Children's Home, Residential special school run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 1 Registered provider: Roc Northwest Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number of homes operated by a private provider. The home provides care and accommodation for up to 29 children or young people who have disabilities and/or behavioural needs. Accommodation is provided across nine individual houses on the site.

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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

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2018

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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 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

During this inspection, it was found that although some improvements have been achieved, the home has made minimal progress in meeting requirements. Therefore, the home continues to require improvement in all areas.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding practice is improving but is still inconsistent. In some instances, potential safeguarding concerns have not been identified. When safeguarding concerns are identified, staff and managers do not always follow correct procedures, in terms of reporting them to the appropriate agencies.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people‟s risk assessments lack clarity in some areas. In some examples, risks are not clearly identified, and risk assessments are not updated when new information is Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 2 available. Guidance for staff about how to manage identified risks is not consistently clear. This means that staff may not have adequate information about how to maintain young people‟s safety and well-being.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A staff recruitment programme is ongoing, and improvements have been made to the training programme. However, there is a high use of agency staff. Arrangements to ensure that agency staff have the appropriate skills, knowledge and qualifications to support young people are not effective. For example, a pool of agency staff had been put in place to support a young person with highly complex needs. During the inspection, it was confirmed that the majority of these agency staff did not hold the qualifications that managers thought they had.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Systems to monitor quality and safety across the service are not always used in an effective way. For example, records of physical restraints involving young people are often signed off by managers commenting on the quality of the recording, without any scrutiny of the incident itself. Therefore, no meaningful analysis or reflection takes place.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, it was identified that managers do not always respond effectively to serious incidents or near misses. Continuing shortfalls were identified in this area during this inspection. Not all serious incidents are reviewed effectively. As a result, opportunities to reflect and learn from adverse events are not utilised.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When serious incidents are reviewed, the quality of investigation is variable. Investigations are often concluded without a clear outcome or rationale as to how a conclusion has been reached. In some examples, potential learning is identified but not consistently implemented. This means that opportunities to prevent reoccurrence, improve practice and provide young people with safer care are lost.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Not all significant incidents are reported to Ofsted in accordance with regulation. This undermines the regulator‟s ability to carry out effective monitoring. Consequently, young people‟s welfare is not fully promoted.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Significant changes have been made to the management structure within the home. Additional managers have been appointed and have specific responsibilities for smaller areas. These new arrangements were due to commence on the day that this inspection took place and therefore the home had not yet benefited from the new management structure. Staff were positive about the new structure and many felt it would lead to more effective leadership across the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 3

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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 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)) 05/04/2019

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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— take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vi)(vii)) 05/04/2019

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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— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 05/04/2019

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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 05/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 4 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c))

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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

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Requirement Due date

person”)— has 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 05/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child — 05/04/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 5 is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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‟.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Roc Northwest Ltd Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 6 Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Marie Cordingley, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1258769 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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