Children's Home run by Hopscotch Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children's home: SC432741 1 SC432741 Registered provider: Hopscotch Care 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people within the main site, and an additional young person at a separate annexe, who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/08/2017 Full Outstanding 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/12/2016 Full Good 29/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC432741 2

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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 children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‟s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— ascertain and consider each child‟s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child‟s best interests when making decisions about the child‟s care and welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child‟s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child; regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home‟s care; ensure that each child—

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives; has access to the home‟s children‟s guide, and the home‟s complaints procedure, when the child‟s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child‟s stay in the home; (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i)(ii)) 15/02/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 15/02/2019 Inspection report children's home: SC432741 3 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 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 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) The leadership and management standard

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 15/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and 15/02/2019 Inspection report children's home: SC432741 4 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‟s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. The registered person must ensure that— 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— the name of the child; details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 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 (1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(i-viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 15/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 15/02/2019 Inspection report children's home: SC432741 5 a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Specifically in relation to individual missing from home protocols, the registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission, and how staff should support the child on return to the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  Specifically in relation to collecting formal feedback, the registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home‟s staff; each child‟s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), teachers, clinicians and other health professionals, etc. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 54, paragraph 10.23)

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improvement to be good

A number of young people have recently left the home after living there for several years. These young people made outstanding progress during their stays and received good support to prepare for their moves towards independence. One young person achieved his long-term ambition of joining the army, while other young people were well settled in further education at the time of their transition. Outcomes for young people who have joined the home more recently have been variable. Two young people have been discharged from the home due to a lack of engagement in their placements and some high-risk behaviours. However, the two Inspection report children's home: SC432741 6 young people who currently live in the home have made some progress in terms of reducing high-risk behaviours, such as being missing from home. One young person has made positive progress in education and is currently awaiting confirmation of a full-time place in a local mainstream school. However, another young

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improvement to be good

person currently has no education or training in place. The registered manager is working closely with the young person‟s placing authority to ensure that suitable arrangements are made. In the meantime, this young person‟s days lack structure. It is recommended that a timetable to support his learning at home is implemented while he has no education provision. Young people receive effective healthcare support. Due to the diligence of staff, and their effective working with healthcare professionals, one young person has received a diagnosis of a long-term health condition, which was previously unidentified. In addition, significant reductions have been made to the young person‟s prescribed medication since he was admitted to the home. This has led to improvements in his health and general well-being. Staff ensure that young people are supported to maintain contact with people who are important to them. One young person has been assisted to re-establish contact with

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improvement to be good

some estranged family members. Recently, the provider arranged for the relatives, who live a considerable distance away, to stay in a local hotel. This provided the young person with the opportunity to spend several days out with his family. Supporting young people to maintain important relationships promotes their emotional well-being. Records of direct work with young people fail to reflect young people‟s views and opinions about their care. In addition, it was identified during this inspection that a young person recently raised a complaint which has not been addressed. These findings demonstrate that young people‟s views, wishes and feelings are not consistently taken into account. A requirement is raised in relation to this matter, to help ensure that young people are enabled to express their views and raise any concerns they may have about their care.

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improvement to be good

There is good evidence that the young people who currently live at the home are safer as a result of the care and support they receive. For example, both young people came to the home with histories of going missing but have not been missing from this home since their admission. Young people feel safe in their home. One young person commented, „I look around this place and there is nothing to harm me. Everything is safe.‟ Risks to the safety and well-being of young people are not always clearly assessed. In some cases, risks are identified and assessed but strategies to manage these risks are unclear. In other examples, agreed strategies to manage risks are not consistently followed by staff. Unclear guidance or inconsistent practice in risk management mean that young people may not be adequately safeguarded. It was identified during this inspection that the manager had failed to follow correct procedures on one recent occasion, when a young person raised a safeguarding

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improvement to be good

concern. Although the matter was addressed internally, the manager did not report the Inspection report children's home: SC432741 7 matter to all the relevant parties. Failure to follow safeguarding procedures means that young people may not be protected from harm. Individualised guidance about how to support young people‟s behaviours varies in quality. In some cases, there is a lack of clarity and strategies to de-escalate challenging situations are unclear. As a result, young people‟s behaviour support is not consistent. There have been a number of incidents which have resulted in staff requesting police assistance. Rationales for making such decisions are often unclear within reports of the incidents. Incidents of restraint are recorded. However, there are significant shortfalls in the quality of these records. Some lack sufficient detail and fail to provide a clear account of what has occurred. Debrief for both staff and young people is inconsistent, and in a number of

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improvement to be good

cases there is no evidence that it has taken place. The records that are available of staff and young people‟s debriefs do not demonstrate that there has been any meaningful reflection or learning. Recruitment procedures are in place and are generally followed. However, records of some recently recruited staff fail to demonstrate that appropriate pre-employment checks have taken place. For example, there were records of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates on file, but these did not include the date they were received or whether the DBS was carried out to an enhanced level. Robust recruitment is important to help protect young people from being in contact with adults of unsuitable character. Therefore, a requirement is raised in relation to this matter.

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

Since the last inspection of the home, the registered manager has left and a new manager has been appointed. The new manager is currently in the process of making an application to Ofsted for registration. The newly appointed manager demonstrates good insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She has recently completed a development plan, which identifies a number of areas for improvement. It is recommended that the development plan be reviewed in line with the requirements and recommendations made in this report. The home has experienced a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. However, the impact on young people has been minimised due to the commitment of the remaining staff to work additional shifts. A recruitment campaign has taken place and it is anticipated that the staff team will be soon back at full capacity. Staff spoken with talked of an unsettled period, which they felt was coming to an end.

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

Some shortfalls in relation to the internal monitoring of safety and quality were identified during this inspection. A lack of effective monitoring of areas such as behaviour management and risk assessment has led to shortfalls not being identified or addressed. This means that shortfalls are allowed to continue and improvement is not supported. It was identified during the inspection that a number of incidents have occurred within the home that should have been notified to Ofsted but have not been. This undermines the ability of the regulator to monitor and assess risks, and as such does not promote Inspection report children's home: SC432741 8 young people‟s safety and well-being.

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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: SC432741 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hopscotch Care Limited

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC432741 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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