Children's home run by Blackford Education (schools) Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1244384 1 Registered provider: Blackford Education (Schools) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home is situated in a very rural location. Children access the organisation’s school that is registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since September 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was aligned with the inspection of the provider’s school.

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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 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

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1244384 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1244384 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

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of a measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so, has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that restraint records clearly detail the discussions held with staff following the use of an intervention. 12/12/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5). In particular, ensure that all risk assessments are updated to reflect the child’s current known risks.  Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Arrangements to move children into and out of the home are effective. Since the previous inspection, one child has left the home and one child has moved in. The current child has moved from another children’s home in the organisation. This move was well planned and fully involved the child and his social worker. The child confirmed that he visited the home before he moved in and chose the wallpaper and paint for his bedroom. Inspection report children’s home: 1244384 4 He said that he likes his bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with good care and support. They place his needs at the centre of their practice, giving particular attention to supporting his emotional health and well- being. As a result, the child’s day-to-day experiences are good, and he is making positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed positive and trusting relationships with the child. He said that he is happy living in the home and gave it seven out of 10. He said that if he was worried or concerned he would speak to anyone. However, he can name staff he would speak to first.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support the child to be more independent and to develop his self- help skills. These include chores around the home and washing his own clothes. He can undertake many aspects of daily living and enjoys preparing and cooking his meals. The child is developing the skills for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is developing positive relationships with people who are important to him. The staff support these relationships well and help the child to visit his family. As a result of this, he is now spending more time with his family and staying with them regularly at weekends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making good progress at school. Care staff and school staff work well together to ensure that the education provision is arranged to meet the child’s learning needs. His attendance at school is 100%. This is a very positive outcome for him.

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

The arrangements to safeguard children are good and include an effective staff recruitment and selection process. Since the previous inspection, there have not been any referrals made to the designated officer or children’s services. The child is kept safe. He has not been missing and staff do not have any concerns in relation to his misusing substances. The child said that he feels safe. His mother and social worker echo this view.

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

Positive behaviour is encouraged, and sanctions are not used. A detailed behaviour support plan guides staff effectively in how to support the child to manage his emotions and feelings. As result, he is beginning to manage challenges better and behavioural incidents have significantly reduced.

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

Restraint is rarely used. If used, this is as a last resort to keep the child and others safe. However, restraint records do not demonstrate the discussions held with staff following the use of an intervention. This does not demonstrate that reflective practice has taken place following the use of an intervention or whether any lessons have been learned.

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

The child lives in an environment that is safe. In addition, he and the staff regularly practise fire evacuations. The previous requirement to improve fire safety in the home Inspection report children’s home: 1244384 5 has been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed. Overall, the registered manager has a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. He responds effectively to recommendations made by the independent visitor. However, his aims and aspirations for the service need to further embed into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most records are of good quality. Placement plans and support plans clearly guide staff about how to meet the child’s needs. These documents are regularly reviewed and updated. Most risk assessments clearly identify the risks and describe how these risks are to be managed and reduced. However, one risk assessment does not reflect the child’s current known risks. The registered manager said that the risks have reduced since the assessment was completed, and therefore the document requires updating.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported well, and they receive regular and reflective supervision. However, some supervision records are not as detailed as others and do not fully reflect the discussions held. Staff benefit from a wide range of training, including mandatory training and specific training that equips them to support the children well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A social worker and a parent spoke highly of the effective communication between them and the staff team. They said that that they have no concerns about the quality of care and support the child is receiving.

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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: 1244384 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blackford Education (Schools) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackford House, Blackford, Minehead TA24 8SY

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1244384 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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