Children's Home run by Clouds Children’s Care Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 1 SC489610 Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2017 Full Outstanding 21/02/2017 Full Outstanding 16/06/2016 Interim Not judged 02/03/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) 15/03/2019

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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— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)) This is with reference to staff knowledge of risks associated with criminal exploitation and managers ensuring that there are opportunities for staff to test their understanding of child protection procedures and safeguarding learning. 15/03/2019

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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— understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child 15/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 3 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) This includes ensuring that managers and staff have a good understanding of care planning regulations and the education of looked after children guidance to challenge placing local authorities, as part of quality assurance systems.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, one young person has moved on in a planned, positive way to another placement. This is part of a longer-term transition to a placement nearer to family, supported by adult services. This is possible for this young person due to the effective changes staff have achieved to progress safe contact arrangements with family. Staff have worked closely with a placing local authority to ensure that another young person moving into the home is supported to build trusted relationships with staff and to settle. This is a signficant experience for this young person. It is his first experience of being in care and he is a long way from his family home. Staff have ensured that young people receive preventative health screening to identify any physical or emotional unmet needs. For one young person, addressing hearing difficulties has helped him to overcome communication difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has previously experienced signficant gaps in his education. Staff have supported him to manage routines and engage with a home tutor while an appropriate education placement is identified. This is progress. However, more could be done by staff to develop the young person’s confidence and social skills. Staff have not been sufficiently creative and tenacious in providing informal education opportunities, which could be linked to targets identified by the tutor and in this young person’s education plans. A requirement is made to address this. Young people are encouraged to develop and improve life skills and to have a better understanding of independence. They are supported to make decisions about menus, activities and interests. Young people have a range of opportunities to contribute to their placement plan and to decisions about their care plans. Staff recognise that, due to life

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

experiences, some young people require support and time to be able to contribute to these discussions and decisions. Because of sensitive care and relationship building, one young person has made significant progress in his social skills and confidence in this area. One young person was supported to settle by staff arranging for his favourite pet to join him. A risk assessment was completed and clear ground rules regarding responsibility for Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 4 the care of the pet were agreed. This has supported the young person to build trusted relationships with staff and has enhanced his emotional welfare. It has also provided an opportunity for him to share knowledge and skills about the care of animals. A parent said, ‘The manager and staff have all been brilliant. I know I can ring them anytime I am worried, and they keep me up to date. My child is safer there, and I know

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

they would share information with me if they had any concerns.’

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

The staff and manager maintain a safe home environment. There are plans in place to refurbish some areas of the home that require improvement, to ensure that they are more homely and comfortable. Young people are subject to individual risk assessment and behaviour management plans. These are based on information shared with the home by professionals and family, and ongoing observations and assessment of behaviours of young people living at the home. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are regularly reviewed by staff and professionals and young people have the opportunity to contribute. As a result, strategies are in place to support young people to keep themselves safe. Currently, concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and substance misuse for one young person are significantly reduced. There have been no incidents of young people going missing from the home or a need for staff to physically intervene or restrain a young person to prevent harm. This is partly

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

due to a high level of monitoring, in addition to young people responding to effective communication and supportive relationships. There has been one referral to the designated officer for the local authority following a concern shared by a professional. This has been concluded, having been subject to a strategy discussion, an internal investigation, and disciplinary processes. Staff have had a range of safeguarding training, some of which has been face-to-face training but the majority has been online training. There is a concern that staff knowledge and skills have not been tested and staff do require more up-to-date training regarding emerging risks to children and young people in the community, such as criminal exploitation.

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

The registered manager is experienced in managing residential care and has recently obtained a relevant leadership and management qualification. Since the last inspection, the manager has been supporting the development of another resource for the provider that has recently been registered. He is also the manager for this resource. Initially, this did have an impact on staff capacity across the two homes and on meeting management responsibilities and duties. This has recently improved due to staff changes Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 5 and the recruitment of a deputy manager. A requirement was made at the previous inspection regarding the supervision of staff. Since that inspection, there have been small gaps in supervision with limited impact. The manager’s understanding of the quality of care experienced by young people living at the home would benefit from improved information and analysis about the impact and

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

effectiveness of staff training and development. This should include a review of the quality of staff supervision to ensure that it is effective in evaluating staff knowledge and skills. It should also include a consideration of learning opportunities for staff to safely test their understanding of child protection procedures and safeguarding practice, given the amount of online training staff are receiving and limited safeguarding incidents. Partnership working is generally good. There have been some delays in progressing an issue regarding responsibility for providing an education resource for one young person. The managers and staff would benefit from enhancing their knowledge and understanding of care planning regulations and the education of children looked after, to support effective challenge when young people’s plans are not progressing. It would also help in ensuring that all relevant information is shared by the local authority prior to and

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

at the start of a placement. The responsible individual and manager have recognised that there is a need for improvement in the quality assurance mechanisms and have recently changed the independent visitor to support improvement.

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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: SC489610 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire B16 8SP

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 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 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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