Children's home run by Paddock House Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 1 Registered provider: Paddock House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for up to six children or young people. The home looks after children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager was registered in April 2017.

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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: 12 December 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/07/2018 Full Good 21/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 3

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improvement to be good

There have been a high number of admissions and discharges to and from the home. Many children’s and young people’s placements have ended abruptly due to safeguarding incidents. Pre-admission risk assessments have not fully considered the needs of all children and young people. New admissions take place before the residing children and young people have had time to settle and develop trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. This means that children’s and young people’s overall experiences from admission point to leaving the home are not positive. Furthermore, this hinders their progress.

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improvement to be good

Educational attendance and attainment are mixed. The home values education and when children and young people enter the home without any educational provision, alternative educational activities are offered. This helps children and young people to maintain structure in their day and to have opportunities to learn. Additionally, this supports reintegration back into education.

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improvement to be good

There are currently three young people living in the home. The longest placement has been for four weeks. It has therefore been difficult to measure progress given that all three placements are in their infancy stages. For children and young people who display self-harmful behaviour or who misuse solvents, there has been a decrease in episodes since they have been admitted to the home.

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improvement to be good

Inspectors observed the children and young people to have positive interactions with the adults looking after them. The staff team as well as children and young people congregate at mealtimes to eat and to discuss their day. This creates a homely environment for children and young people.

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improvement to be good

Activities are offered regularly, and these are well received by the children and young people. They enhance the experiences of children and young people as well as supporting and building positive relationships with the adults who care for them.

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improvement to be good

Contact arrangements for children and young people are well supported where safe to do so. The manager and the staff team recognise the benefits of children and young people maintaining links with their family and friends. Family and friends are made welcome in the home. This provides positive messages and experiences for children and young people. A professional commented, ‘This has got to be the best home I have worked with that helps facilitate contact. They go the extra mile. It doesn’t matter how far away the family are they make sure contact happens. It’s lovely that [Name] got to have his mum come and visit. It helped him, and her to see where he is being cared for and by whom.’

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improvement to be good

Each child and young person has their own residential care plan as well as a risk assessment. Children and young people sign to say that they have read their residential Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 4 care plan. The inspectors did not find evidence of children and young people meaningfully contributing to how they would like to be cared for. This would help to develop effective strategies to help care for children and young people. Additionally, children and young people would be able to see their own progress via their contributions.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and risk management processes do not effectively address the current level of risks and all the care requirements for children and young people. Furthermore, a lack of monitoring and reviewing of risk assessments means that it is difficult to measure progress from children’s and young people’s starting points. This means that children and young people are not sufficiently supported in a way that is beneficial to them.

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improvement to be good

When children and young people are missing from the home, the appropriate protocols are followed. When children and young people return home, they have the opportunity to speak with an independent visitor. This provides children and young people with an opportunity to discuss any concerns with someone independent of the home.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions have been rare. The inspectors found no issue with the techniques used or the recording of the intervention used. The effectiveness of physical interventions is difficult to know as the placements for those children and young people have ended.

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improvement to be good

The home has seen an increase in critical incidents. The severity of critical incidents has also escalated, resulting in placements ending without notice being given. The manager and his deputy were very reflective about the decisions made in respect of previous placements. They recognise the shortfalls and areas that require improvements. The manager plans to settle the children and young people currently living in the home before accepting further admissions. This means that children and young people will benefit from the staff team dedicating their time to helping to settle them and to build positive relationships.

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

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and experienced for the position held. He is supported by an experienced and motivated deputy manager. Together they show an ambitious vision and have high expectations of what children and young people can achieve.

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

Risk assessments undertaken pre-admission to the home do not accurately assess the dynamics or mix of all children and young people. This has led to placements ending abruptly. This does not offer children and young people the stability of placement that they need to feel safe as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 5 Risk assessments and residential placement plans are not robust and are not monitored effectively by the manager. This means that children, young people and the adults caring for them are unable to identify progress made or to ensure that consistent, safe care is provided.

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

The manager works well with external agencies. Evidence of communication with a range of external professionals was evident throughout the records. Due to the high number of missing from home episodes that were reported earlier in the year, relationships with some external agencies had become strained. The manager is taking and has taken steps to address this to improve professional relationships.

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

The manager and deputy manager are accessible to the staff team, children and young people. They often take on additional responsibilities that the residential staff team would usually undertake. This has led to the manager having insufficient capacity to undertake some of his management responsibilities. There have been shortfalls in the quality of monitoring and reviewing of case records. This has hindered him being effective at driving improvements forward.

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

Mandatory training is up to date for all staff members. Progress has been made in relation to some staff successfully qualifying with a national vocational qualification level 3 in working with children and young people. The manager has ensured appropriate monitoring and reviewing of training to ensure that training and qualifications are within timescales. This means that the staff have the experience, skills and qualifications to meet the needs of children and young people in their care.

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

The manager ensures that all staff receive supervision and appraisal on a regular basis. There is evidence from the records that staff are given the opportunity to discuss safeguarding concerns and understand the home’s whistleblowing policy. This ensures that any concerns about the safety of a child or young person can be acted on quickly. There is evidence from the records that shortfalls in staff practice are discussed and monitored appropriately.

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

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his team and has recruitment plans in place to address this. Furthermore, the manager recognises the shortfalls in practice that the inspectors found during this inspection. He has clear plans in place to make the necessary improvements.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 6

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(2)(ix)) 30/06/2019

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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. 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi) and (vii))

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Requirement Due date

30/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 7 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— 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; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(f)(h)) 30/06/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(a)) 30/06/2019

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Recommendations

◼ The principle of listening to the child and taking their views, wishes and feelings into account when planning and undertaking their care applies to all children, including children with disabilities, special educational needs or other complex needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 2, paragraph 4.5) Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 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: 1252120 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Paddock House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: B3 Kingfisher House, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 0JQ

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Inspector(s)

Jacqueline Tate: social care inspector Mark Proffitt: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1252120 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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