Children's home run by Seashell Trust

Inspection report children’s home: SC035518 1 SC035518 Registered provider: Sea Shell Trust Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is provided by a charitable organisation that also has a school, college and adult residential accommodation on the same site. It is registered to care for up to 28 children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities. The home consists of seven houses, with an occupancy of no more than four children in each house. One house is designated for use by children who have short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager was registered in May 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 required improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent 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, a new responsible individual has been appointed. The leadership team has been strengthened by the addition of a deputy home manager. A review of staffing needs and a successful recruitment drive mean that the home is now fully staffed. Safe recruitment practice and an enhanced induction programme help to provide staff suitable to work with children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have continued to offer children warm and nurturing care. Progress in record Inspection report children’s home: SC035518 2 keeping and planning remains variable. For example, many healthcare plans are detailed and regularly reviewed by external medical professionals, while others omit or conflict in important information to help staff care for children effectively. A requirement is repeated to ensure that consistent record keeping promotes children’s healthcare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The systems and strategies that underlie the conduct of the home have been improved. There is a greater emphasis on information gathering and sharing. Managers are addressing the knowledge base of staff, with opportunities for learning about the legal framework surrounding children looked after, communication, play and child development.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has developed a new system to monitor the quality of care. This is not yet effective because the analysis of the data collected is poor. The manager relies on reported information gathered from individual house leaders. The reports of the independent visitor are similarly organised, with visits happening on several days throughout the month. The registered manager neither collates this information into a single feedback tool to measure how care improves children’s experiences nor routinely observes the day-to-day activities of the home in all seven houses. Consequently, progress is patchy, and repeated shortfalls are seen across different houses at different times. This limits an overall understanding of the development needs of the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A workforce development plan has recently been finalised. This sets out staff skills against children’s individual needs so that gaps can be addressed promptly. An aspirational development plan is being shared with staff so that they can understand the vision for the future of the home. This includes a network of staff meetings that enable staff to understand the overall picture as well as to concentrate on the house and children whom they are responsible for. These improvements address most shortfalls identified at the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children enjoy a wide range of activities that support their identified development needs and their interests and preferences. The home has responded to health-related incidents and to parents’ complaints in a prompt and effective way. The arrangements for the safe administration of medication and health-related tasks are under review. Any error in medication administration is immediately reported and investigated to ensure that children’s health is not compromised. When children develop new health needs, the manager carefully assesses whether the home has sufficiently skilled staff to support them and engages other professionals to review the suitability of their placement. This promotes children’s welfare and helps them to stay safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Individual houses are set out according to the preferences of the children who live in them. Some have specialised equipment to support complex health needs. Across the different houses the maintenance and decor are inconsistent, and some properties are in need of attention. In one house, plastic bags were not stored safely to prevent children from having access to them. This means that the home does not provide a consistently safe and welcoming environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is now supervised by an appropriately experienced individual. Inspection report children’s home: SC035518 3 Managers have begun a programme of improving staff supervision to enhance reflective practice. Progress is patchy, due to the varied skills of the practitioners involved and inconsistent timetabling. Issues of staff conduct are occasionally addressed informally through supervision. This inhibits staff’s understanding of professional practice and its impact on the quality of care that they provide. A previous requirement to address this area is repeated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The deputy manager now has routine oversight of behavioural support and physical intervention. This provides a continuous loop of analysis and feedback that supports staff to develop skills and competencies in supporting children’s complex needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/11/2017 Full Good 24/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full 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 health and well-being standard is that– the health and well-being needs of children are met. (Regulation 10(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff in all houses have sufficient information to respond promptly to children’s health needs. 12/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard The standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(g))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, to analyse the effectiveness of and promote 12/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC035518 4 consistency in the quality of care provided overall in the home, rather than in the individual houses that make up the home. The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that supervision is offered regularly and that all staff have an opportunity to reflect on the impact of their practice on the experiences and progress of children. 12/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard: In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

(d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(2)(d)). In particular, provide a prompt response to maintenance requests and ensure that all hazards are out of reach of children. 12/04/2019

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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 difference 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. 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: SC035518 5

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sea Shell Trust Limited

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Inspectors

Denise Jolly, social care inspector Karen Willson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC035518 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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