Children's Home run by Longdon Hall School Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 1 SC478001 Registered provider: Longdon Hall School 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 home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have suffered early childhood trauma. A private company owns and operates this home. The registered manager is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2018 Full Good 03/07/2017 Full Good 02/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)) 31/07/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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)(a)(b)(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to staff receiving e-safety training. 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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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. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding 31/07/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 4 and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; the child‟s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child‟s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child‟s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 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)(b)(3) Schedule 1(16)) 31/07/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people build trusting relationships with staff who they trust and respect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff quickly establish good communication with young people‟s teachers. This sharing of information ensures that young people receive the support they need to overcome barriers in their learning. As a result of this partnership working, young people are achieving good education outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy a range of activities and have enjoyable experiences. Staff encourage young people to participate in community-based activities. These varied opportunities help to improve their confidence and enhance their social engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people take pride in their appearance. Staff work hard to encourage young people to recognise their own identity and to embrace who they want to be. This welcoming approach to diversity helps young people to openly express their feelings and wishes about their gender and sexuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to stay in touch with friends and their family. This support helps Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 5 young people to sustain family links.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people can raise their views through regular house meetings and are confident to use the complaints procedure if necessary. Young people also have access to independent advocates who help them with important decisions about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Decisions to end young people‟s placements are sometimes made earlier than planned due to safeguarding concerns. Some of these moves have not been well planned. For example, one young person was moved out of the home without suitable transport or luggage with which to move all his belongings at once. This caused a delay in the young person having access to his personal belongings and his clothes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage young people to maintain a healthy diet, take regular exercise and attend health appointments. Young people access external services that support their mental health. As a result, incidence of self-injurious behaviour is significantly reduced.

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

Safeguarding incidents are well managed. Managers and staff ensure that allegations are referred to the appropriate agencies and investigated accordingly. The registered manager notifies Ofsted of any significant events. This helps Ofsted to identify whether the right action has been taken to safeguard young people.

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

Staff work closely with the police to ensure that missing from care protocols are closely followed when young people go missing from the home. Ongoing work with young people helps to reduce the number of times they go missing. For example, one young person who is new to the home told the inspector that she has only been missing twice since being placed at the home in March 2019. Previously, she went missing from care over 60 times.

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

Young people‟s bedroom doors are fitted with a sensory alarm that staff switch on at night to monitor young people‟s movements. Although the manager has implemented this level of surveillance on safeguarding grounds, young people are not informed about the intended use beforehand, and their social workers have not consented in writing to the use of these alarms.

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

Staff manage young people‟s behaviour in line with individual risk assessments. Any use of physical intervention is carried out by trained members of staff and is only used as a last resort. Staff offer rewards to young people to show appreciation for their positive behaviour. Sanctions are fair and proportionate.

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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 6 Since the last full inspection, a new manager has been appointed.

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

Staff receive appropriate induction, supervision and appraisal from the leadership and management team. As a result, staff gain confidence in their skills and improve their knowledge.

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

Managers do not consistently ensure that safe recruitment practice is followed when recruiting new staff. Managers have failed to pick up that some members of staff have been permitted to start when there are gaps in their employment that have not been fully explored. This represents a potential risk of unsuitable candidates having access to young people.

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

The manager has not provided staff with e-safety training following a young person placing themselves at risk when playing an online game. Although the young person no longer resides at the home, the lack of staff understanding about e-safety remains weak.

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

The manager actively challenges shortfalls in services and escalates concerns. External professionals spoke positively about the manager.

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

The manager has not fully assessed the risk of a septic tank in the back garden. This represents a weakness in the review of health and safety and has the potential to create a risk to the welfare of young people and staff.

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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‟.

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Children’s home details

Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 7 Unique reference number: SC478001

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Longdon Hall School Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Merchants Place, River Street, Bolton BL2 1BX

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC478001 8 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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