Tundra House

Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 1 SC043814 Registered provider: Educare Adolescent Services Limited

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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 owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The qualified manager has been registered for two and a half years. She is currently absent from the home. During her absence, the home is being managed by another experienced manager from within the company.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 28 to 29 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: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2018 Full Inadequate 11/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/08/2016 Full Good 27/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6(1)(a)) Specifically, seek to resolve the issues pertaining to a child’s education plan and ensure that staff work consistently with young people about keeping young people safe on line. 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

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 ensure that each child is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(b)(iii)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)) 31/01/2019

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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 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; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. 31/01/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 4 (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided

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Requirement Due date

in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(h)) 31/01/2019

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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)) 31/01/2019

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improvement to be good

Following the last full inspection, no new young people have come to live at the home. Some young people’s care plans progress well. For example, one young person is looking forward to moving to foster care and he is involved in the planning for this. However, another young person is not accessing education due to some uncertainties about her long-term plan. Although the interim manager has raised this with the placing authority, there is no resolution, and this has the potential to impact on the young person’s learning. Young people told the inspector that they can talk to staff if they have any worries and that staff listen and help them. Young people develop positive relationships with staff and they enjoy participating in fun activities. Staff help young people to see their family and friends. They liaise well with young people’s placing authorities to review contact arrangements. This means that young

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improvement to be good

people maintain safe and positive links to people who are important to them. Young people attend routine appointments with support from staff. However, staff do not consistently promote all the health needs of young people. For example, staff do not support young people to understand the impact and dangers of smoking and to access smoking cessation services. Young people are aware of their right to advocacy, although this is not always promoted in the home. This means that young people are unaware of when they can access independent support to help them raise issues about their care plan. The home has undergone a period of refurbishment. The interim manager acknowledges that the home would benefit from some more soft furnishings to give the environment a homelier feel. This work is ongoing. Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 5

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improvement to be good

Generally, young people’s risk assessments outline risks well and provide guidance to staff about how to reduce and manage these risks. However, on one occasion, staff did not fully assess the potential risks for a young person prior to him undertaking an activity. The young person subsequently gained access to a knife and this went undetected by staff. A lack of vigilance and awareness of risk on this occasion had the potential to place a young person and others at risk of harm. Although behaviour management plans are reviewed and updated, they are not always routinely followed by staff. As a result, staff do not always respond consistently to young people’s behaviour. This does not help young people to learn about what is acceptable and to modify their behaviour accordingly. Although staff talk to young people about the dangers posed by the internet and social media, they have not implemented clear boundaries around a young person’s mobile

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improvement to be good

phone use. This does not fully promote her safety. Furthermore, when concerns have arisen about the young person’s safety on line, staff have not always shared this information readily with relevant professionals. Young people participate in key-work sessions with staff about their behaviour. However, the key-work sessions lack the necessary focus and quality to enable young people to learn how to manage their behaviour and keep themselves safe. When young people go missing from home, staff follow procedures and make efforts to try to locate young people and return them safely to the home. Furthermore, managers and staff now ensure that when young people return, they have the opportunity to talk to an independent person about why they went missing and what happened when they were away from the home.

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

The registered manager continues to be absent from the home. The home is being run by an interim manager. The interim manager and staff team are working hard to improve standards for young people and are committed to making continued improvements. The interim manager is developing systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of care afforded to young people. However, these are in their infancy and management oversight is not yet consistently good. For example, although the interim manager seeks feedback from young people’s social workers, he does not seek the views of family members about the quality of care. When serious incidents have occurred, these have not always been reported to Ofsted in line with regulation. Not notifying Ofsted leaves the regulator without information necessary to monitor the effectiveness of the home. Staff report that they feel supported by the interim manager. Staff receive monthly

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

supervision in line with the home’s policies and procedures. This means that staff are Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 6 regularly receiving feedback on their practice.

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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: SC043814 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Educare Adolescent Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Venture House, 12 Prospect Business Park, Longford Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 0LG

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Inspector

Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC043814 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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