Children's Home run by Impact For Change Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 1 Registered provider: Impact For Change Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

Holly Farm is a children’s home that is registered for three children or young people who may present with emotional and/or behavioural issues. The home offers medium- or long-term placements. A manager is in post but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 February 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: This is the first inspection since the home was registered on 20 August 2018.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 2

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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 registered person must ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as is reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(d)) 01/04/2019

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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 mutual respect and trust.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(viii) and (ix)) 01/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; 01/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 3 understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non- attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(x) and (b))

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Recommendations

 ‘Promoting the Education of Looked-After Children’ describes how local authorities are expected to comply with their duties to promote the education of looked-after children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.6)

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Recommendations

The staff should work in partnership with other agencies using government guidance to ensure appropriate access to education for all children, and should challenge informal exclusions.

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 4 behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 30, paragraph 8.13)

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improvement to be good

The care provided to young people is variable. There is evidence of significant progress and improved life chances for some young people. However, progress is thwarted by a lack of nurture and inconsistent understanding by staff of how past trauma impacts on behaviour. This has had a particularly negative impact on one young person’s experience.

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improvement to be good

Work in partnership with other agencies has proved especially beneficial for two young people. One is now being given an opportunity and support to move back into the community and avoid behaviour which put them and others at significant risk. Another young person had a well-thought-out and detailed plan to return to live with their family. This young person is also benefiting from a successful appeal by the young person, the home and other stakeholders to lift unnecessary restrictions of liberty.

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improvement to be good

Progress in relation to education is variable. Young people do not have access to a full- time education provision. Staff are not well informed about children’s rights to education provision. Attention to providing suitable educational alternatives for young people, and/or challenge for the provision of full-time education, is poor. There is also a lack of challenge to educators following the informal exclusion of young people.

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improvement to be good

Young people enjoy a range of activities to support their physical well-being. They recently enjoyed a trip to London and regularly go to the gym and trampolining. Attention to the provision of a healthy diet is mixed, lacking sufficient consideration and a consistent approach. Some young people remain at an unhealthy weight.

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improvement to be good

A therapeutic assessment of one young person and the subsequent plan produced by Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 5 the home are not being fully implemented. The staff application of unconditional positive regard and nurture is patchy.

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improvement to be good

The home has invested in a computer program to keep a journal for each young person. Staff input photos, videos and commentary, which creates a suitable record of young people’s time in the home. Access can be provided to parents and other stakeholders, who can also contribute to the site.

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improvement to be good

For the most part, young people say they are happy in the home and get on with the people looking after them. Feedback from stakeholders is also substantially positive, although one stakeholder did express disappointment about a lack of educational activities for a young person who is not in full-time education.

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improvement to be good

Young people are safe in this home. There have not been any incidents of young people going missing, and physical intervention has not been needed or used to manage young people’s behaviour. The police have not been called out to manage young people’s behaviour.

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improvement to be good

A recent review of sanctions identified that most were punitive and unreasonable, and had little or no impact in changing behaviour. More recently, sanctions have been more suitable and restorative. Staff responses to managing difficult behaviour and encouraging positive behaviour are not consistently appropriate. On occasion, staff practice does not promote positive relationships with young people or make young people feel valued.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practice for full-time staff is robust and follows safer recruitment practice. When opportunities for learning are provided to staff in the home by another organisation, not all checks are readily available to the manager.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are detailed and implemented by the staff team. Work in partnership with other agencies to assess and manage risk has afforded one young person a unique opportunity for personal development.

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improvement to be good

All staff take part in the local authority’s safeguarding training and know what to do in the event of a young person being at significant risk or making a disclosure about abuse. Staff have acted appropriately in referring several issues to those who need to deal with them, and staff have also acted to safeguard young people.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff and young people have practised evacuation of the home so that they know how to get out in case of an emergency. Staff have not checked fire doors as part of weekly safety checks; two doors need some attention to function effectively. These shortfalls have potential to compromise young people’s safety in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 6 There has been some instability in the leadership and management of the home since its registration. Very recently, a new manager has been appointed. He has suitable experience and qualifications and shows some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the home, but he has yet to implement any changes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff and young people have been involved in planning for improvements. Many of these plans are awaiting the guidance of the new manager and full implementation of the new senior management structure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a lack of effective reflection by staff and managers following any behavioural incidents, and in formal supervision. Nor does formal supervision focus on the needs of the young people. Staff miss opportunities to learn and improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Daily discussions between staff, and planning for each day, lack direction. Young people’s targets are not discussed, and staff are not allocated tasks. The inspector observed a young person having to negotiate with staff regarding the support he needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring of the home by an independent visitor has proved successful in identifying some shortfalls and need for improvements. A review of sanctions and improvements to medication records were instigated by this process.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Records have, for the most part, now been transferred to electronic versions. These are well ordered and readily accessible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has tried to do away with an office, and any office equipment is discreetly positioned or locked away. Young people have unrestricted access to all areas of the home, where this is appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The statement of purpose and the children’s guide have been reviewed since the initial registration to keep up with any changes in staffing and practice. Inductions for staff equip them initially, and there is a clear expectation of further development. Directors encourage staff to use their specific skills in working with young people. One member of staff with music production qualifications is being encouraged to undertake the training required so that he can apply music therapy techniques in his work with young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 7 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

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: 2484443 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Impact For Change Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Great Warham Cottage, Beaford, Winkleigh, Devon EX19 8AB

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Inspector

Janice Hawtin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2484443 9 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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