Children's home run by Partnerships in Care 1 Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 1 Registered provider: Partnerships In Care 1 Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to eight children and young adults. Its specialism is to provide care to children and young adults who have mental health difficulties and who self-harm. The home is part of a large national private organisation. The manager has an application in progress to register with Ofsted. The home is also registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 26 September 2018

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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

Leaders and managers have not made enough progress to improve since the last inspection. While the manager understands the strengths and weaknesses, she is facing barriers from within the organisation to implement the improvement plan swiftly.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of the home’s environment continues to require improvement and restrictive practices continue to negatively affect children’s experiences. For example:

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 Some bedrooms require homely-style furniture, and broken fittings have not been mended swiftly Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 2  Two bathrooms are out of order  The kitchen is industrial in style  Medication is administered to children over a hatch, meaning that this process is not undertaken privately  Staff continue to undertake frequent observations of children and record their findings on a clipboard.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The rationale for the ongoing use of restrictive practices is generic and not based specifically on children’s individual needs, potential risk and their progress. The manager recognises this weakness and those within the environment and has plans to make the necessary improvements. However, until these plans are implemented, the restrictive practices and environmental weaknesses continue to present an institutional impression of this setting rather than a domestic, family-style home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Purposeful activities take place and children have some positive experiences in and out of the home, for example they enjoy arts and crafts activities, go to the cinema and visit coffee shops. However, some children have raised concerns to the independent visitor about the way that activities are considered and arranged. Daily planning meetings continue to take place at the same time each day and children say that those who attend get first choice over those who do not attend. This same concern was raised at the previous inspection and insufficient action has been taken in response.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all staff receive the training that the manager identifies as the most appropriate for them to meet the needs of the children. For example, not all staff have received training in behaviour management techniques, including the use of restraint. This weakness compromises the safety of children and staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement made at the last inspection regarding fire drills is not met. Some children have not been involved in a fire drill or practice as required.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Medication is stored and administered safely. Some children require ‘as and when’ controlled medication. Plans for using this medication are in place but could be improved by providing more individualised information about when this medication may be required. Recording the use of this medication on medication administration records is inconsistent.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the continued shortfalls, the manager has made progress in some areas.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Child protection records and systems now meet requirements and clearly show how staff safeguard children. The manager has more control and understanding about safeguarding in the home. Appropriate referrals and liaison with safeguarding professionals promote children’s welfare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have a good understanding about the potential risks of self-harm. When children do self-harm, staff are quick to provide them with the care and support that they need, including seeking medical treatment. Children have good access to members of the therapy team, who work directly from the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 3 If children go missing, staff follow missing from home protocols effectively and support children to return home safely. Incidents like these are communicated swiftly to families and professionals. However, despite the manager requesting an independent return home interview from the placing authority, children do not always receive one as required.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Other improvements since the previous inspection include:

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 More structure and organisation of the home in relation to leadership and management  Staff supervisions have become more regular  The impact of new children moving into the home is now carefully considered and recorded.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/07/2017 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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 28/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 4 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, challenge the placing authority to ensure that children receive an independent return home interview when they have been missing from home. 6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 28/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 5 (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii)) 12: The protection of children standard

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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—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are suitably trained in behaviour management and restraint techniques. 28/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(h)) 28/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

25: Fire precautions After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— 28/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 6 ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire.

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Recommendations

 Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. In particular, improve the recording associated with administration of pro re nata controlled medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 7.15)

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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: 1247390 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Partnerships In Care 1 Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Imperial Place, Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN

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Inspectors

Nicola Lownds, social care inspector Paula Lahey, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: 1247390 8 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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