Children's home run by Royal Mencap Society

Inspection report children‟s home: SC020682 1 SC020682 Registered provider: Royal Mencap Society Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides short breaks care for up to seven children who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities and/or complex needs. The service is provided by a national charity that has a contract with the local authority. No children were present during this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2018

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted issued one compliance notice, regarding the lack of supervision of staff, following the 12 September 2018 full inspection. At a monitoring inspection on 5 November 2018, this was found to be met. However, two further compliance notices were then issued regarding unsafe medication arrangements and poor safeguarding practice.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection the home was „not judged‟. This inspection took place to review progress made in addressing the two compliance notices and the regulatory shortfalls identified at the last inspection. The home has not cared for children since 12 December 2018. It does not intend to take placements and plans to remain closed for some time. The organisation reviewed the Inspection report children‟s home: SC020682 2 quality of care and „suspended‟ the service to children voluntarily because it did not consider it was able to meet children‟s needs. The registered manager has been absent since 17 September 2018. A temporary manager has been appointed and begins work on 7 January 2019. The current interim management team is new to the service and has been in place since December 2018. The registered provider has not taken sufficient steps to meet the two compliance

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

notices. Safeguarding policy, procedure, practice and risk management have not improved. Not all children have had an individualised risk assessment form that clearly explains how staff should manage the identified risks. Each child‟s risk assessment had not been reviewed to reflect current risks. A member of staff subject to an allegation since the last inspection acknowledged that they had not read the child‟s risk management plans. Current managers do not know the 57 children who use the service and have not felt able to complete this step meaningfully. There is not a clear safeguarding policy in place for staff to follow. The current procedure gives incorrect advice about referral that is not in step with the local children‟s safeguarding procedures. One of the three allegations made by children since the last inspection was not referred appropriately. Misleading or poor-quality documents mean that staff still have confusing guidance about children‟s needs. This compliance notice is not

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

met. Arrangements for the management of medication have not improved. On two occasions, children have had unsupervised access to significant medication, which is a repeated and avoidable error. This compliance notice is not met. The recording of physical intervention still does not show that children and staff can discuss their restraint. Records are not clear about the type of holds used. There is no managerial overview of the quality or safety of each intervention. Staff have used locked doors on a few occasions to separate children from others while they manage children‟s harmful behaviour. Action to obtain parental and social worker consent for monitoring and surveillance devices is not complete. It ceased when children stopped their short breaks. Some records are improved. The visitors‟ book is now an accurate record. The rota now shows full names of staff and their working times, but not for managers.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have had recent training to ensure that they are better prepared to implement any updated, improved risk assessments. Staff have also been trained in safeguarding. Recent medication training has improved staff knowledge, and new audit and procedures are in place. This training and staff‟s skills are untested. No child has had medication wrongly administered. Staff, Ofsted and service users now have better information about the significant changes at the service in an up-to-date statement of purpose. Managers acknowledged that the number of children and their conflicting needs were not previously well managed. At times, there were not enough staff, or staff were unable to prevent children from harming each other or staff. Managers have begun to look at Inspection report children‟s home: SC020682 3 how they might match children‟s needs more carefully. Staff report improvements, but still have concerns about staffing ratios and their ability to „know‟ the needs and risks for

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

the large number of children who use the service. Ofsted has agreed an additional condition of registration. Once in place, this will exempt the home from inspection. This condition asks that the home gives three months‟ notice from the point of admission of any child.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2018 Full Inadequate 31/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 22/08/2016 Full Good

p.3

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.

p.3

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; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 30/04/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home. 30/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC020682 4 (Regulation 23.1) The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the child‟s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(b)) 30/04/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that, within 24 hours of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the date, time and location of the use of the measure, and 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)(a)(iii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) 30/04/2019

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

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: SC020682 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Royal Mencap Society

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Royal Mencap Society, Concordia House, 123 Golden Lane, London EC1Y 0RT

p.5

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Janine Tregelles

p.5

Inspector

Christy Wannop, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC020682 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.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6