Children's Home run by Crossways Care Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 1 SC452009 Registered provider: Crossways Care 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

This children’s home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted to manage this home in 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: 18 September 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/06/2017 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 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

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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develop positive relationships with them;

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take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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

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ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 02/08/2019

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The education standard is that children make measurable 02/08/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 4 progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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

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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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support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

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that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning.

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(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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9: The enjoyment and achievement standard

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The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their 02/08/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 5 needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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

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develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies.

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13: The leadership and management standard

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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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received.

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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)(a)(b)(2)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 02/08/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 6

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that essential maintenance work is completed without delay.

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Recommendations

 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. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 Local authorities should have in place Runaway and Missing From Home and Care (RMFHC) protocols agreed with local police and other partners. Where appropriate, they should also have agreed protocols with neighbouring authorities. The protocols should be agreed and reviewed regularly with all agencies and be scrutinised by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.23)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) In particular, consider the emergency services’ response times and risks in the immediate locality of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 7

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improvement to be good

The current child has complex behavioural and emotional needs, and the outcomes for him are mixed. This inspection found weaknesses in care planning, behaviour management and management monitoring and oversight.

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improvement to be good

The manager has allowed a child to live in an environment that is poorly maintained. Damage to the walls and furniture has not been repaired or replaced. The manager has not escalated uncompleted maintenance requests or considered the impact the living environment has on the child’s emotional health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Consultation with the child and seeking his views require improvement. Following incidents when physical intervention is used, staff do not formally talk with him about his feelings of being held. In addition, children’s meetings and keyworker discussions are adult-led. Records of discussions held do not identify whether the child’s views, wishes and feelings are sought or acted on.

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improvement to be good

The child’s educational attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection. Despite this improvement, his engagement and attainment at school are an escalating concern. Staff do not support the child’s learning needs outside of the school day because they do not know his educational targets or attainment levels. Despite this weak practice, a headteacher who contributed to this inspection spoke positively of how the staff encourage and support the child to attend school and said that information-sharing is good.

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improvement to be good

The staff have not sought more creative ways to engage the child in a range of activities that will help him to develop his social skills, self-esteem and interests. Currently, the child spends a significant amount of time daily playing on electronic devices.

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improvement to be good

Staff have successfully supported the child to maintain regular contact with people who are important to him. Positive and respectful relationships are maintained as a result. In addition, the child said that he likes the care staff, naming two individuals whom he enjoys spending time with.

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improvement to be good

The child is, in the main, helped and protected effectively. Weaknesses identified at this inspection relate to behaviour management and environmental risks. Incidents resulting in physical intervention have reduced significantly. Since the last inspection, there have been three reported incidents. These interventions were for a limited period of time and only used to manage serious risks. Following these incidents, the manager has not sought the child’s views about being held. Similarly, the staff have not been provided with the opportunity to reflect on what alternative actions they could Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 8 have taken.

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improvement to be good

The home’s care planning documents do not align with the local authority’s aims and objectives and the local authority targets are not known by the care staff. Internal care plans mainly focus on the child’s historical needs and behaviours. Targets are broad, they have not been reviewed, and are not effective. The lack of meaningful and measurable targets means that the child’s progress is not maximised.

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improvement to be good

Restorative consequences are considered when the child displays unwanted behaviours. Missing from home incidents are rare. One reported incident has taken place since the last inspection; this incident was managed well. Staff followed the child’s missing from home protocol and risk assessment effectively. Despite this appropriate action, the manager has not ensured that the missing from home protocol has been approved by the police.

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improvement to be good

Environmental and behavioural risks are known by staff and in the main managed well. Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and inform staff about the actions they need to take. However, the risk rating and reason for the risk assessment is not always clear.

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improvement to be good

The manager has completed a locality assessment. Although detailed in parts, this document requires improvement. The manager has not considered the impact of transport links and emergency services’ operational hours and response times in relation to the home.

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

The manager’s oversight and monitoring of the records completed by staff require improvement to be good. Reporting and recording systems are not monitored for effectiveness. Omissions and inaccuracies in documents have not been identified or rectified. The child’s daily journal does not provide an accurate reflection of his day. Targets and incentives achieved are not always recorded. In addition, confidential records are not stored securely.

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

The manager has completed a development plan for the home. This plan lacks vison and ambition. The manager has not considered how the quality of care and environment could be enhanced.

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

Staff say that they work together well, and that morale is good. They confirm that they attend regular team meetings, receive informal and formal supervision and that they are provided with good training opportunities. Despite this, not all staff are up to date with basic mandatory training nor have they been provided with specialist training that will help them to understand and meet the child’s current needs. For example, staff have not received training in understanding separation, bereavement and loss.

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

The child benefits from receiving continuity of care from an enthusiastic staff team that understands his personal preferences and individual characteristics. High staffing levels ensure that the child’s basic daily living needs are met. Staff who contributed to this Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 9 inspection said that they are proud of the child’s progress to date.

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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: SC452009 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 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 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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