Children's Home run by Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report children‟s home: SC481439 1 SC481439 Registered provider: Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care for children and young people whose plan is for them to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting. The experienced and appropriately qualified manager has held registered manager status since May 2013. She has been managing this home since April 2017.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children‟s and young people‟s commitment and attendance in education is varied. As some children and young people disengage from learning, another young person has successfully gained her GCSEs, furthering her into higher education.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children‟s and young people‟s behaviours are causing risk to themselves and others. Illegal drug misuse is a significant concern and current risk assessments and strategies are not effective. The staff team continues to discuss the issue in collaboration with the police, yet, the young person‟s cannabis use continues. The issue of bullying has also been raised, and although this concern has been reviewed by the management, the agreed measures to protect the children and young people are not evident or effective. The challenging behaviours that the children and young people display are having a direct impact on the presentation of the home. There are large amounts of damage to Inspection report children‟s home: SC481439 2 areas of the home and although there are plans for this to be rectified, currently the home does not present as a welcoming environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

During this period, children have been accommodated outside of the home‟s statement of purpose. The senior management team has responded with measures to prevent poor admissions. Yet, despite this change of procedures, concerns regarding matching remain evident. There is no impact risk assessment to review how recent admission decisions were reached. The home‟s statement of purpose has been updated to reflect changes within the home, but this has not been sent to the regulator.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is currently on long-term unplanned leave. Subsequent appointed interim managers have also left this post. This has impacted on the stability and managerial oversight of the day-to-day running and needs of the home. There are gaps in records that have not had appropriate management oversight, including the physical intervention book. There is no evaluation of why the staff have held the children and young people or any reflection of the continual use of the supine hold. Also, when professional meetings are called to review the needs and strategies for the children and young people, the actions set for the manager and the staff team are not routinely implemented.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are working in partnership with specialist agencies to help the children and young people with specific needs. Child and adolescent mental health services are providing the staff with the tools to help a child to regulate his emotions. The staff are implementing these strategies and are relentlessly trying to maintain a positive environment for him, as this prevents him from returning to a place of crisis. One child has also been given a weighted blanket and a stress ball to support his emotional needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff have built some positive relationships with the children and young people and they provide the children and young people with the time and attention that they need. As one young person spends a lot of time out of the home, the staff ensure that when she returns they spend time with her, taking an interest in her day and ensuring that she is OK before she settles to bed. Children and young people are provided with a safe and well phone when they are out in the community. However, there is limited evidence of the staff routinely calling the children and young people to check on their whereabouts and safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are helping the children and young people to build positive relationships with family members and friends. This is enabling one young person to spend quality time with relatives during the festive period.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has produced an overview of the home through her Regulation 45 report. This report had very little evaluation and no consultation with the children or other significant people. The manager has developed aspects of the home and some of the previous inspection recommendations have been met. However, the timeliness and content of notifiable incidents being received by the regulator remain a concern. Inspection report children‟s home: SC481439 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/04/2018 Full Good 11/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2016 Full Good

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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— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. A notification made under this regulation— must include details of— the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 31/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC481439 4 registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; and manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (2)(a)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and 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)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; and that arrangements are in place to— ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. 31/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC481439 5 (Regulation 45 (2)(b)(4)(a))

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Recommendations

 Staff should be 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) This is with particular reference to the staff recording the contact made with the children and young people while they are out in the community.  For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children‟s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than „institutional‟ impression. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: SC481439 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Colonnades House, Duke Street, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1ER

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC481439 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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