Children's home run by Skyline Child Care Ltd

Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 1 Registered provider: Skyline Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is the only home that this company currently operates. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up two children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in April 2018. She has yet to complete a level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 inadequate

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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: this is the home‟s first inspection

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

This is the home‟s first inspection. Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 2

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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 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. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)) 30/11/2018

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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; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child and understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(c)(d)(f)) 30/11/2018

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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)) 30/11/2018

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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)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to 30/11/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 3 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. (Regulation 25(2)(b))

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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 the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1), (2)(a), (3)(d)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction and that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(1)(a), (4)(b)) 30/11/2018

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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 restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made 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 to do so (“the authorised person”) has

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Requirement Due date

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)) 30/11/2018

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Recommendations

Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 4 To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home works in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. This may include the use of and support to use communication aids, equipment and/or any necessary language support. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  Ensure that staff understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising where children have managed situations well. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including quality standards‟, page 47, paragraph 9.39)  Ensure that the registered person only accepts placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child‟s assessed

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Recommendations

needs as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 5

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improvement to be good

This is the first inspection of this home since registration. There is one child living at the home who moved in three weeks prior to the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff are committed to making a difference for the child. A teacher told the inspector that the staff „are positive, and they are doing the best for (child‟s name). They make sure she has fun.‟ However, the poor preparation of staff by the manager prior to the child moving in has impacted on the quality of care that she receives. For example, staff lack the essential skills and tools to communicate with the child. The registered manager has plans for staff to receive training, but this is yet to be arranged. This shortfall prevents the child from being able to fully participate in the life of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child benefited from a series of planned visits prior to her arrival at the home. She also received a copy of the children‟s guide in an accessible format. However, this good practice has not been translated into the plans that inform her day-to-day care. This prevents the child from being actively involved in planning her care.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child‟s school attendance. This includes travelling to and from school with her to help her to cope with difficult times in the day. This promotes a positive educational experience for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have a clear system in place to encourage the child to behave positively. The registered manager has sought advice from the wider professional network to identify consistent reward strategies, but these are yet to be implemented.

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improvement to be good

Staff have developed positive working relationships with the child‟s parents. This enables her parents to feel and be involved in their daughter‟s care.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are in place and are updated to reflect changes in behaviour. However, they do not always provide staff with consistent guidance about how to keep children safe. For example, one assessment states that the child can access remote controls and computer tablets without supervision, while another assessment states that she cannot.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has failed to implement clear systems for receiving and administering medicines at the home. This omission poses an unnecessary risk to the child‟s health.

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improvement to be good

Management oversight of physical intervention practice is weak. For example, records to evidence that a child has been spoken to after an incident are not kept. In addition, the policy is not clear about who should oversee incidents when there is a conflict of Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 6 interest. This lack of independent review compromises the registered manager‟s ability to ensure that practice is safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff carry out regular health and safety checks in the home and maintain a clean and pleasant environment. However, maintenance is not always timely. For example, the action to update the fire doors is outstanding. This compromises the fire safety arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight of the home is inadequate and has resulted in the shortfalls identified during this inspection. The registered manager acknowledged all the failings identified and is committed to achieving the necessary improvements to the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are insufficient permanent staff employed at this home. This results in an over- reliance on agency staff, and there are occasions when there are only agency staff on duty. The lack of a permanent staff team interrupts the consistency of care for the child. The registered manager is currently recruiting permanent staff to address this shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not safely recruited staff to work in the home. This means that the registered manager does not know that people working in the home are safe to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has failed to ensure that staff receive an induction when they start work at the home. In addition, the registered manager has failed to provide supervision for staff. Not all staff have received the training that they require to enable them to care for children with complex needs. For example, some staff are without behaviour management training and no staff have training regarding children‟s attachment. These significant management omissions leave staff without the essential preparation, knowledge and support required for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager oversees the admission of children into the home. A lack of assessment meant that staff were unable to meet the needs of a child previously admitted to the home, and the child made a significant allegation against staff. Despite the severity of this incident, managers have not carried out an internal review to help them to identify what could be done differently in future. This prevents the registered manager from using the learning from this situation to improve the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has failed to update the home‟s statement of purpose. This leaves parents and placing authorities without a clear understanding of the service‟s aims. Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 7

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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 difference 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: 1265096 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Skyline Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 29 Old Farm Drive, Codsall, Wolverhampton WV8 1GF

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1265096 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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