Children's home run by Skyline Child Care Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 1 Registered provider: Skyline Child Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is the only home that this company currently operates. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who have learning disabilities. The registered manager has been in post since the home opened in April 2018. She has yet to complete a level 5 management qualification in leadership and management.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

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. At the full inspection in October 2018, eight requirements and three recommendations were raised. At this inspection, the inspector found that five requirements and all three recommendations have been met. For the remaining three requirements, work started by the registered manager has not been sufficient for these to be considered to have been met. Since the full inspection in October 2018, one child has remained living in the home. This child is only resident during the week and spends weekends with her family. Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 2 The child has made progress since the full inspection. Notably, there has been a reduction in the number of incidents of challenging behaviour. Staff have put in place a plan of positive rewards for the child, which she is beginning to respond well to. This

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

development has resulted in a more settled experience for the child. Staff have enabled the child to enjoy a range of new activities, including participating in baking, making crafts and enjoying trips to the park. This is a positive improvement that offers her a range of leisure experiences and increases her social skills. Staff continue to support the child’s school attendance by travelling with her to and from school and offering her individual attention during these difficult times of transition. This helps her to access her education positively and calmly. The registered manager has made changes to the home environment which make it a safer and homelier place to live. Outstanding work to replace fire doors has been completed, and the child’s bedroom has been redecorated with bright colours and stickers. Staff practice regarding storage and recording of medication has improved. This has helped to ensure that this element of the child’s care is well managed.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has recruited a team of permanent staff to work in the home, who provide continuity of care for the child. In addition, staff have completed a comprehensive training plan. This ensures that staff have the essential skills they require to respond to the individual needs of the child. This learning has also improved staff confidence. However, although there has been progress in these areas, the registered manager has failed to take sufficient action to address all shortfalls identified at the last inspection. The recruitment of staff still fails to ensure that all necessary checks are completed before staff start work in the home. For example, the manager has failed to secure verification of the reason why new staff have left their previous employment with children and/or vulnerable adults. This places the child at risk of potentially coming into contact with unsuitable adults. While the registered manager has implemented an induction plan and supervision

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

arrangements for staff, supervision does not happen as regularly as agreed and induction plans are not formally reviewed. This leaves the new staff team without regular support and opportunities to understand and improve their skills in the initial stages of their employment. The registered manager has failed to review the report of a serious incident that occurred at the home four weeks prior to this inspection. This lack of management oversight creates a missed opportunity to understand patterns in the child’s behaviour and to review staff responses to these. Two new requirements and two new recommendations have been raised at this inspection. Staff have failed to maintain good standards of food hygiene in the home. This has the potential to jeopardise the health of the child. Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 3 The registered manager is not clear about when staff actions constitute a physical

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

intervention. This is despite the organisation’s own training programme clearly detailing low-level physical intervention strategies. As a result, the child’s plans do not detail acceptable methods of behaviour support, and staff are left vulnerable to allegation or complaint. Disciplinary procedures for staff lack clarity. The registered manager is unclear whether staff have been subject to formal disciplinary action and was unable to provide the inspector with evidence of the disciplinary process. This is despite two incidents which required disciplinary action, including a delay in reporting an allegation against a member of staff. The registered manager fails to use monitoring and review systems to improve the service. The manager has failed to identify that the independent person’s report does not always give a view as to whether the child is safeguarded effectively. The registered manager’s quality of care report did not meet regulatory requirements. The registered

p.3

and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager failed to review and identify learning from an allegation against a member of staff. These gaps impede the speed of necessary service development.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good

p.3

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.3

Requirement Due date

The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 01/04/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee 01/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 4 completes an appropriate induction and that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(4)(b)) The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular, provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33 (2)(b)) 01/04/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35 (1)) 01/04/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person") has

p.4

Requirement Due date

spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (2)(3)) 01/04/2019

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 5 proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. ‘(Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek

p.4

Recommendations

as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.5

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.

p.5

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.

p.5

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’.

p.5

Children’s home details

Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 6 Unique reference number: 1265096

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Skyline Child Care Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 29 Old Farm Drive, Codsall, Wolverhampton WV8 1GF

p.6

Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1265096 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7