Children's home run by Pine Forest Homes Limited in Cannock Chase

Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 1 SC057688 Registered provider: Pine Forest Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children aged eight to 17. The home provides placements for children who may have faced adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and placement and family breakdown.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 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

The registered manager has taken sufficient action to address the five requirements and one recommendation made at the last inspection. For example, staff completed specific one-to-one work with a child to highlight the risks of smoking. This meant that the child received up-to-date information regarding the impact of this behaviour on their health.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection the home has experienced a period of change. One child has left the service and two children have been admitted. These moves were planned and in the children’s best interests. The registered manager now assesses the compatibility of children to live together, taking account of their individual risks and behaviours. This means that prior to each admission, the registered manager considers the impact on Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 2 children already living in the home. This increases the likelihood that children’s placements will be successful.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager ensures that internal care planning processes reflect children’s individual needs. Risk assessments include actions for staff to take to manage the children’s risks. However, staff do not encourage children to take responsibility for their actions. This means that some children continue to display challenging and antisocial behaviours. They do not consider the possible long-term consequences of their actions, such as police involvement. This is detrimental to their progress and development.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s progress is variable. Children who are new to the home are settling in and making some progress relative to their starting points. However, one child’s behaviour has deteriorated, which means that they are making less progress. Despite the manager and staff meeting with the child’s placing authority to review the situation, plans and strategies to try and interrupt this cycle of behaviour remain ineffective. If allowed to continue, this is likely to further affect the child’s progress and experience.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff undertake regular health and safety, and fire safety checks. These now take account of specific fire safety factors and risks that individual children may present. However, a fire risk assessment of the home, compiled by an independent assessor, highlighted some actions that needed to be taken to maintain the safety of the home. Although an action plan was in place at the time of inspection, there was a delay in its implementation. This potentially compromises children’s safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager now appropriately reviews the suitability of the home’s location. This assessment includes known risks within the area, such as busy roads, open and accessible bodies of water and railway lines. Managers and staff consider this information when producing children’s individual risk assessments. This approach helps to promote children’s welfare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements to internal monitoring and audit tools now enable the registered manager to better review the quality of care provided by the home. However, these systems remain in their infancy. Currently, the registered manager does not adequately evaluate children’s day-to-day experiences. The quality of care review does not provide a sufficient analysis of the impact the care provided has on children’s progress. This means that the service may not be able to adapt to children’s changing needs in a timely manner.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager now oversees the safer recruitment of all staff working in the home. She has undertaken necessary training relating to this area of practice. As a result, appropriate pre-employment checks and references are in place for all new staff before they have unsupervised contact with children. This promotes children’s safety.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 3 be good 12/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(a)(iii)) 31/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) This is with particular reference to taking timely action to complete fire safety actions identified in risk assessments. 31/03/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2) In particular, ensure that the quality of care review report provides sufficient analysis and evaluation throughout to fully show the impact the care is having on young people’s progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 4

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pine Forest Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ballance & Lowbridge Accountants, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Lorraine Porter-Stone

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Inspectors

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC057688 5 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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