Children's home run by 4 Pure Heart Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 1 Registered provider: 4pureheart 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 operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children irrespective of gender. The home specialises in caring for children who have been, or who are, experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

An experienced registered manager is in post.

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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: 17 October 2018

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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: Ofsted issued the provider with two compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. The compliance notices were issued in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. An unannounced visit to the home on 23 November 2018 judged that the provider had taken the necessary action to comply with the notices. Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2018 Full Inadequate 16/08/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 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—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d)) 20/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(b)(iii)) 20/02/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children can see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon during consultation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand the circumstances where a child can be prevented from leaving a home, for example a child who is putting themselves at risk of injury by leaving the home. Any such measure of restraint must be proportionate Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 4 and in place for no longer than is necessary to manage the immediate risk. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.52)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff take account of information gained from missing from care independent return interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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improvement to be good

The quality of care and support provided by staff is steadily influencing the progress and experience of children. Better routines provide children with more structure to their daily lives. They are participating in numerous activities and hobbies, such as ice skating, roller skating, swimming, attending community groups and taking regular trips to the cinema and restaurants.

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improvement to be good

Two children continue to attend school and make progress. For example, a child has made good improvements in the subject of English. Moreover, one child who has previously struggled with education has recently started to attend an alternative provision for education and training. These are all positive steps forward with children.

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improvement to be good

Consultation is undertaken with children to encourage their views and opinions. However, the results of their views being acted on by staff is not always fed back to the children to show them that their views count. For example, children have not yet had their bedrooms redecorated despite them raising this previously. Another child is disgruntled because she has not had a new pair of trainers.

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improvement to be good

Staff are developing relationships with children. Direct-work sessions, participation in activities together, and a child choosing to spend more time in the home are all good examples of this.

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improvement to be good

Staff have electronic documents to guide them in preparing children for adulthood. However, minimal work has been completed with a child despite her moving to independent living in the very near future. This does not ensure that this child is equipped with the necessary skills and information for independent living.

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improvement to be good

Children are registered with appropriate healthcare services and attend all necessary appointments. They are encouraged to eat healthily and to exercise. The manager is proactive in gaining therapeutic input and support for children. She is currently advocating with professionals to secure a service for a child who is experiencing emotional difficulties. Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 5 Staff make sure that children see their family members regularly to maintain these relationships. Furthermore, staff ensured that each child spent valuable time with their family members on Christmas Day.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. They have received further safeguarding training, detailed risk assessments and missing from care protocols to help guide them in decision-making about the safety of children.

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improvement to be good

A reduction in missing from care episodes is evident with one child. More recently, another child has started to go missing from school and home. When these incidents occur, staff are following the local procedures. However, measures to prevent a child leaving the home, including physical restraint, have not been considered in managing any immediate risk.

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improvement to be good

Independent return home interviews are being undertaken by the local authority. Valuable information provided by such interviews is not sought by the staff to inform and improve future planning.

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improvement to be good

Staff are all trained in Team-Teach, which is the model that they are expected to use to manage challenging behaviour. Electronic records are much improved and provide sufficient information for the review of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the physical intervention.

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improvement to be good

The home is generally well kept and furnished. Children have their own bedrooms and the staff encourage them to keep their rooms clean. However, one bedroom is very untidy and hazardous. This does not encourage children to have pride in themselves or their own personal space. This was addressed by staff during the inspection.

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

This home is managed by an experienced and qualified registered manager. She is supported by a deputy manager. Together, with the staff, they are working hard to improve the running of the home.

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

Management monitoring is much better overall, and the manager’s evaluation is now contained within the electronic recording system. The independent visitor attends monthly and raises actions for improvement. A development plan is in place to improve the standard of care. The requirements from the last inspection have been addressed.

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

There are sufficient numbers of staff working in the home and the rosters reflect this. Staff are suitably qualified or working towards a recognised qualification. They also have regular training, supervisions and team meetings to keep them up to date on emerging information. The staff team has remained stable. Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 6 Communication between staff is generally improving. The handover system in place supports this. However, on one occasion pertinent information about a child contacting the police was not passed on to the registered manager. This was addressed by the registered manager during the inspection.

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

All professionals contacted spoke positively about the staff. A professional commented, ‘I have seen a significant improvement in communication and the management of risk.’

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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: 1265092 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atlantic Business Centre, Cheshire, Altrincham WA14 5NQ

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Inspectors

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Jenny Brady, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1265092 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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