Children's home run by Crossways Care Ltd in Tewkesbury

Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 1 SC068145 Registered provider: Crossways Care 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 privately run by a care company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2013.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 21 to 22 November 2018

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/07/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 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

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to regularly consult with children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(a)(iv)) 15/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)) In particular, ensure that risk assessments are reviewed in order to provide new and temporary staff with clear, concise and current information about how to manage and mitigate risks and meet the children’s current needs. 15/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

36: Children’s case records The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child which includes the information and documents listed in Scheduled 3 in relation to each child. This specifically relates to records relating to missing from home incidents. The registered person must ensure that all case records are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a,b)) In addition, the registered person must ensure that all records are accurate, detailed and factual. 15/01/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 4 33: Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 15/01/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s home’s regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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improvement to be good

Children’s views and wishes are considered by staff every day. A wide range of consultation systems are in place, some of which are used well and contribute to the development of the home. However, records of these consultations do now show what actions have been taken in response to children’s feedback or detail the support and guidance provided by staff following these meetings. In addition, these discussions do not always focus on safety or emerging behavioural concerns. In recent months, missing from home incidents have increased for one child. On a few occasions, the child has stayed out overnight and has been observed drinking alcohol with his peers and, on two occasions, has been involved in anti-social behaviour. In response, the manager has liaised with specialist services who have agreed to support the child and staff. Children have made steady progress with developing their emotional resilience and social

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improvement to be good

skills. This is because children are looked after by a manager and team of staff who provide continuity of care and have good parenting skills. Their child-centred delivery of care ensures that children are provided with opportunities to maintain and develop their Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 5 personal interests and skills. The children say that they have fun and feel safe. The manager and the core team of staff know the children well, and they use this knowledge and experience to meet the children’s daily needs. Feedback about the quality of care is positive. Professionals say that the registered manager and team are strong advocates and that they are very good at communicating and sharing information. Children have completed a survey about staff and the quality of care that they receive in the home. One child said, ‘The manager is cool, kind and a loving person who I see alongside all my staff as a family figure.’ Another child said, ‘I like all the staff a lot, the

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improvement to be good

manager is a great man. I really look up to him as a role model.’ Staff encourage children to have healthy lifestyles. Children attend all health appointments and they are provided with nutritious meals. Children’s personal talents, interests and hobbies are promoted. Children enjoy a wide range of leisure experiences such as army cadets, fishing, outdoor activities and swimming.

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improvement to be good

Children are, in the main, helped and protected effectively. Weaknesses identified at this inspection relate to one child whose missing from home incidents have increased in recent months, and the manager’s oversight and monitoring of these incidents. Since the last inspection, missing from home incidents have increased for one child. Records relating to these incidents are not well maintained. Staff have not recorded what actions they have taken to safeguard the child, for example the times when they have completed telephone welfare checks or when they have undertaken searches in the local area. In addition, the child has not been provided with an independent return home interview. Although requested after each missing from home incident, the manager has not considered escalating his concerns about this lack of provision to senior leaders in the local authority. Missing from home protocols and risk assessments do not comprehensively provide staff

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improvement to be good

with detailed guidance and clear instructions. Risk ratings are not up to date and actions staff should take when children go missing are not clearly laid out. The registered manager took immediate action to update the children’s risk assessments and amend the missing from home protocols during the inspection. The care team successfully helps children to develop positive relationships with family members, significant others and friends. Children said that since living at the home they have been able to see their family more often. This has helped them to maintain important relationships. Restraint is only used as a last resort. Since the last inspection, there has been one recorded use of physical intervention. This was for a short duration and was appropriate to keep the child safe. The manager’s oversight of this incident was good. Sanctions imposed for unwanted behaviour are restorative, proportionate and fair. There have not

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improvement to be good

been any complaints raised from children since the last inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 6 Fire safety is managed well. All staff have received training in the actions to take in the event of a fire. All children and staff who have worked at the home have engaged in a fire evacuation drill.

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

Since the last inspection, the ownership of the home has changed. Since the new owners took responsibility for the home, a new recording and reporting system has been introduced, but is not yet being used effectively. Staff are not recording critical information that demonstrates actions that they have taken to safeguard the children. Monitoring of the quality of care and quality of written information requires improvement. Neither the registered manager nor the independent visitor have identified omissions in the records completed by staff or ensured that the views of children are sought effectively. Staff spoken to as part of the inspection spoke highly of the registered manager. They said he leads by example and is exceptionally supportive. Staff said that they receive regular formal and informal supervisions and team meetings take place regularly. However, records do not confirm that all staff have received formal supervision, or that

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

their performance is appraised in line with the home’s policy. As a result, opportunities for staff to reflect on events that have occurred or to share good practice that develops staff’s skills are missed. The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the children. Staff receive mandatory and awareness training in specialist areas. To improve the staff’s ability to understand and respond to children’s current needs, the manager is considering training that includes understanding and managing separation, loss and bereavement.

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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: SC068145 7 Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC068145 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 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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