Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 1 SC411208 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home is operated by a national private organisation. Care and accommodation are provided for up to three children. The manager has been registered since April 2018.

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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: 14 February 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/08/2018 Full Good 14/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children receive full-time education and that records are maintained to demonstrate that the child is receiving sufficient educational opportunities in line with their rights and needs. 31/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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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—

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Requirement Due date

Helps children aspire to fulfil their potential, and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) 31/08/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 4 In particular, undertake a management review of events that led up to notice being served on a child and another child spending time in emergency accommodation to keep her and others safe.

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)(b)(i)) 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, details of any accidents involving the child while accommodated in the home. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 30/06/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records demonstrate a detailed account of the discussions held with children following the use of restraint. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 49, paragraph 9.60)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff should be familiar with the home‟s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been variable outcomes for children. A child moved out of the home because senior managers made an appropriate decision that they could no longer keep her safe. In addition, her actions were having a negative impact on another child. As a result of this, a child spent time away from the home in temporary accommodation due to concerns about her safety and well-being. The child returned to the home when the other child moved to alternative accommodation.

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improvement to be good

A child who moved into the home in January 2019 is currently not receiving full-time education. Staff are working closely with the local authority to ensure that she attends full-time education as soon as possible. Staff say that they are providing the child with additional learning opportunities. However, they are not keeping records to demonstrate that she is receiving sufficient educational opportunities in line with her rights and needs. In comparison, another child is regularly attending college and has a part-time job. She is thoroughly enjoying these opportunities and they are preparing her well for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Overall, staff have developed good relationships with children. They show them genuine warmth and affection. The atmosphere in the home is caring, positive and nurturing. For example, at the time of the inspection, a child was not feeling well and staff ensured that she felt looked after and cared for. This included snuggling up on the settee and being comforted by staff. This approach is akin to those seen in a positive family environment.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a good range of activities and leisure opportunities. Memory books and photographs of activities both in the home and in the wider community are kept so that children can keep them and can look back at them to understand their time living in this home. Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 6 Children are healthy and staff support and encourage them to attend health appointments. Specialist help and support is provided if this is needed.

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improvement to be good

For a period of time since the last inspection, there have been several serious incidents when children have been verbally and physically aggressive towards staff, caused injury to staff and damaged the property. On one occasion, staff had to physically intervene to keep one child safe from the actions of another child. On two occasions, staff called the police to the home to assist them in managing a child‟s behaviour. In response to these behaviours leaders and managers raised their concerns with the local authority and worked closely with them to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. These behaviours have now ceased and at the time of this inspection, the home was starting to settle.

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improvement to be good

In order to keep children and others safe during several serious incidents, restraint was used as a last resort. This meant that there has been an increase in the use of restraint since the last inspection. Leaders and managers ensure that there is good oversight and evaluation of its use. However, the restraint records do not include the actual time that the restraint is used. In addition, discussions are not always held with staff following the use of an intervention so that they can reflect on their practice. Staff attempt to seek children‟s views of the intervention used, but this is not always successful. Staff say that they use different approaches to gain their views, but these have not been recorded and means that leaders and managers cannot effectively monitor the comments made.

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improvement to be good

Generally, leaders and managers ensure that there is good management oversight of incidents in the home. However, the registered manager has not always ensured that staff complete accident records when children have been hurt.

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improvement to be good

Staff are provided with detailed behaviour support plans that guide them appropriately in how to support children to manage their feelings. Staff say that these plans are clear and helpful.

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improvement to be good

The arrangements to safeguard children are good. Leaders and managers respond to safeguarding concerns effectively. Staff receive regular safeguarding training and demonstrate a good awareness of safeguarding processes. Children are helped to stay safe and their social workers say that they have no concerns about children‟s safety.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that there is an effective recruitment and selection process that safeguards children.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a safe environment. The recently reviewed locality assessment is comprehensive and identifies the known risks and social and leisure opportunities.

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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 7 The registered manager and senior managers have been open and transparent keeping Ofsted and the local authority informed of the recent events in the home. They demonstrate commitment to ensuring that children have positive outcomes. The registered manager and senior managers have identified that until the home has become more settled, other children will not come to live at the home.

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

The registered manager has not conducted a review of the recent events in the home when the placement of a child was ended and another child spent time away from the home to keep her safe. Failure to undertake a management review of these events does not demonstrate reflective practice and fails to establish if there are lessons to be learned to ensure that children are always kept safe. In addition, he has failed to notify Ofsted of all occasions when police have been called to the home.

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

Placement plans are comprehensive and guide staff well in how to meet the individualised needs of the children and young people. In addition, comprehensive risk assessments identify the risks and describe how these risks are to be managed and reduced. These assessments are regularly reviewed and updated, and staff have a good awareness of the children‟s individual needs.

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

Generally, records in the home are well written. However, some records are not clear and concise. For example, some associated records in relation to incidents and restraint differ in their content. This does not always provide an accurate picture of the event.

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

Staff speak well of the support that they have received from the registered manager. In addition, they receive mandatory training and specific training to meet the needs of the children.

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

At the time of this inspection, social workers spoke highly of the care that is provided and of the effective communication with all staff who work at the home. This is an example of good partnership working.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 8 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: SC411208 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Inspector

David Kidner: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC411208 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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