Children's home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 1 SC477040 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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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 owned by a small private company in the south-west of England.  The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  One room in the home is in a self-contained annexe, suitable for young people working towards independence.  The manager was registered in July 2017. He is currently on sickness absence and an interim manager is in place.

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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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2017 Full Good 06/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 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 notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4) (e)) 31/12/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides high-quality, nurturing care and support for the young people. This has helped them to gain in confidence and, consequently, to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Communication between the staff and young people is exceptionally good. The staff take the time to have important daily conversations, which gives the young people plenty of opportunities to talk about any concerns they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are regularly consulted. Their views are taken into account in the running of the home. For example, the young people were recently asked to help choose a new car for the home, on the understanding that they must help to look after it and keep it in good condition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a large, well-furnished house in a large garden. The young people’s rooms are personalised to make them homely and attractive. There is a comfortable lounge and kitchen and a well-designed office. The home also benefits from a separate self- contained annexe. This can be used by visiting family members, or as accommodation for young people preparing for independence. This is a very useful resource for the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 4 Because of local constraints on school places, educational outcomes for young people have been mixed. The registered manager and staff have worked exceptionally hard to enrol one young person in school for his final term of compulsory school attendance. In spite of their best efforts, this was not successful, but the young person is now enrolled in a local college. He also attends alternative education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a range of exciting and healthy activities. One young person attends a kick-boxing club, goes trampolining and plays football. The interim manager has made exceptional efforts to encourage the young person to try more unusual activities, such as paddle-boarding and dry-slope skiing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff have also worked hard to ensure that there are satisfactory arrangements for young people to see their families. There is now an agreement for the young person to have regular time with his family. As a result, he no longer goes missing and travels long distances in order to see them. By supporting young people’s relationships with important family members, the staff have helped them to maintain their personal identity and improve their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive a healthy diet and take a great deal of exercise. The staff support them to attend medical and dental appointments and to seek specialist help when required. Some young people have regular therapy with the company’s qualified, experienced therapist. This helps them to reflect on any past trauma and current challenges.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are very well supported to work towards independence. They are helped to budget, shop and prepare food so that they acquire useful skills for adult life.

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improvement to be good

During a three-week period in September and October this year, the home cared for a second young person. This young person was carefully matched with the present resident, based on the information available to the responsible individual at the time. The home’s leaders and managers say that they had not been told about the young person’s full history. This lack of complete information led to inaccuracy in the home’s compatibility risk assessment. With hindsight, the two young people were not a good match.

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improvement to be good

Their behaviour deteriorated. During the three weeks of their residence together, the young people went missing, carried out a great deal of damage in the home and engaged in antisocial behaviour in the locality. This led to the home’s only two complaints since the last inspection. Incidents in the nearby town resulted in police involvement.

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improvement to be good

The provider took swift action to separate the two young people. The most recently admitted young person returned to his placing authority. The situation has now been Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 5 resolved. Since the second young person’s departure, the original resident has settled again. There have been no further disruptive incidents or damage over the past four weeks.

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improvement to be good

Since then, the provider has reflected on these events and has learned from them. She does not intend to accept any further placements of young people without asking specific questions about offending behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The home has been sending good-quality notifications to Ofsted, as required by regulation. However, there was one serious incident, involving a hospital admission, which was not notified. A requirement has been made.

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improvement to be good

All other aspects of child safeguarding are good. Young people generally feel safe and are safe within the home. They have also learned from recent events and have resolved to respond differently in future, if others try to lead them into inappropriate behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Restraints are rarely used. There have been no restraints for the past 18 months. This is because young people are clear about the standards of behaviour expected of them. With the exception of the unusual three-week period described above, they behave very well. Young people receive appropriate rewards and can work towards larger objectives, such as major trips to attractions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s qualified, experienced registered manager sustained an injury in September 2018. He has now been off sick for approximately seven weeks. This absence was notified to Ofsted appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual has nominated the deputy manager to lead the home until the registered manager returns. The deputy manager intends to submit an application to Ofsted. In the interim period, the home has been well led and managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager is very well supported by the responsible individual. Her particular strengths are direct work with the young people and ensuring that the home’s records are in good order.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

For example, the young people’s detailed care planning documents have been updated since the last inspection and identify their needs very well. Staff have all the necessary information to provide consistent, high-quality care. Placement plans, behaviour management plans and risk assessments provide an accurate and accessible account, which is helpful to the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is very well scrutinised through monthly independent visits. Leaders and managers are well aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality training and individual supervision. Regular team meetings help the staff to work together to put the young people at the centre of their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 6 Staff recruitment files were examined during the inspections of two of the four homes in the group. They are maintained to a very high standard. The recruitment files from this home were, therefore, not inspected on this occasion.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible person has ensured that the three requirements and three recommendations from the last inspection have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

 The young people’s risk assessments are now regularly reviewed and updated  Staff have all received training in understanding attachments and self-harm  The registered manager’s review of the quality of care contains detailed actions to guide improvement  All staff have received fire-drill training  The registered manager has added more detail to the locality risk assessment  The home’s record-keeping has much improved.

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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: SC477040 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

Heather Chaplin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC477040 8 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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