Children's Home run by Dorset Council in Dorset

Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 1 SC032163 Registered provider: Dorset County Council

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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 run by a local authority. The home is registered to accommodate up to nine children who have complex learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides long-term placements for children in accommodation that comprises four distinct living areas located in the main building. The occupancy levels of each living area are determined by the needs and the mix of the children.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2007.

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2017 06/03/2017 Full Interim Good Sustained effectiveness 22/11/2016 Full Outstanding 10/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person should enable, inspire and lead 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:

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, scrutinise and evaluate records relating to body maps, restraint records and behavioural incidents effectively. 29/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that each child living at the home engages in a fire evacuation. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)(2)(b)) In addition, ensure that visual fire alarms are fitted for children 29/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 4 who are deaf.

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes ─

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

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’) ─

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)) 29/03/2019

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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)  The registered manager must ensure that staff refresh mandatory training courses within the correct time scales. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  Ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs and experiences of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.02)

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Inspection judgements

Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 5

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improvement to be good

This home requires improvement because leaders and managers do not keep detailed records of the use of restraint or of the times when children have unexplained injuries and bruises. While leaders and managers were able to tell the inspector what action the staff take to respond to unexplained injuries, the lack of detailed recording reduces the ability of leaders and managers and that of the regulator to assess the quality and appropriateness of this action. Leaders and managers stated that they work in partnership with safeguarding agencies and families in relation to unexplained injuries.

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improvement to be good

Staff seek children’s views well by using a range of communication aids to enable children to make choices in the activities they would like to do and the food and drinks they would like. Children’s independence skills are promoted well because they are provided with the appropriate equipment to assist with their eating and drinking and because of the support by staff to help them to make progress.

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improvement to be good

Children are happy at this home. Children particularly enjoy activities that are of a special interest to them. These include sensory play, walking and swimming. Children continue to receive good-quality direct care from staff who have the skills to develop positive and trusted relationships with them. The inspector observed care staff responding to the children confidently, providing reassurance and nurturing care and support. These approaches help to reduce children’s anxieties and worries.

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improvement to be good

Parents, social workers and independent reviewing officers were unanimously complimentary about the quality of care and services provided by the registered manager and staff. A parent told the inspector, ‘My child is happy. The staff are amazing; they know my child well. I have confidence that he is safe and well cared for.’ An independent reviewing officer agreed and said, ‘I have nothing but praise and admiration for the staff. They know the children well and their natural response to children’s changing mood is remarkable. They work inclusively and always look at ways to help children progress.’

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improvement to be good

Overall, children’s behaviour is managed well. The use of physical intervention is reducing in frequency, as is the length of time when a child is held. Most interventions used have been to guide children and redirect them away from harm. However, records relating to these interventions are not well maintained. Some lack clear and concise information and other records are illegible. In addition, records do not demonstrate that discussions have taken place with children or staff following the use of an intervention. This does not provide children with an opportunity to share how they felt or provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on what happened and learn from their practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 6 Leaders and managers ensure that there is regular testing of the home’s fire protection systems. All children are provided with one-to-one care and support and have a personal

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improvement to be good

evacuation escape plan. However, records show that children do not take part in fire evacuation drills. This means that staff do not know precisely how each child may respond in the event of a fire. In addition, leaders and managers have not ensured that a visual fire alarm system is fitted for one child who is profoundly deaf.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have introduced improved systems to manage medication. Staff are familiar with a new medication policy. Medication audits are effective and undertaken frequently. Medication errors have reduced significantly. The small number of errors that have been identified have been rectified swiftly. Since the last inspection, two children have been supported by staff to administer their own medication. The inspector observed one child being able to name each medication and explain what the medication was for. This good work is helping the child to develop the skills for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that they communicate safeguarding matters to safeguarding agencies and other professionals effectively. There have been two referrals made appropriately to the designated officer since the previous inspection. Records of concerns shared with the designated officer are well maintained and confirm that appropriate action has been taken.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been no sanctions imposed, no missing from home incidents and no complaints.

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improvement to be good

Children are safeguarded by an effective recruitment and selection process. Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have successfully recruited and inducted 12 new members of staff.

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

Monitoring by the registered manager and the independent visitor requires improvement to be good. They have not identified or rectified weaknesses in records completed by staff. Several important records contain omissions, and they do not consistently confirm that parents or social workers have been informed about unexplained injuries. In addition, the registered manager has failed to monitor the central record of physical interventions for effectiveness and factual accuracy. To date, these shortfalls have not had a negative impact on the safety and well-being of children, but they do have the potential to do so. The care staff spoken to said that the support they receive and the training opportunities they are provided with are good. Despite this feedback, a small number of staff have not completed refresher mandatory training courses. In addition, not all staff are provided with specialist training in supporting children who have autism spectrum disorders. As a result,

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

staff are not provided with sufficient information that enables them to have a good understanding of the children’s diagnosed needs.

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

Leaders and managers have introduced forums for staff to meet as individual teams as well Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 7 as a larger staff group. Records of these meetings detail discussions about the children and their current needs and behaviours. Staff now receive regular formal supervision. However, supervision records do not show that there is a focus in these meetings specifically on the member of staff’s role and responsibilities. Neither do they confirm that staff reflect on their practice.

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

Leaders and managers have produced a development plan and are aware of some of the shortfalls that have been identified at this inspection. The registered manager took immediate action and compiled a detailed plan describing the actions he proposes to take in response.

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

The one requirement and the three recommendations made at the last inspection have not been met. In addition, two new requirements have been raised.

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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: SC032163 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XJ

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032163 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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