Children's home run by Care Management Group Limited in Mole Valley

Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 1 SC037152 Registered provider: Care Management Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run home. It provides care and accommodation for up to five young people who have autism spectrum disorder and/or special needs and learning difficulties. Currently, three children live at the home full time and one child has shared care between the home and their parents.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good 27/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/11/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make progress from their starting points and enjoy a range of experiences. Young people‟s achievements include developing their vocabulary, improving their social skills and learning to swim backstroke for the first time. These significant steps are celebrated by the staff team and are a source of pride for the young people.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people achieve positive outcomes. Two young people have successfully moved on to supported accommodation since the last inspection. An allocated social worker attributed one positive transition to the „care and dedication‟ of the staff team.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the young people are engaged in education. Attendance and attainment are carefully monitored and supported by staff. Academic progress allows young people to develop self-confidence and offers structure and positive daily routines.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop good independence skills. Staff gently encourage young people to engage at their own pace. Activities include basic cooking, attending a local gym and taking longer walks in the community.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Behaviour management is effective with no use of restraint. When young people struggle, staff use strategies such as offering a hand massage. Positive interventions allow young people to learn to self-regulate their own behaviour.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to live healthily. The home benefits from a swimming pool and an activity centre on-site. Effective key work promotes an understanding of the importance of healthy eating.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Partnership work with parents is strong. Young people enjoy extensive time with parents and staff support them to understand routine changes. Staff share key information with parents to support consistency.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Multi-agency partnership work is strong. Staff work with the allocated social workers to monitor and support the young people. Recently, this has involved staff pushing for a physiotherapy assessment and medication review to support one young person.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people enjoy good access to independent advocates. This helps the young people to understand their rights and ensures that they receive the specialist support that they require.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from a minimum of one-to-one supervision during waking Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 4 hours. Close support helps to limit incidents of risk-taking behaviour, such as self- harm. There are no reports of young people going missing from the home.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments clearly reflect the complex needs of each young person. Assessments offer clear guidance on the wishes and feelings of young people and their key behaviour triggers.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behaviour plans are effective and regularly reviewed. When incidents occur, staff reflect well and seek advice from key professionals such as therapists. Recently, staff revised a Picture Exchange Communication System booklet, to improve interaction with a young person.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are encouraged to participate in decisions about their care and their home. Review reports show that staff use good communication and observation skills to represent wishes and feelings.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home‟s premises are physically safe and appropriately secure. Staff routinely conduct health and safety checks and there are good fire precautions in place.

p.4

good

The registered manager left the service in March 2019. A new manager began working in the home on 15 April 2019. The deputy manager and area manager worked well to minimise the impact on young people during the intervening period.

p.4

good

The new manager has settled in well and understands the strengths and weaknesses of the service. She plans to enrol for the required management qualification and to make a formal application for registration with Ofsted by the end of May 2019.

p.4

good

Staff retention and morale are improved. Staff report that there is a greater „synergy‟ within the team and they value improved levels of performance appraisal and supervision. However, at present, appraisals are lacking the views of key professionals and the young people.

p.4

good

The home employs more bank workers than permanent full-time staff. These workers do not follow a consistent shift pattern. This presents inconsistency and confusion for the young people.

p.4

good

Ofsted has not received the management monitoring report due in March 2019. This home does not have a workforce development plan.

p.4

good

Case recording practice requires improvement. Despite strong levels of management audit and some progress, one behaviour support plan had not been Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 5 updated since 2017.

p.4

good

The quality of staff training is variable. Despite staff accessing a range of bespoke training courses, staff lack knowledge of the risks involved in the radicalisation of young people and female genital mutilation.

p.5

good

Admissions are controlled well. Managers scrutinise potential referrals and their potential impact on the existing young people.

p.5

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(c)) 01/06/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff complete suitable training on the risk posed to young people by female genital mutilation and the „Prevent‟ agenda. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 01/06/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records („case records‟) for each child which: 01/06/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 6 are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b))

p.5

Recommendations

 Demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing to prevent disruption to children‟s attachments. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of Regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.6

Recommendations

 Ensure performance appraisals consider the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and the views of the young people in the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 60, paragraph 13.5)

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC037152 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Management Group Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Care House, Randalls Way, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7TW

p.7

Inspector

Barnaby Dowell: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC037152 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8