, he is child-centred and young people enjoy spending time with him. He is beginning to utilise the skills of staff to develop the team further. A number of requirements have been made from this inspection, indicating that internal monitoring and the manager‟s awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in the home is not robust enough. However, the manager is knowledgeable about the progress that young people are making and has high aspirations for them.

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

The home‟s statement of purpose is not unique to the home and has not been sent to Ofsted when reviews have taken place. The statement of purpose has not been kept under close enough review to ensure that it reflects the service being offered.

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

The home is sufficiently staffed and resourced to meet the young people‟s needs. There is a mix of new staff and longer-standing staff within the team and they are beginning to work together with a team approach. The staff report that they are well supported in their roles and that there are a range of helpful training opportunities available.

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

Managers review elements of the quality of care. However, the effectiveness of this oversight has been inconsistent. The current independent visitor‟s reports identify safeguarding concerns and areas for improvement but do not fully evaluate these issues or evidence sufficient challenge of the management team. The reports have not identified all the issues highlighted during this inspection.

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

Managers have taken appropriate steps to ensure that the physical environment is safe and that health and safety checks are undertaken. Managers recognise the need to Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 10 make the environment as homely as possible. However, there are no clear time frames for some improvements to be made. On occasion, staff sleeping-in arrangements are insufficient, leading to a staff member sleeping in a second lounge. This means that during the night on these occasions young people do not have access to all areas of the house.

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

The manager and staff team fully promote equality and diversity and work openly with the young people on areas such as identity. Staff have created an open atmosphere where young people feel able to request advice and support.

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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: SC461781 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: New Forest Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: West Shore House, West Street, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AA

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Inspector

Emeline Evans: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC461781 12 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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