Children's Home run by Staffordshire County Council in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 1 SC028905

p.1

Staffordshire County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority-owned children’s home. It is registered to care for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural needs. The home provides care for up to five young people aged between 12 and 17 years on a short- term basis. Young people can come to live at the home in an emergency. Young people normally stay no longer than four weeks, during which time staff support them to return home or to move on to appropriate long-term placements.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2008.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged as declined effectiveness at an interim inspection in 16 November 2018. Following the interim inspection, two compliance notices were issued. In addition, a notice of restriction was issued on 20 November 2018, to prevent any further young people from being admitted to the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Since the interim inspection, one young person has moved from the home. At the time that this inspection was conducted, one young person was living at the home. This monitoring inspection found that the provider has complied with the restriction notice, as no further young people have been admitted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this inspection was to review the action taken to meet the two compliance notices. Requirements raised at the inspection of 16 November 2018 are still within the timescale for completion. Consequently, this visit has considered the level of progress being made by managers in meeting these requirements.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At this monitoring inspection, the inspector found that progress in meeting the compliances notices is slow and not all the required steps have been taken to meet Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 2 the actions outlined in the compliance notices. Consequently, the compliance notices remain unmet. Furthermore, as a result of this inspection two new requirements were raised.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This inspection found that managers had acted to improve the quality of missing from home protocols, and staff are now more consistent and robust in their response to young people who go missing from the home. However, managers have failed to take enough action to improve the quality of young people’s risk assessments and young people’s behaviour management plans. For example, the young person’s risk management plans do not address concerns that the young person is at risk of harm from criminal exploitation and involvement in gangs.

p.2

This monitoring visit

For the risks that are set out in the young person’s behaviour management plan, it is unclear why or how a behaviour is assessed at the identified risk level. Furthermore, the behaviour management plan does not contain information about the preventative steps that staff should take to reduce the risk. This leaves the registered person and staff without sufficient understanding of the severity of the risks and guidance about what action to take to keep the young person safe.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the responsible individual has acted to ensure that relevant managers within the organisation are clear about the registered manager’s authority in decision-making about the suitability of young people to live at the home. However, the registered manager confirmed to the inspector that there has been little progress in reviewing and improving the way in which in-house decisions are made about the suitability of young people to be admitted to the home. The manager has plans to make improvements to impact assessments and undertake staff training but has not yet carried out the work to implement these plans.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Care planning remains weak. The young person is known to have been involved in criminal activity, and there are continued concerns that he is involved in criminal exploitation and gangs. He leaves the home for long periods during the day and returns to the home prior to his curfew time. Staff search the areas he is known to frequent. However, little is understood about the severity of the risks posed to the young person while he is away from the home and about what action is needed to keep him safe. One case record suggests that the young person may be involved in trying to usurp another gang to take control of a particular area. This has the potential to place him at increased risk of harm. It is not sufficiently clear that managers and staff understand this.

p.2

This monitoring visit

It is unclear how the home, the placing authority and other partner agencies are working together to protect the young person from potential risk of harm. Furthermore, the responsible individual and registered manager are concerned about the effectiveness of the support from the social worker. However, there is little evidence that these concerns have been formally raised in the local authority.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The young person does not have an education placement and rarely engages with Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 3 the in-house tutor. The lack of a clear in-house education or training plan means that little progress has been made to engage the young person in structured activity during the day. Staff appear to be resigned to not being able to engage the young person effectively in education or in structured direct work to raise his awareness of the potential risks to his safety. This does not help to interrupt the young person’s pattern of risky behaviour. Furthermore, the lack of education has the potential to have a negative impact on the young person’s future life chances.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The young person is in regular contact with family members who are known to pose a potential risk to his safety and welfare. Since the last inspection, no action has been taken to review the contact plan and risk management strategy to try to reduce and manage these potential risks.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the manager has liaised with relevant health professionals to arrange for staff to receive training at the beginning of the new year on the emotional health of young people. The manager has also completed a review of the quality of care report, which she has sent to Ofsted.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The restriction of accommodation notice remains in place, and two compliance notices have been issued.

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/07/2018 Full Good 18/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 04/02/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

p.4

Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)(vi)(ix)) 31/12/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 31/12/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 5 that staff—

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.5

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vii)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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))* 04/02/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard requires the registered person to 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(2)(f)) 04/02/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a))* 04/02/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Staffordshire County Council

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Staffordshire County Council, Wedgwood Buildings, Tipping Street, Stafford, Staffordshire ST16 2DH

p.6

Inspector

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC028905 7 to 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7