Children's Home, Residential special school run by SES Turnstone Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 1 SC452461

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Registered provider: SES Turnstone Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of two homes owned by a private organisation. The home provides a therapeutic blended model of care and education. The home provides long-term placements for up to eight children who have traumatic backgrounds and may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse. There is a school on-site which is also run by the organisation. The manager of the home was registered in November 2015.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2018

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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 requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people and their welfare are not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2017 Full Outstanding 07/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/06/2016 Full Good 18/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(c)) 21/12/2018

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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—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child 21/12/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 4 protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(iii)(v)(vi) and (vii)) 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 the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that grounds of the home are made safe and hazards are removed or repaired. 21/12/2018

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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—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)(2)(h)) 21/12/2018

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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)) 21/12/2018

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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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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person 21/12/2018 Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 5 to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(iv)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‟s home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to the actions taken in regard to bullying incidents. 21/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 21/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1)(4)(a)(b)) 21/12/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that appropriate references for new staff are obtained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 6 The inadequate management of a serious allegation made by a child, the failure to take this allegation seriously and the subsequent failure to protect the child has resulted in an overall judgement of inadequate. There are also concerns about how staff manage children‟s behaviour and the use of physical interventions that carry with them an elevated risk of harm to children. Children have some positive experiences and make good progress. These are seriously undermined by the shortfalls in the help and protection that children receive and the failure to keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Behaviour management techniques fail to meet regulations and contradict the guidance used by the home. The management team has identified areas that require improvement in relation to behaviour management. However, this is in the early stages and has yet to positively impact on children‟s experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The house and garden offer children ample space. Extensive grounds enable children to play outside, to take part in ball games and to explore nature. However, the upkeep and maintenance of the house and garden are poor. Some carpets are stained and frayed, there are radiator covers that are missing or bent and cracks in the door surrounds. Several bedroom doors are marked, dirty and scratched. The combination of these shortfalls fails to provide a consistently homely, nurturing environment for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children make progress in their education. All children attend school or college. They are actively engaged and build achievements. Attendance is high. The children participate enthusiastically at the on-site school. Learning is vocational and tailored towards children‟s unique learning styles. Exciting outdoor resources provide learning environments that children enjoy. This works well for children with barriers to learning, gaps in education and traumatic experiences. Children take an active part in their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children benefit from regular community clubs that reflect their interests. This gives them social opportunities outside the home. Some children attend drama groups and take part in theatre productions. These activities are celebrated and supported by staff and children. This gives the children a sense of family and accomplishment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Feedback from children is mixed. Several children recognise their progress since moving to the home, although one child said that they are not happy living at the home.

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

Children are not safeguarded effectively. Serious shortfalls leave children at risk of harm. There has been an excessive number of physical interventions at the home since the last inspection and these include some that are unnecessary and unsafe.

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

A child who made a serious allegation about the staff has not been protected properly. This disclosure was made by the child at a club outside the home and reported back to the home by the club leader when staff collected the child. During the evening and the next three days, this disclosure was passed to five members of staff. However, no action Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 7 was taken to safeguard the child during this time. A referral was made to the designated officer, but no notification was made to Ofsted. The registered manager informed the principal three days after the disclosure was made. The principal asked staff to contact the social worker, who visited the child. The principal also asked the registered manager to contact Ofsted, which he did not do. Collectively, staff have failed to recognise an allegation of harm and have therefore failed to protect a child.

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

There are several areas of the grounds that are not being regularly checked, leaving emerging hazards unreported. These dangers pose a risk to young, active children. Environmental risks are identified in the ground‟s risk assessment, but these are not monitored or reviewed properly. Crucially, where risks are identified, the actions detailed to reduce these risks are not carried out. There are many risks within the environment that have not been addressed. For example, there is:

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

 a broken pool table stored outside;  broken pallets lying in the garden;  two heavy gates propped up against the stable walls;  rubbish stored at the front of the house;  a submerged water butt half filled with water;  loose tiles on the boathouse roof;  access to broken sheds; and  the driveway wall and ornamental items are deteriorated and crumbling.

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

There has been a significant number of physical interventions at the home since the last inspection. While these are gradually reducing, there are concerns around staff practice. Some of the recording is ambiguous and does not give a true reflection of the events. The justification for using certain holds is not explained in relation to children‟s risk assessment management plans. This omission of information leads to an inaccurate and sometimes misleading record of the restraint used. Risk assessment management plans fail to give staff clear guidance. This can lead to inconsistent practice and staff not acting in accordance with the child‟s plan. The physical interventions that staff use include front ground holds. These holds bring with them an enhanced risk and place children in vulnerable situations. Concerns about the frequent use of holding children have been expressed by an external professional. There are some staff who use de-escalation to

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

good effect and some restraints are recorded well. The regular practice of using holds is not effective in reducing incidents and has become normal for some children. This practice does not provide a realistic environment where children learn to regulate their feelings and to manage their emotions.

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

There are instances of bullying in the home. These are recorded in various records and in the external visitor‟s report. There is a specific record log for a child who displays bullying behaviours. However, there are no follow-up actions to resolve these. Children spoken to talked about bullying and identified a child who targets other children. While staff record these incidents, there is no evidence to show how these will be addressed or reduced. This leaves children exposed to bullying.

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

Three recruitment files show that while written references are obtained, verified and Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 8 signed off, they are done so without any curiosity or discussion. One candidate has supplied a character reference that is not appropriate. These checks have been accepted without question. This fails to reflect the home‟s safe recruitment policy, fails to provide thorough checks for new staff and does not lessen the potential for inappropriate people to work in the home.

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

The home has an established registered manager who is experienced in residential childcare and has recently completed his level 5 diploma. There is an interim principal who oversees the second home owned by the organisation. The manager and the principal are aware of some of the shortfalls. When they have recognised shortfalls, they have started to take action. For example, the manager was in the process of reviewing concerns about the physical interventions although this was not in a timely manner. This process is in the early stages and has yet to make a positive difference to the care provided.

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

The systems for monitoring and review of the quality of care at the home are not working well. The staff have failed to recognise that the environment requires attention and that there are hazards in the grounds. The manager is significantly behind with his monitoring of incidents and therefore follow-up and debriefs are not addressed within reasonable timescales. This delay has left the poor management of incidents unaddressed.

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

Monthly external monitoring visits are conducted, and the reports are submitted to Ofsted. These visits are extremely short and reports can be contradictory. For example, describing bullying incidents and then stating that there is no bullying. The visitor‟s opinion about how well children are safeguarded and if the home promotes children‟s well-being is unclear. This compromises the protection that this process is designed to afford.

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

The manager has updated the statement of purpose but has not submitted this to Ofsted for some time. This does not provide Ofsted with a current view of the home‟s operational arrangements and the staff who currently work there and their experience.

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

Since the last inspection in May 2017, a high number of staff have left. While new staff have been appointed, these changes have led to a staff team whose members overall are not all confident or skilled in their interactions. This has resulted in some approaches to behaviour management that are inconsistent and do not help children to feel stable and secure.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 9 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: SC452461 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: SES Turnstone Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Vicarage, School Lane, Heckingham, Norwich NR14 6QP

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Inspectors

Deirdra Keating: social care inspector Ricky D‟Arcy: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC452461 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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