Children's home run by Pine Forest Homes Limited in Cannock Chase

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC373693 1 SC373693

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Pine Forest Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people aged eight to 17 years. The home provides short- and long-term placements for young people who may have faced adverse childhood experiences, trauma and placement and family breakdown. The home has been without a registered manager since December 2015. The current manager was appointed on 5 January 2019. At the time of this inspection, the acting manager does not have an active application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this home to be inadequate at the last three full inspections. A notice of restriction of accommodation, issued on 11 July 2018 to prevent any further young people from being admitted to the home, was reissued twice on 3 October 2018 and on 21 December 2018. This restriction was removed on 18 March 2019. The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to review the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notice raised at the inspection in March 2019 and progress against the eight requirements raised. At this monitoring inspection, inspectors found that the compliance notice had not been met. In addition, managers have failed to make sufficient progress overall and only one of the eight requirements was found to be met. Managers now have a system in place where they can demonstrate what members of staff are working on at the home on a day-to-day basis. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC373693 2

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This monitoring visit

At the previous inspection, concerns were raised regarding the young person‟s bedroom. At this monitoring inspection, there were no young people living in the home. The previous young person‟s bedroom had been cleared of all personal items and therefore it is not possible to measure progress against this requirement. Managers are unable to demonstrate that they have made improvements in their oversight of the young person‟s health and well-being. Before the young person was discharged, he was frequently going missing from the home. During these periods, staff were unsure if he had eaten. A review of documentation shows that the young person continues to make poor choices around meals. Staff had carried out some work with the young person to increase his understanding of the impact of his unhealthy lifestyle choices, but without positive impact. In addition, no work had taken place regarding the young person smoking in his bedroom, and

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This monitoring visit

only one session regarding substance misuse had been carried out. Managers continue to fail to demonstrate that staff who work at the home are safely recruited. For example, managers have failed to verify the reasons why a new member of staff recruited to work at the home had left a previous role working with children. Senior managers are also unable to demonstrate that recruitment of the acting manager has been sufficiently rigorous to satisfy themselves that he fulfils the regulatory requirements for this role. No progress has been made in this area since the previous inspection in March 2019. Managers have been unable to sustain previous improvements regarding staff induction and training. One member of staff has still to finish a level 3 diploma in residential childcare, despite this being outside of the regulatory timeframe. The newest member of staff recruited in January 2019 has continued to work alone in

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This monitoring visit

the home despite not finishing all aspects of the core training set by the organisation. The member of staff still needs to receive her training in the home‟s approved method of physical intervention and internet safety. Managers have completed and submitted a new quality of care report. Although this report acknowledges the current Ofsted judgement and enforcement action, there are no clear actions identified that managers intend to make to improve the quality of care provided to young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/01/2019 Full Inadequate 02/10/2018 Full Inadequate 03/07/2018 Full Inadequate 13/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC373693 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 health and well-being standard is that children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to understand and develop skills to promote the child‟s well-being. (Regulation 10(1)(c)(2)(a)(iv)) 07/06/2019

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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. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(c)) 07/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children‟s home if the person is of integrity and good character; having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has— within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children; worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and by the relevant date, attained the Level 5

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Requirement Due date

Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential 07/06/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC373693 4 Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. (Regulation 28(1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(3)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)) For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a

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Requirement Due date

home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(b)(4)(5)) 07/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 07/06/2019

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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. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)) 07/06/2019

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC373693 5 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: SC373693 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pine Forest Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ballance & Lowbridge, Accountants, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspectors

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Mrs Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC373693 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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