Children's Home run by HAVEN CARE GROUP LIMITED in Staffordshire

Inspection report children‟s home: 1251947 1 Registered provider: Haven Care Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company manages this home.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was last inspected in April 2018 and was judged to be good. Two requirements were made at that time. These related to the quality of monitoring and review of the home and staff training, skills and experience.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection visit took place because Ofsted received notification of concerns about the home. These concerns centred on the quality of care provided for young people and the arrangements for safe and effective care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people were spoken to as part of this inspection and reported no concerns or issues to the inspector. Young people said that the „staff are brilliant‟ and „[the staff] allow me to be who I want to be.‟ Relationships between the young people are good and Inspection report children‟s home: 1251947 2 there is a genuine culture of harmony and tolerance in the home. Young people are relaxed in each other‟s and the staff‟s company and this results in a home that is settled and calm. All young people are in appropriate educational placements and, at the time of this inspection, were busy preparing for the new school year.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

However, there are significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. There is an absence of monitoring and review by the registered manager and the registered provider. This has contributed to a decline in the quality of care, which is reflected in a number of regulatory requirements. The responsible individual and the registered manager were present throughout the inspection. Both gave assurances that they would make immediate improvements to the home following this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are, on the whole, safe at the home. Staff provide safe care and staffing levels ensure that young people are appropriately supervised in the home. When young people have had contact with family members away from the home, however, there have been occasions when risk has not been effectively managed. This is because risk assessments for these activities do not contain sufficient detail for staff on how to manage these events appropriately. Staff also lack the skills to recognise potentially unsafe situations, and are not alert to the potential risks that may be present.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When the home was last inspected, there was one young person in the home. There are now four. However, the increase in young people does not explain why key areas of practice have not been addressed. For example, actions resulting from the good-quality monthly visitor reports are not being addressed. These include arranging advocacy for a young person, which was an action identified at the June 2018 visit. To date, this has not been completed, with an email being sent to arrange advocacy, but no follow-up or outcome secured. The young person remains without this required service. This also shows the management‟s inability to challenge a partner agency‟s lack of action.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team is largely unchanged from the last inspection. When new staff have joined, their recruitment checks have not ensured that all required aspects are verified as required: specifically, reasons why previous employment periods ended. There has been no impact on young people, to date, because of this shortfall. The provider does not ensure that all information is fully considered when recruiting staff. For example, any information on a criminal records check is not fully considered or risk-assessed as part of recruitment. The recruitment procedures currently used in the home do not fully ensure the safety of young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

New staff also lack formal induction plans and two-weekly supervision, as required by the organisation‟s policies. This problem is further compounded by the remainder of the staff team not receiving supervision at the organisation‟s required intervals. This means that the staff team‟s practice is largely unchecked, and practice is not discussed or formally assessed by managers in the home. This has the potential to negatively impact on the care given to young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff training is mostly up to date. However, not all staff have completed fire safety training. This has the potential to affect the safety and welfare of all persons in the Inspection report children‟s home: 1251947 3 home. Other training that is required for some staff includes: food hygiene, child sexual exploitation, missing from care, sexually harmful behaviour and safeguarding.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been some restraints since the last inspection. All have been for appropriate reasons and staff have used minimal restraint methods at all times. The registered manager has not, however, ensured that staff are always debriefed after these incidents. Similarly, young people have not always been spoken to after these incidents. When young people do raise negative views and potential complaints after incidents, these are not always appropriately managed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This shortfall also affects the use of sanctions; young people‟s views are not sought or recorded following the use of these measures. Although sanctions are fair, reasonable and age related, the provider is missing an opportunity to fully reflect on and evaluate the impact of this method of behaviour management. There are systems in place to record the positive rewards and praise given to young people. These systems are not yet fully utilised. As a result, young people do not always receive praise for developing, and sustaining, socially acceptable behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection has identified significant weaknesses in the leadership and management of the home. A compliance notice under leadership and management has been issued to ensure that improvements are made.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Inadequate

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‟s needs. If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. 16/10/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: 1251947 4 (Regulation 5(b)(c)) 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 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 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) 16/10/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 16/10/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 16/10/2018*

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home, the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if full and satisfactory information is 16/10/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: 1251947 5 available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32(3)(d)) The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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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.

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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 which includes the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 1251947 6 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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‟.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Haven Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor Unit 3, Barberry Court Parkway, Centrum One Hundred, Burton-on-Trent DE14 2UE

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Inspector

Pete Hylton, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1251947 7 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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