Children's Home run by Doncaster Children‟s Services Trust Limited in Doncaster

Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 1 SC481439 Registered provider: Doncaster Children’s Services Trust 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

A local authority operates and runs this home. It provides care for up to four children and young people whose plan is for them to live in a medium- to long-term residential setting. The home has been without a registered manager since February 2019. A manager has very recently been appointed, and took up her post on 10 April 2019.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 December 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Good 11/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 3

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improvement to be good

The children and young people are making limited progress and their behaviours have escalated. For example, drugs misuse has increased to a level of dependency and there are significant concerns about children and young people being exploited and involved in crime. Their school attendance is poor, and their engagement with routines and boundaries is limited. Therefore, despite the staff’s continued focus and engagement with specialist services to provide the children and young people with the care they need, they continue to disengage, and their risks continue to escalate. This is impacting negatively on their progress and outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Staff explore the barriers to the children and young people’s learning and offer incentives, but these strategies are, on the whole, ineffective. The staff understand the importance of education and work in partnership with relevant professionals to improve the children and young people’s education plans. For one child, this has resulted in a change of school and an increased timetable. Consequently, his educational, emotional and behavioural needs are now being met.

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improvement to be good

Transitions from the home are planned. The manager recognises when the care provided by the staff can no longer help to promote/improve the children and young people’s well-being or protect them, and plans well for alternate accommodation provisions to be found. This means that the group dynamic in the home is managed and the children and young people experience appropriate moves.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff listen to the children and young people’s wishes and feelings, and recently consulted them on the decoration of the home, including the personalisation of their bedrooms. One young person said, ‘The house looks loads better.’ The advocate regularly visits the home and supports the children and young people to express their views. This helps the children and young people to raise complaints, which the manager formally responds to. However, the children and young people do not have the contact details for the Children’s Commissioner, as these are not within the children’s guide. Additionally, although there is clear consultation with the children and young people, they are not consistently reading or contributing to the information that is written about them in their records. This is limiting their insight into their care plans and their future targets.

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improvement to be good

The staff encourage the children and young people to engage in activities and they explore ways to provide the children and young people with memorable experiences. They have been on holiday to Blackpool and London, and some have been to watch a boxing match and have enjoyed a trip to a wildlife park. Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 4

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improvement to be good

The staff’s approaches to improving the behaviours of children and young people are ineffective. There are incidents on most days and this is heightening the children and young people’s risk. The escalation of the risk-taking behaviours impacts on other children and young people who live in the home. They are witnessing drugs misuse, verbal and physical aggression towards staff and peers, and regular visits from the police which involve the home being searched. They are also having their sleep disturbed. Although the staff are talking to the children and young people about their safety and well-being, they are not consistently imposing any consequences or undertaking any reparation work. This means that the children and young people are not getting the opportunity to learn about the impact of their behaviours on themselves and others.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand the children and young people’s risks, and identify any changes that could highlight a potential concern. As concerns are identified, the staff quickly share information with relevant professionals, which enables a multi-agency approach to addressing the prevailing risks, including concerns around exploitation. When the children and young people go missing from home, the staff take immediate action to ensure their safe return home. Independent return home interviews take place to evaluate risk while the children and young people are missing.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical intervention appropriately to manage the children and young people’s complex and challenging behaviours. The staff have undertaken accredited behaviour management training, and have the necessary knowledge and skills around de- escalation. However, notifications to the regulator identify that the police are frequently called to the home. It is evident that some incidents do require the support from the police. However, not all of these incidents are deemed significant enough to warrant a notification to the regulator. This was raised with the manager during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

The staff are sensitive with regard to children and young people’s personal belongings when they carry out room searches. These take place when they have concerns relating to the safety and protection of the children, young people and others. The police have assisted when concerns have been heightened. In addition to this, staff have been unable to prevent bullying behaviours between peers, and key-working sessions do not always take place to educate the children and young people about the impact of these behaviours on others. This often results in some children and young people at the home feeling unsafe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home was without management stability during the registered manager’s period of absence, and subsequent departure in January 2019. The current manager has brought strength to the team through her practice and direction, and has reflected on the need for some changes within the staffing structure to better support the children and young people living at the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 5 The manager is proactive in her approach to addressing the improvements needed at the home. She is using research-led approaches to help the staff acknowledge their strengths and practice-development areas. Improvements have been made to the children and young people’s records. However, the staff are not consistently signing records to evidence that they have read them and have understood the contents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The children and young people benefit from effective partnership working. The staff communicate well with professionals and attend all meetings about the children and young people. This ensures that current needs and concerns are shared, and plans are implemented to improve outcomes. A professional said, ‘The staff go above and beyond for the children; they are always trying new strategies to try and get good outcomes for them.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has consulted with the children and young people about their plans, and writes to the children and young people to say why she is proud of them and what she is concerned about. There is now evidence of consultation in the regulation 45 review, and reflection on the progress and experiences of the children and young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 6

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(iii)(xii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to the staff not consistently imposing any consequences or undertaking any reparation work to address the children and young people’s behaviours. In addition to this, staff have been unable to prevent bullying behaviours between peers, and key-working sessions are not always taking place to educate the children and young people about the impact of these behaviours on others. 20/06/2019

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide should help children to understand how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 7 might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12) Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 8

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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: SC481439 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Colonnades House, Duke Street, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 1ER

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Inspector

Jennifer Fenlon: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481439 10 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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