Children's Home run by Future Focused Ltd in Lancashire

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1270301 1 Registered provider: Future Focused Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to take three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is one of three homes owned and operated by a small private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a registered manager in post since 30 January 2019. However, the manager has resigned from her post with effect from 20 March 2019.

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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 good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was registered on 8 February 2018. Shortly after the first inspection in June 2018, the registered manager was dismissed from his position. A new application was submitted to Ofsted, and the current manager was registered in January 2019. However, this registered manager is currently working her notice period. This has resulted in a home that has not yet had a long period of stability. As each of the two managers have left, they have taken staff from the home to work in other organisations. This results in young people feeling frustrated that staff leave. Young people do not have enough opportunity to develop positive relationships because of the high levels of staff turnover.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Cannabis misuse is an issue for some young people. Although staff make every effort to Interim inspection report children’s home: 1270301 2 engage the young people in key-worker sessions about the harmful effects of cannabis misuse, this has not always been recorded and has had little impact. Incidents involving cannabis often escalate when staff try to intervene, which leads to further risk-taking behaviours, for example young people entering each other’s rooms late into the night to smoke cannabis.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A significant incident has recently taken place which led to the police being called by staff for assistance. A young person was caught with a piece of glass on his arm, as a staff member was holding it while trying to physically manage him. While the injury did require some first aid treatment, it did not require further medical attention. The young person felt that the staff member had done it deliberately and the registered manager undertook an internal investigation before informing the designated officer for the local authority. The registered manager failed to follow the local authority and home’s child protection procedures and furthermore failed to notify Ofsted of the significant event.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, a requirement was made to ensure that staff were recruited safely. This requirement has not been met and is to be repeated following this inspection. A staff member disclosed on their application form that they had a conviction. However, this was not explored during their interview. Furthermore, an area on the application around warnings and discipline in previous jobs had been left blank by the applicant. The registered manager had not explored this with the applicant. This lack of robust scrutiny of the application does not ensure that staff are the most suited for the position of residential childcare worker.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Currently, the home’s focus is on ensuring that young people feel safe and secure by providing a warm, nurturing environment; building strong, trusting relationships with the young people; and establishing good routines. Young people also benefit from frequently taking part in a wide range of age-appropriate activities. This is in marked contrast to young people’s previous gang affiliation and associated offending behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s established practice of emphasising and rewarding positive behaviours and efforts has also had the desired effect on behaviours. This means that the use of restraints is rare.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Feedback from social workers confirms that they experience ‘excellent communication’ with this staff team, including updates on young people’s progress. They also highlight the speed with which previously disaffected young people settle here and positively engage. One social worker commented, ‘The staff are enthusiastic and put themselves above and beyond to care for my young person, so he is doing really well here.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A key strength of this home is that it ensures that young people re-establish and maintain constructive family contact in line with any legal directions and personal preferences. This strengthens young people’s sense of identity.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Continued good practice maintains the home’s ability to re-engage young people effectively in education that best meets their emotional, behavioural and learning needs. This enables them to meet their full potential. For example, one young person, who had Interim inspection report children’s home: 1270301 3 not been receiving any education prior to admission, immediately started a gradual introduction to school. To his credit, after initially not enjoying the school, he has settled and is engaging well and developing relations with two particular members of staff at the school.

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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. The registered person is familiar with, and acts in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(vii)) 30/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety; full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 30/04/2019

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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; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(b)(c)) 30/04/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1270301 4

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes staff should encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day to day health and well-being. Where children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these subject to their age and understanding. When a child needs additional health or well-being support, staff should work with the child’s placing authority to enable proper and immediate access to any specialist medical, psychological or psychiatric support required, and challenge them through regulation 5 – engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met, if this doesn’t happen. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)

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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’. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1270301 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 1, Crows Nest Business Park, Ashton Road, Wigan WN5 7XX

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Inspector

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1270301 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 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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