Children's Home run by Fonjock's Social Work Practice Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report children's home: SC487702 1 SC487702 Registered provider: Fonjock’s Social Work Practice Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children who have difficulty with managing their emotions and behaviour.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in December 2017. Another manager was appointed but left before they were registered. Subsequently, another manager was appointed but left before registering with Ofsted. A new manager has been in post since 28 January 2019. They are not yet registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home has been without a registered manager for 57 weeks. Changes in leadership mean that inconsistency in staff practice is not addressed quickly enough. This has resulted in a lack of continuity in children’s care and an increase in allegations and incidents. One child moved on from the service because staff could no longer keep the child safe.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Permanent staff do their best to ensure that children receive good help and support. The Inspection report children's home: SC487702 2 permanent staff are good at encouraging the children to talk about their experiences and helping the children to learn about some of the skills necessary for becoming independent. The permanent staff do a good job of sharing information with other agencies after an incident has occurred. Placing local authority social workers are kept up to date with what happens at the home. However, consistent and effective managerial oversight is lacking.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home accepts emergency admissions. The children have complex social histories and directly challenge the staff. Sometimes, staff are unable to successfully de-escalate the children’s behaviour. As challenges have arisen, the provider has acted responsibly by ensuring that additional staff work on shift. This arrangement has some benefits some of the time because, for example, there are often enough adults to ensure that children receive individual attention. However, inconsistent arrangements for the vetting, induction and support of agency staff result in an escalation of incidents. This means that not every person working at the home has sufficient experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Written risk assessments draw attention to each child’s vulnerabilities and identify when known behaviour poses a risk. Risk assessments provide strategies to reduce the likelihood of children causing harm to themselves. However, the progress that children make over the time of their placement is significantly jeopardised because not all staff follow the guidance in the risk assessments. This increases the likelihood of vulnerable children, and staff, coming to significant harm.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has met some of the requirements that were made at the last full inspection. Communication with the designated officer has improved, and some of the staff appraisals have been undertaken. However, the responsible individual was unable to evidence that every eligible member of staff has received an appraisal.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The newly appointed responsible individual was present during this inspection and provided information about the current plans to improve the service. These plans include meeting the quality standards by submitting the overdue report of the review of the quality of care and the updated statement of purpose. Currently, up-to-date information about the service delivered and feedback about the quality of care from children, placing authorities, parents and staff have not been submitted to Ofsted.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

On the day prior to the inspection, one of the deputy managers was appointed as the home’s manager. This arrangement has the potential to offer children and staff stability. Ofsted awaits an application for registration from the new manager. Inspection report children's home: SC487702 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/04/2016 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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that practice is consistent with expectations described in written risk assessments. 29/03/2019

p.3

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–

p.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

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 29/03/2019 Inspection report children's home: SC487702 4 home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team when appropriate;

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

p.4

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided at 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 at the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.4

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.4

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home;

p.4

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.4

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

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)(b)(3)(a)(d))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a robust vetting process for agency staff. 29/03/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees–

p.4

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, provide supervision to agency staff who work at the home regularly. 29/03/2019 Inspection report children's home: SC487702 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The information set out in the Statement of Purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement at the home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.6)  All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, when reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at

p.5

Recommendations

least once every six months; also see regulation 13 (2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of the children living there and the impact that the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulation 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

p.5

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 difference 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.5

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.5

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: SC487702 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fonjocks Social Work Practice Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Orchard House, 1 Old Convent Orchard, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3PQ

p.6

Inspector

Rosie Davie, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC487702 7 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.

p.6

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 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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7