Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Staffordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 1 SC404983 Registered provider: Roundhouse Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately-owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2017 Full Good 20/12/2016 Full Good 22/07/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 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 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)) 03/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 03/02/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The home’s record of the event must include a description of the action taken. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraphs 14.13-14.14). Specifically, the registered manager should record his own internal enquiries into safeguarding allegations.  Some records may be kept electronically (regulation 38) provided that this information can be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. Electronic records should be held at the individual home in accordance with data protection principles. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2) Specifically, relevant information about agency staff should be available in the individual home.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that a child’s plans should form the basis of their care, and providers should use their judgement as to what is relevant in each case, taking the plans listed in the definition in the Regulations as a starting point rather than a complete list or a tick-box Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 4 exercise. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 11.1) Specifically, up-to-date care plans and personal education plans should be on children’s files or, if held electronically, easily accessible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop trusting and nurturing relationships by spending time with the young people and supporting them. Staff take young people on holiday and encourage them to take part in activities that develop their skills. For example, one young person has been encouraged to attend a games club, which has increased his self-confidence in meeting new people in social situations. Another young person has organised events for a national charity. This has increased the young person’s self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to achieve their academic potential. They work closely with schools and colleges and with the virtual school headteacher to support young people to attend education or training. This support has helped one young person to achieve 100% school attendance. This has resulted in the young person exceeding their academic targets. Staff have supported another young person who is not in education or training to explore other avenues, such as voluntary work. This has helped the young person to gain valuable transferable skills. This excellent support enhances young people’s achievements and life chances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to express their views and explore their behaviours by having regular planned meetings and day-to-day discussions. Staff make sure that they consider young people’s specific needs when communicating with them. Staff support young people to contribute to their care plans. Young people know how to complain, and staff encourage young people to talk to their advocate. These opportunities enable young people to express their views and preferences and to contribute to decisions about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff manage young people’s moves in and out of the home well. Staff understand the importance of family and encourage young people who are new to the home to display family photographs. Preparation for young people to become independent is guided by plans that staff and young people monitor and discuss together. Staff revise these plans when young people are struggling with added responsibility. However, the manager does not always ensure that the most up-to-date plan is in the young person’s file so that all staff are following the same guidance.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand the importance of safeguarding and the need for vigilance so that young people stay safe. When young people are at risk, staff take immediate action. This can include informing agencies such as the police and the designated officer. Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 5 Staff use key-working sessions to talk to young people about how to reduce and manage risk. Staff support young people to take age-appropriate risks by using informed risk assessments. However, staff do not always assess some areas of risk and are not specific about what action needs to be taken to keep young people safe and protected from harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff support young people to manage their behaviour. They respond to young people with clear boundaries about what is safe and acceptable. Sanctions are used sparingly, and staff help young people to reflect and not to repeat negative behaviours. The use of de-escalation techniques means that staff rarely need to use physical intervention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has developed a culture emphasising high expectations for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong advocate for young people and ensures that they receive the services and support they need. Young people say that they feel the care they receive is ‘excellent’. As a result of this support, young people develop self-esteem and make good progress in all aspects of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training that enables them to meet young people’s needs on an ongoing basis. Young people are involved in recruiting new staff and their views are valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager does not always ensure that staff details in the home’s statement of purpose are kept up to date and that details of agency staff qualifications are readily available at the home. This can mislead stakeholders who read the home’s statement of purpose for information about qualifications of the staff working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that the staff receive regular supervision. Supervision sessions are well recorded and evidence that the registered manager talks with staff about their performance, listens to their views and supports them to care for the young people effectively. The staff have regular appraisals with the registered manager to discuss their development needs and ambitions. The registered manager has therefore developed a skilled and consistent staff team, whose members work together effectively to meet the young people’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals say that leaders and staff work positively with them. Leaders and staff are persistent in ensuring that young people get what they need to progress. One social worker for a young person told the inspector, ‘The manager and staff are fantastic, I can’t praise them enough.’ An education professional added, ‘Staff go over and above for (name of child).’ As a result, young people experience positive outcomes from their starting points. Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 6

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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: SC404983 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Roundhouse Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ventura House, Ventura Park Road, Tamworth Staffordshire B78 3HL

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC404983 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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