Children's home 2490695

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 1

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Bright Stars Therapeutic Solutions Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2018.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit to the home on 4 March 2019. This visit was undertaken in response to concerns identified in notifications and through discussions with the registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that young people are not safe at this home. As a result, Ofsted made the decision to suspend the registration of the children‘s home from 6 March 2019 until 28 May 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to ensure that risk assessments are undertaken for all known risks associated with young people‘s behaviour. Consequently, staff do not have information about how to reduce and manage risks effectively on a day-to-day basis. The inspector saw a range of risk assessments for one young person. However, there are no risk assessments for several serious known risks. These include gang association, offending, county lines, knives, going missing, substance misuse and sexual health. The risk assessments which are in place regarding living in the home, travelling in the car, education, child sexual exploitation, free time, bedroom door alarms, fire in the home and one-to-one working show a lack of understanding of young people‘s specific risks and vulnerabilities.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to inform Ofsted about all significant events, such as when young people have gone missing from the home and when a young person has required the attendance of paramedics after he was supplied with drugs by another Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 2 young person living in the home. Managers have also failed to notify the regulator when young people have been found to have carried knives and a range of other incidents where young people and staff have been at risk of significant harm. This prevents the regulator having oversight of significant events that relate to the welfare and protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

The matching and admissions processes have placed young people at risk. Because of poor impact risk assessments, young people have been admitted to the home who are at risk of harm from other young people living in the home. Managers and staff are not protecting young people who have a history of gang association and violence towards others. One young person was released from custody and was placed with two other young people who also had a history of criminal behaviour and gang association. The assessments undertaken did not consider the risks associated with this admission or the impact on young people.

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This monitoring visit

Ineffective staff supervision lacks focus on safeguarding or improving practice after significant incidents. This means that staff have not had the help that they need to improve their practice and deliver safe care to young people. Staff do not receive supervision twice per month as detailed in the home‘s statement of purpose. As a result, stakeholders and commissioners do not have accurate information about the home.

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This monitoring visit

Young people who have extensive histories of missing behaviour were admitted to the home without a clear plan to protect them and to reduce the risk of further harm. Managers and staff have failed to implement missing-from-care protocols and have not demonstrated that they have given regard to police and local authority protocols. Consequently, young people have not benefited from well-coordinated plans which provide staff with clear guidance and help reduce risk.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not ensure that young people‘s health needs are met. Despite being registered with local health providers, the inspector found no evidence that any young person had been taken to a health appointment. Specialist help for young people where there are concerns around drug use has not been sought. This failure means that young people are not being actively helped to improve their health.

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This monitoring visit

Young people‘s education is not prioritised. The managers and staff have failed to escalate to the placing authority the lack of an education provision for one young person. He has been without an education provision for over a month. During the inspection, the registered manager collected another young person from his educational placement and returned him to the home, informing the inspector that this was not the right provision for him. She had failed to consult the placing authority or to consider that this young person was subject to licence conditions which included education attendance.

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This monitoring visit

Absence of managerial review after safeguarding concerns and significant incidents means that the provider misses the opportunity to learn lessons. This approach does not ensure that practice improves or that young people get consistent or safe Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 3 behavioural support. The managers do not demonstrate understanding about the weaknesses of the home and they have been ineffective in prioritising improvements.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not demonstrated that she can establish positive and effective relationships with local youth justice services. This prevents young people from making progress to reduce offending.

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This monitoring visit

Staff rotas are not a contemporaneous record to show which staff are working and when. Similarly, the children‘s register is not up to date and accurate.

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Recent inspection history

This was the first visit to the home following registration. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 4

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‘s needs; 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 child‘s needs are met in accordance with the child‘s relevant plans; and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children‘s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d)) 03/05/2019

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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. 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. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)) 03/05/2019

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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; In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child‘s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(2)(a)(iii)) 03/05/2019

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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; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff communicate to each child expectations about the child‘s behaviour and 03/05/2019 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 5 ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(v)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‘s welfare.

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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. 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 03/05/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; are familiar with, and act in accordance with the home‘s child protection policies; 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; that the effectiveness of the home‘s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(iii)(v)(vii)(b)(e)) 03/05/2019

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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 potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h)) 12/04/2019

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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)) In particular, that impact assessments consider the risks and vulnerabilities of all children. 12/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure 12/04/2019 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 6 that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(5)) In particular, that staff receive supervision in line with the statement of purpose. The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (―the missing child policy‖) setting out the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and have

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Requirement Due date

regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 12/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‘s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the register of children contains the required information and that the staff rosters contain accurate information and are up to date. 03/05/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)(e)) 12/04/2019

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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: 2490695 7

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kimberley Thompson

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Inspector

Annemarie Parker, social care inspector Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: 2490695 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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