Children's Home run by Total Care Matters Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1268530 1 Registered provider: Total Care Matters Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to care for up to three children and young people aged between seven and 17 years. The home caters for males and females who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She registered with Ofsted in June 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, staff turnover has been high. Due to this, the home remains unsettled. Children do not receive consistent care. They are subject to continual changes in staff. Experienced staff from other homes within the organisation provide support, but the arrangements do not always promote consistency for children. Stakeholders have expressed their concerns about inconsistent staffing. One professional said: ‘Staff do not remain in post for long enough to get to know the children really well.’ A small number of core staff, including the registered manager, have sought to minimise the impact on children and some very positive relationships are evident.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the staffing difficulties, children are making progress. Both children are in full- time education. Children have opportunities to take part in sporting activities as well as social and community-based activities. These include opportunities to explore sensitive Inspection report children’s home: 1268530 2 issues such as identity. Both children have independent advocates.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a good understanding of the children’s individual needs. New staff are becoming familiar with the children’s needs. New staff are being supported to establish routines that provide the children with familiar and dependable care. The home is welcoming and is decorated to a good standard.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not met three of the requirements set at the previous inspection in respect of ensuring continuity of care, ensuring that staff are appropriately skilled, experienced and qualified and ensuring that staff have regular supervision. The manager has prioritised the direct care of the children and has sought to minimise the impact of poor staff retention. This has resulted in many managerial tasks not being completed. An example of this is keeping a record of supervisory discussions.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Another area of concern is the accuracy of recording. The recording of physical intervention, for example, is inconsistent. This does not enable managers, or other stakeholders, to ascertain whether the use of physical intervention is reasonable or proportionate. An effective recording system is yet to be embedded. This includes having a system to reflect children’s wishes and feelings.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager understands the shortfalls and there are plans in place to improve the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— 01/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1268530 3 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 ensure— that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to improve staff retention to ensure that children receive consistent, dependable care. It also refers to the need to delineate staff roles so that managers are able to carry out their managerial tasks.

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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—

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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 ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 01/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to ensuring that all staff have sufficient training to meet the needs of each child, and that all staff receive regular supervision. 01/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1268530 4

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Recommendations

 Those with a leadership and/or management role should be visible and accessible to staff and able to deliver their leadership and/or management responsibilities. Any registered manager employed in the home should have sufficient capacity to ensure that the Quality Standards are met for each child in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7) This specifically relates to there being sufficient senior staff to lead shifts and to delegate care tasks to.  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.9) This specifically relates to improving recording to ensure that it is accurate and accessible. A consistent approach to recording is required, for example, in

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Recommendations

detailing physical intervention. There also needs to be more evidence of children having a voice in the home.

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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

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.

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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: 1268530 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Total Care Matters Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 230 Bathley Street, Nottingham NG2 2ER

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Inspector

Corrinne Barker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1268530 6 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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