Children's home run by Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 1

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Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child. Its statement of purpose says that the home provides high-quality care for children who, due to the circumstances of their young lives, require residential accommodation and the support of a trained staff team that can support them through any damage that has been caused by abuse. There is no registered manager at this home. The post has been vacant since 9 June 2018.

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This monitoring visit

The home was inspected in September 2018 and judged to be inadequate. Three compliance notices were issued on 17 September 2018. A monitoring visit was undertaken on 17 October 2018. Insufficient progress had been made to ensure that the compliance notices were met. The compliance notices were therefore reissued on 25 October 2018. The date for meeting the steps in the compliance notices was extended to 30 November 2018.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection of the home was undertaken on 4 and 5 December 2018. At this inspection, it was judged that the steps in the reissued compliance notice made under Regulation 23, medicines, had been met. However, not all the steps in the reissued compliance notices made under Regulation 12, the protection of children, and Regulation 26, fitness of the registered provider, had been met. These two compliance notices were reissued for a second time on 21 December 2018. The date for meeting the steps in the notices was extended to 15 February 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to examine the progress made towards meeting the steps specified in the reissued compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

There were no children living at the home at the time of this visit. The organisation recently ended the placement of the one child who has resided at the home since Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 2 May 2018. The home’s manager took up her post on 19 November 2018. Her application to register with Ofsted is currently being processed. The manager was not able to give a detailed account of the actions being taken to meet the requirements that were made at the last full inspection on 4 December 2018.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation’s area manager was present during this visit and took the lead in presenting the evidence relating to how the steps in the compliance notices have been met.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice made under Regulation 12 required a senior manager to manage and monitor child protection and safeguarding practice until the home has a registered manager. Managers were also required to assess the safeguarding competency of all staff and to undertake a review of how two identified child protection incidents were managed.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation’s area manager has been managing child protection practice as the new manager for the home is not yet registered with Ofsted. A plan was produced which specifies the monitoring activities to be undertaken by the area manager. The plan contains strategies for ensuring that leaders and managers maintain oversight of child protection and safeguarding practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector reviewed 11 serious incident reports during this monitoring visit. Nine of these had been reviewed and evaluated by the area manager. In two of these cases, the area manager did not monitor and evaluate practice until 11 and 14 days after the incident had taken place.

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This monitoring visit

There has been some improvement in the systems for monitoring the standard of child protection practice, although these are not yet firmly embedded. In one case, the monitoring activities undertaken by the area manager did not identify weaknesses in how staff responded when a young person made an allegation against a member of staff. This was a failure to monitor and manage child protection concerns effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have now implemented a procedure for assessing the safeguarding competency of individual staff members. All staff working in the home have been assessed and some areas for development have been identified.

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This monitoring visit

The development needs of one member of staff were clearly identified in her safeguarding competency assessment. However, the proposed actions for meeting these, as specified in the associated personal development plan, were minimal. The organisation’s area manager said that a meeting was being planned to address the member of staff’s performance and learning needs.

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This monitoring visit

The actions of two members of staff following the young person making an allegation against their colleague were inappropriate. Their safeguarding competency assessments and personal development plans were not updated in response to the poor practice that they had demonstrated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 3 The responsible individual has undertaken an investigation into the failure to respond effectively to two child protection incidents. These failures were identified by Ofsted during the full inspection in September 2018. The investigation report identifies the learning that has taken place and how this is being disseminated among the staff. However, two significant issues have not been addressed in the report. These relate to the failure to preserve evidence and the failure to share relevant information with the placing authority social worker.

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This monitoring visit

The actions taken to meet the steps in this compliance notice have not comprehensively addressed the weaknesses in child protection and safeguarding practice. Shortfalls were again identified in how child protection concerns are managed and how leaders and managers monitor the standard of practice. The system for assessing the safeguarding competency of staff is not yet ensuring that there is a timely response to address the learning needs of staff. The investigation into how previous child protection concerns have been managed failed to identify two significant failings.

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This monitoring visit

The steps in this compliance notice have not been met.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice issued under Regulation 26 required the organisation’s director to identify the responsible individual’s learning needs and to assess whether the responsible individual has the resources and support needed to fulfil the role effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The director has undertaken a comprehensive review of the responsible individual’s strengths and areas for development by mapping his performance against the tasks and responsibilities outlined in the job description. The responsible individual’s learning needs are clearly identified and there is an action plan for how these will be met.

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This monitoring visit

The director has also completed a detailed analysis of the resources and support available to the responsible individual. The associated report concludes that the organisation ensures that the responsible individual has sufficient hours, resources and support to undertake the role effectively. There is an acknowledgement that this will need to be kept under review as the organisation expands.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice made under Regulation 12, the protection of children, was originally issued on 17 September 2018. It was subsequently reissued on two occasions because leaders and managers had failed to meet all the steps specified in the notice. At this monitoring visit, further shortfalls were identified in the standard of child protection practice. The monitoring activities undertaken by leaders and managers have not identified these shortfalls and poor practice has not been addressed. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 4 Ofsted takes the view that leaders and managers have failed to demonstrate that they are competent to identify and address poor safeguarding and child protection practice. Consequently, the safety and well-being of children at this home cannot be guaranteed. Since becoming registered in March 2018, the home has been judged inadequate and requires improvement. There is no evidence to indicate that

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This monitoring visit

improvements in practice and the effectiveness of leaders and managers can be sustained over time.

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This monitoring visit

The progress towards meeting the requirements and recommendations made at the full inspection in December 2018 was not examined at this monitoring visit. The requirements and recommendations are therefore repeated in this report. The shortfall identified at this monitoring visit, relating to the management of allegations made against staff, should be addressed by meeting the requirement that has already been made under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/12/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/09/2018 Full Inadequate 13/06/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; and take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that all children’s known vulnerabilities are risk assessed, that risk assessments are kept updated and that action is taken when a child is known to be at risk of harm. 15/02/2019

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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 full potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the monitoring and review systems identify in a timely way any weaknesses in the provision of service. 15/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 15/02/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 6 Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that children’s placement plans identify how each child’s needs will be met, and provide staff with clear guidance and strategies for caring for the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that where staff have identified professional development needs, action is taken to ensure that these are effectively addressed. 15/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the designated person in the local authority is consulted promptly when a child makes an allegation against a member of staff. 15/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 15/02/2019

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see Regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would. The registered person should consider the use of an independent advocate (see paragraph 4.16) if the child’s needs are not being met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) Specifically, ensure that any concerns regarding the practice of another professional are referred to the individual’s line manager for resolution.  The policy for the protection of children from abuse or neglect should be available and explained to children and their families as well as to all staff,

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Recommendations

whatever their role. The registered person must make sure that all staff are Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 7 familiar with this policy and act in accordance with it, in particular how to use it to report a concern. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.21)  As set out in Regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Specifically, ensure that during recruitment interviews for managers, the applicant’s knowledge of the children’s home regulations and quality standards is explored.  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes.

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Recommendations

All children’s case records (Regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 56 The Brentano Suite, Solar House, 915 High Road, London N12 8QJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Holland

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Inspector

Stephen Collett, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256913 9 to 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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