Children's home run by Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School Limited in West Suffolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 1 SC443009 Registered provider: Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is one of a small group. Care and accommodation are provided for up to six boys who have moderate to severe learning difficulties. The manager has been in post since 9 October 2017 and has been registered since 21 September 2018. She does not possess a relevant level 5 qualification.

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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: 5 November 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: none Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/11/2018 Full Inadequate 06/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)) 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, clear the debris from the garden. 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 28/02/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 4 use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(vi)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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 at the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(f)(h)) 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c)) 28/02/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 5

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Recommendations

 When submitting a notification to Ofsted, the registered person must ensure that the notification includes a sufficient description of the incident, the action taken and why. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)

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improvement to be good

This inspection found that progress has been made since the last full inspection. However, several shortfalls remain. These shortfalls require addressing to ensure that children receive a good enough service.

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improvement to be good

The management team does not ensure that children have the necessary support to develop their independence. One child’s care plan offers no guidance on preparing him for his future. Associated independence plans lack clarity and ambition and are at times inaccurate.

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improvement to be good

The management team has overseen improvements to the physical environment. However, a large amount of fenced-off debris remains in the garden. This hazard detracts from the homeliness of the grounds.

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improvement to be good

The staff refer children to external services for support. This includes advocacy and medical services. Consequently, children receive the specialist support that they need.

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improvement to be good

Children who attend the provider’s school are making progress. One child has made enough progress to participate in an internship. This is significant progress from his starting point.

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improvement to be good

The children benefit from a range of activities. Activities include trips to London and to local towns, as well as activities designed to encourage good health.

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improvement to be good

The staff encourage children to have contact with their families. For one child in particular, this is especially significant progress as he had not been to see his family for several years. The contact was carefully planned and the child was supported throughout.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual risk assessments vary in quality. One risk assessment relating to county lines offers no consideration of the risks for the individual child, instead offering only an overview of what county lines is. In addition, the management team does not ensure that risk assessments are reviewed in the self-imposed timeframe. Because of Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 6 this, it is unclear if risk assessments are up to date.

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improvement to be good

The staff are aware of how to raise concerns about colleagues. They are aware of routes to whistle-blow.

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improvement to be good

The children spend time with staff who are familiar with them. The staffing levels enable frequent one-to-one support. The children get on well with the staff. A child said, ‘It’s all good here. I feel safe.’

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improvement to be good

No children have gone missing from the home since the last inspection. The children now have protocols that detail what staff should do in the event of a child going missing.

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improvement to be good

The staff manage behaviour without routine recourse to physical interventions. There have been no physical interventions since the last inspection.

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

Although there have been improvements since the last full inspection, there is further work necessary. This inspection found a number of repeated shortfalls that the management team has so far failed to address.

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

The manager has not sufficiently chased or challenged a placing authority that was due to visit a child. As a result, the child has not been seen by an independent professional to follow up a concern.

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

Most staff have had supervisions and appraisals. However, one permanent staff member has not had an appraisal for over 18 months. One regularly used relief member of staff has not had an appraisal or a supervision despite working at the home for a number of years. The manager was unaware that this was necessary. This does not ensure that staff receive appropriate support, challenge and guidance to meet the complex needs of the children at the home.

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

Case records are disorganised and difficult to follow. This makes information difficult to locate. Case files contain undated and unsigned information. The disorganisation contributes to discrepancies and gaps in the staff’s and manager’s knowledge of the children.

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

Reports by an independent person now offer greater challenge. The reports identify areas for improvement. Recent reports have included feedback from families.

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

The management team has submitted two notifications of significant events to Ofsted since the last inspection. The quality of notifications is poor, with limited information provided.

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

The home relies on the use of regular agency staff and a relief member of staff to complement the permanent staff. The current occupancy levels make this feasible. Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 7

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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: SC443009 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Greenwood House, Greenwood Court, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7GY

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC443009 9 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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