Children's home run by Castle Homes Limited in North Northamptonshire

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC419330 1 SC419330 Registered provider: Castle Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate a maximum of three children who have complex difficulties. It is owned by a large private organisation. There has been no registered manager since 4 April 2018. The manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be 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

Poor initial planning on moving a child into the home and subsequent failures in care planning have resulted in the child having a negative experience of moving out of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Information about the child at the point of referral was not sufficiently considered by the manager when making decisions about whether to offer the child a placement. The child was considered to be at high risk of child exploitation and gang affiliation; however, the staff were not trained to manage these risks. Associated difficulties were not fully understood. The manager and staff failed to address and prevent an escalation of behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Impact risk assessments had insufficient guidance for staff to devise strategies for Interim inspection report children’s home: SC419330 2 known behaviours, escalating risks and responses to these. This was a missed opportunity to develop strategies to manage complex behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A placement plan did not fully address a deprivation of liberty court order with clear guidance for staff about how this was to be implemented. There was a lack of clarification for staff about how to implement the order.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite one child’s sexually inappropriate comments and behaviour escalating, care plans and risk assessments were not updated. Consequently, limited guidance was available to staff to manage the behaviour. The risk to staff was not fully addressed. A lone-working risk assessment was written in relation to the manager only. However, the manager and responsible individual recognised that the risk of lone working was high for all staff. This put the staff at risk if they did work alone.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A member of staff was employed to work during the night to protect the other child living at the home should an incident occur. Two risk assessments completed in regards to the use of waking night staff were confusing and contradictory. They did not identify the presenting risk or give adequate guidance to staff to militate against this risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There was only one team meeting in the seven weeks that a child lived in the home, despite the manager and staff struggling to manage the child’s behaviour. This is a missed opportunity to share information as a team, identify any gaps in staff’s confidence or experience and provide guidance to enable a consistent approach.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Therapeutic support for one child was identified as essential; however, this was not provided. The manager did not escalate concerns to the placing authority about the delay in completing a referral to therapeutic services. Staff did not have support from external health professionals to advise them on the management of an embedded complex behaviour. Weak care planning resulted in no clear guidance for staff. The managers relied on the child not presenting with this behaviour. The manager did not have a plan to support his emotional needs and guide the staff should the behaviours resurface.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager identified the need for trauma therapy for another child. For this child, an assessment had taken place and therapy was due to start to support the child and staff. However, a timelier response to severe challenging behaviour was not sought at a time of crisis.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager failed to identify specialist training or support for staff to guide staff in how to respond when a child’s behaviour escalated to physical, sexual and verbal assaults. The situation reached crisis point, leading to the decision of leaders and managers to serve immediate notice to end the child’s placement. The child was not consulted or helped to prepare for the move. For this child, the experience of living in this home has been negative and rejecting. She experienced a sudden move with no notice, adding to her feeling of insecurity and lack of permanence.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the shortfalls, one child has made some good progress and is having a positive Interim inspection report children’s home: SC419330 3 experience of living here. This child attends school regularly and is making academic and social progress. The child is encouraged to follow interests and participate in a range of activities, including clubs. This is something that the child previously struggled to manage.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring by leaders and managers is poor; it has failed to identify these shortfalls. Systems for monitoring the quality of care provided to children have failed to identify serious shortfalls in the standard of care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not addressed all the requirements and the recommendations set out in the last inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/12/2017 Full Inadequate 13/09/2016 Full Good 28/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 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 (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children can re-access therapy as required. 21/01/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC419330 4 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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. *(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 21/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) [*(2)(c)] (h)) 21/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that arrangements are in place to— manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)) 21/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC419330 5

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC419330 6 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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