Children's home run by The Chiltern Centre for Disabled Children Limited in South Oxfordshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 1 SC060327 Registered provider: The Chiltern Centre for Disabled Children Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service provides short breaks for up to five young people who have learning difficulties and/or sensory impairment and/or physical disabilities. A registered charity provides this service.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children‟s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 7 and 8 January 2019, and three compliance notices were served. These were in respect of the protection of children standard, the leadership and management standard and fire precautions. One of these notices was judged to be met at a monitoring visit later in January 2019. However, the remaining two notices were judged to be unmet at a monitoring visit in February 2019. Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2019 Full Inadequate 19/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/05/2017 Full Good 03/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 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.

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Requirement Due date

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; 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; 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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child‟s health; and that the effectiveness of the home‟s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e)) 01/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 01/08/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 4 (Regulation 13 (2)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with— any other provision of these Regulations; or any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)(5)(6)(a)(b)) 01/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (1)(2)(b)) 01/07/2019

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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. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)) 01/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 01/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the 01/08/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 5 outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation— must include details of— the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(d)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1)) 01/08/2019

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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.

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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— 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.

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Requirement Due date

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”).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)) 01/08/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 6

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home‟s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child‟s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.11) In particular, by ensuring that safe care plans are effective documents.  The registered person and the home‟s staff should be familiar with the care planning process for looked-after children and must assist children to prepare for meetings in relation to this. Staff should play an important role in these meetings, including supporting the child and enabling a clear understanding to be reached about the child‟s views, wishes, feelings, and expectations for their future. An independent

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Recommendations

advocate can also be called upon by the child or staff to support the child in their reviews. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 23, paragraph 4.14)  The registered person must not automatically use the views of parents as a proxy for children‟s views. Children will have their own perspective and arrangements should be in place to engage with them directly. In some cases the view of a relevant person, such as a social worker or IRO, might be included in discussions where the person is interpreting or advocating on behalf of a child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.25)

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have been ineffective in making the required improvements, and this affects the overall experience and progress which young people make. The home continues to provide care predominantly to adults. There are shortfalls in how the home is managed, and fire safety is not managed effectively. This means that young people live in a home where their safety is not promoted.

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improvement to be good

Staff are caring, knowledgeable and nurturing in their approach. They follow detailed support plans that provide practical advice, guidance and information about daily routines. Staff have begun identifying a clear aim, objective or skill for each young person to develop when they attend the home. Staff have initiated a review process of these aims but have not done so for all young people yet.

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improvement to be good

Staff form positive relationships of trust with young people and their parents and carers which have a positive impact on the quality of their stays. Staff treat young people as Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 7 individuals, with respect and dignity, and offer young people choice about activities, food and other aspects of daily living.

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improvement to be good

Young people‟s individual health needs are well met. Health plans, regimes and protocols are followed, which ensures that their physical and emotional well-being is promoted. When young people have complex needs, plans are sufficiently clear to ensure that these needs are met. These include healthcare plans and specific plans for those with complex healthcare needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff support young people to develop essential life and social skills that equip them for their futures.

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improvement to be good

Knowledgeable staff explore young people‟s views through a variety of communication methods and approaches. Staff continue to review and develop their communication systems to ensure that each young person‟s voice is heard. However, the young person‟s voice is not yet seen in support plans or reviews of their care.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have not ensured that regular testing and checks of the fire prevention systems are completed. For example, the emergency lights were not tested in February or March 2019. There have been no fire drills since November 2018, despite the independent visitor raising this as an action to complete. These shortfalls mean that there is the potential for young people‟s safety to be compromised.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have not implemented effective systems to ensure that all areas of the home are well presented. The garden has damaged toys and broken cupboards. This means that there is the potential for young people to come into contact with items which may not be safe. Furthermore, the grass has not been cut or the flower beds weeded. This does not show young people that staff care about their home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have an improved knowledge and understanding of how to keep young people safe, alongside clarity about their roles and responsibilities. They know what to do if a concern arises and have reported and referred concerns to others. Safeguarding logs provide some information about concerns and actions, although managers have not ensured that they are current and up to date. When concerns have been referred to others, managers have not assured themselves that they know the outcome of the referral. In one case, they did not request an update until seven days after the referral. Nonetheless, staff did act as required, at the time, to safeguard the young person. The home‟s safeguarding policy and procedure has been updated and reviewed, but it still lacks guidance about reporting timescales and the specific risk factors associated with disabled young people.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff have reviewed some young people‟s risk assessments. They provide practical advice, guidance and support to staff to manage and minimise risk. However, Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 8 risk assessments are completed for some young people which are not pertinent to their individual needs or risks.

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improvement to be good

All staff are trained in the home‟s preferred behaviour management approach. There have been no incidents of physical intervention in the home since the previous inspection. Young people‟s support plans detail their possible triggers and the strategies to support young people to de-escalate their behaviour and anxiety. For example, one young person likes to shower when they arrive at the home, as this helps them to settle when they arrive.

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improvement to be good

Managers have updated the home‟s complaints policy and procedure. They now record all informal and formal complaints made to the home and detail actions and outcomes. All complaints have been explored and investigated, with records detailing the outcome and response to the complainant, and with lessons learned and improvements to practice shared with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of the home are poor. Leaders and managers do not know the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Since the previous inspection, there has been a change in the management of the home. The previous registered manager has left. A manager has been appointed but he has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent visits to the home have not occurred, and this is a breach of regulation. Leaders and managers have not completed the required six-monthly reviews of the home. The home is not being appropriately monitored and reviewed, either externally or internally.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not implemented effective systems that support him in his oversight, monitoring and evaluation of the quality of care provided by the home. Due to this shortfall, several areas have declined and have not been addressed. Leaders and managers have not created a development plan that explores strengths, weaknesses and how they plan to address these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that he has notified Ofsted following a serious incident or concern. There have been two safeguarding referrals made by the home, since the previous inspection, which were not notified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not met all the requirements and recommendations set following the previous inspection in January 2019 or two of the compliance notices set following that inspection. These compliance notices, relating to leadership and management and the protection of children, were judged to be unmet at a monitoring visit in February 2019. The compliance notices were not reissued. This compounds the lack of progress being made by leaders and managers since January 2019. Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 9 The manager and staff have not received regular, effective supervision, and at least one member of staff has not been supervised for several months. Two members of staff have not had their practice appraised for over a year. The newly appointed manager has not received any professional guidance or supervision to support and enable him to settle into his new role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff access a wide variety of core training that supports them in meeting the needs of the young people that attend the home, and staff have achieved the required qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not reviewed or altered the home‟s statement of purpose since December 2018. They have not ensured that it is in line with the home‟s registration and conditions. The home continues to offer care mainly to adults. However, the provider has not accepted any referrals of children or adults since the last inspection of the home.

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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

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: SC060327 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Chiltern Centre for Disabled Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chiltern Centre, Greys Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1QR

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Inspector

Amanda Maxwell, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC060327 11 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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