Children's Home run by Park Blue Homes Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1274341 1 Registered provider: Park Blue Homes 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 owned and managed by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 5 December 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/12/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1274341 2

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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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 18/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or 18/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1274341 3 ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (2)(b)(d))

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Recommendations

 The children’s home must produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, two young people have left the home. The staff were not always able to meet the complex care needs of both young people. However, both young people made some progress from their starting points while living in the home. These included going to school, building relationships and enjoying activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have been challenged by the behaviours of two young people. One young person had their education briefly interrupted and experienced bullying by the young people who have subsequently moved on. These moves were rushed and could have been better planned. However, the swift and considered approaches by the manager and staff team resulted in a much calmer and safer environment for the young person who remained living in the home. This young person spoke warmly of the staff. The staff demonstrated loving and nurturing approaches towards the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has recently moved in. A well-planned introduction to the home has resulted in her settling, and there are already signs of her beginning to make progress through receiving good-quality, kind and nurturing care from the manager and the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend school and are encouraged and supported to attend any necessary health appointments. Staff and young people enjoy cooking and sharing meals together. As a result, they are helped to understand the importance of eating a balanced diet and keeping healthy. Inspection report children’s home: 1274341 4 Staff spoken with during the inspection are clear about what they are aiming to achieve with the young people. Well-kept records, up-to-date risk assessments and placement plans inform the staff about how best to meet the care needs of the young people. The information is concisely written and provides staff with guidance and strategies. Plans contain the young people’s views of how they think the staff can best support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A children’s guide helps young people when they first move into the home. It is informative and, in part, child friendly. The manager needs to ensure that there are a variety of versions that are accessible for all young people.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand the potential risks the young people may present. Comprehensive assessments of risk and control measures are in place to help to keep young people safe. The staff are open to learning from any incidents that could have been managed differently and implement this learning.

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improvement to be good

Two young people, who have since moved on from the home, went missing on several occasions. Staff followed a comprehensive missing-from-home protocol to enable them to safely and effectively manage these incidents. Records kept demonstrate attempts and efforts by the manager and staff to prevent and reduce missing-from-home incidents. Nonetheless, two young people did place themselves at risk during periods of being away from the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people with complex and challenging behaviours are supported by skilled staff. Calming and nurturing approaches by staff mean physical intervention is rarely used. Staff praise and reward positive behaviour and support young people to learn from their mistakes. As a result, the young people are learning strategies to better cope when worried or anxious.

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improvement to be good

Reporting procedures forserious incidents are followed, with the exception of one incident. While the manager did report a potential safeguarding incident to the young people’s local authority social workers, he did not follow protocol and make a referral to the multi-agency safeguarding hub.

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improvement to be good

The young people live in a home that is kept safe because of regular maintenance and checks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and experienced in social care. While relatively new to the role, he leads and manages the team well. Staff spoke positively of the supervision and support he provides.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager actively challenges other services to ensure that the young people receive the services and help they need. For example, education is provided Inspection report children’s home: 1274341 5 promptly for young people when they move in, and specific training has been arranged to equip staff with the skills and knowledge to support one young person’s complex learning needs. However, the registered manager did not challenge the speed with which one young person moved in and out of the home. Further improvements are necessary in this procedure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Learning is being undertaken by the registered manager and the staff team, following a turbulent time in the home this year. The registered manager is aware of the strengths and areas for improvement in the home. A development plan is in place that identifies further improvement for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people gain a sense of security and permanence from being supported by a small and consistent staff team. The registered manager undertakes regular care shifts in the home as well as managerial tasks, so knows the young people well. If a member of staff is away, other staff cover the shifts rather than a member of staff whom the young people do not know.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Any damage in the home is promptly repaired. The home has recently been decorated and furnishings have been replaced, following extensive damage by two previous residents. The young people enjoy living in a very homely and well-maintained environment. Photographs of the young people are displayed throughout the home, along with certificates of achievement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

From this inspection, two requirements are made. Nevertheless, it is recognised that the registered manager and staff team have worked hard and, in doing so, all requirements made at the last inspection have been met.

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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: 1274341 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fairfield Lodge, Evenwood Lane, Evenwood, Bishop Auckland, Durham DL14 9NH

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Inspector(s)

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1274341 7 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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