Children's home run by Milton Keynes Council

Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 1 SC383187 Registered provider: Milton Keynes Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a residential special school registered with Ofsted as a children’s home. The home provides short breaks and 52-week placements for up to 24 young people who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2013.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2018

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 21/11/2016 Full Good 15/12/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 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 registered person must— allow children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review behaviour management plans in relation to the use of ‘time out’. Develop clear guidance for staff about the maximum length of time a young person should be in ‘time out’ and clarify whether staff should or should not remain with them. 26/10/2018

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is clear information about each young person’s targets and how they are to be met. Also, ensure that targets are reviewed in line with the stated expectations. 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is clear guidance for staff about what to do if a child refuses his medicine and implement the medication audit as detailed in the medication policy. 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

* After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are 26/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 4 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; 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

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Requirement Due date

harm; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the steps detailed in the compliance notice are met within timescales.

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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 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure legislation referred to in the document is current and develop clear arrangements for dealing with allegations about other professionals. 26/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 5 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— 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child

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Requirement Due date

and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

* A person may only manage a children’s home if— having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure the registered manager’s ongoing training and support needs are met. 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate, having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that relationships with stakeholders are improved. 26/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 6 The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (1)(4)(a)) 26/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some serious shortfalls were found in the arrangements to make sure that all children’s health needs are met to an adequate standard. Examples of these shortfalls include healthcare information not always being kept up to date, being inaccurate and lacking clear information and guidance for staff about how to meet some health needs. Where there was guidance for staff, for example about dealing with emergency rescue medication, not all staff had signed to say that they had read this important information. One young person’s additional health needs were being closely monitored by a community paediatrician but the arrangements for his more routine health needs, such as an eye test, were not clear. The Education and Health plan for this young person had not been reviewed within timescales. Consequently, the staff do not have the most up to date and relevant information to work from.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people are supported to attend some health appointments, for example with the dentist and more specialist appointments, such as with the community paediatrician. Some children have a target about cleaning their teeth effectively and staff support and encourage them well to meet this target.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The medication policy has been reviewed, as required at the last inspection, but further development is required. The policy does not provide clear information about what staff should do if a young person refuses their medicine. Additionally, an expectation in the policy that an audit of medicines is carried out fortnightly is not occurring. The policy does not detail what action needs to be taken if controlled medication goes missing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people are set targets to help them grow and develop skills, such as looking after their personal hygiene. Practice in this area is variable. Some young people have made progress, such as being more receptive to teeth cleaning, and this is significant when considering their starting points and needs. However, targets are not always reviewed within the one-month timescale and this risks drift. The targets for young people who attend the ‘intensive support programme’ on a short-break basis lack clarity about what the targets are, how they are being worked towards and how it will be known when the targets have been met. In other areas, direct work with children is of a good quality. Staff use a range of resources with children to help them develop their skills. As a result, young people have made improvements in their communication skills. Staff spend time Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 7

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

with young people and help them to work through their frustrations. Some young people’s behaviour has improved as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people enjoy spending time with the staff and have developed some strong relationships with them. Very positively, some young people, who share mutual interests, are beginning to enjoy spending time with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people get to do many fun activities in the home and in the community. These help them to develop new interests and skills. Some of the activities are good learning experiences for the young people. These are helping young people to develop their independence skills. For example, some young people are learning how to cross the road safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people have good attendance in school. Staff work effectively with educational professionals to make sure that young people’s learning is well supported.

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

Safeguarding practice is weak. Staff and the manager do not always recognise serious matters as potential safeguarding concerns. Concerns are not always reported in a timely way and one serious reportable issue was not referred to the designated officer. The safeguarding policy refers to out-of-date legislation and does not set out how allegations against external professionals must be dealt with.

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

As required at the last inspection, protocols and risk assessments have been updated in relation to a young person going missing and the risks to young people of being exploited. The quality of these is poor. They are not individualised to the needs and vulnerabilities of each child. The missing protocols do not provide staff with information about timescales for calling police should a young person’s whereabouts be unknown.

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

Young people and staff have potentially been put at risk because of a failure to remedy fire safety issues identified by a fire professional in February 2016. There has also been a failure to carry out risk assessments and routine checks in respect of fixed outdoor play equipment.

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

One care plan stated that staff may hold the young person’s door handle to prevent him leaving the room. This is not good practice and was not agreed with the allocated social worker. A care plan also permits using ‘time out’ for a maximum of two minutes, for one child. However, there have been incidents when a ‘ten-minute timer’ was used. There is a lack of guidance about whether staff should remain with the young person during ‘time out’ periods.

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

Since the last inspection, an internet safety policy has been developed. This is an informative document.

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

A requirement made at the last inspection, in relation to staff recruitment, has not been Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 8 tested because no new staff have been employed. This has been repeated and will be assessed at a future inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has been registered to manage this home since October 2013. While she does possess relevant leadership qualifications, her practice in relation to management tasks, such as monitoring and safeguarding oversight has been poor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management have failed to address concerns, over a long period, in relation to safeguarding practice in the home. Further safeguarding issues have been identified at this inspection. It is of concern that monitoring arrangements have not already identified these shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been some progress in developing relationships with other professionals, but some issues remain. One social worker did not feel she was provided with sufficient information about the young person she works with and inspectors noted that some records of incidents were waiting to be signed and sent to social workers many weeks after the event. Although, following the last inspection, an action plan that was developed to meet the last requirements stated that staff would be provided with a workshop on developing and improving communication with stakeholders, this training has not taken place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Relationships between the day and night staff teams are strained and have the potential to affect young people’s care. Staff whom inspectors met with showed a strong commitment to the young people and passion about their work. They say that they love working with the young people and feel they are very well supported by the manager. They said their supervision and training is of a good quality. However, following the last inspection, an action plan that was developed stated that staff would be provided with training from the designated officer for safeguarding. This has not occurred, although it was arranged during the inspection to take place later in the month. Some staff are not up to date with training in infection control and some staff have not had refresher training for some years in working with young people who have autism spectrum disorder. Despite all members of the management team undertaking supervision of staff,

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

and standing in from time to time as the safeguarding lead, not all of them have had prior experience or training in carrying out these roles. Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 9

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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: SC383187 10

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Milton Keynes Council, Saxon Court, 502 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HS

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Inspectors

Rosie Dancer, social care inspector Keith Riley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC383187 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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