Children's Home run by Archways Care Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 1 SC383941

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Archways Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of three homes run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who display emotional and/or challenging behaviour. Following the last full inspection, the registered manager has been off sick. She has since resigned from the post.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 3 and 4 June 2019. Following the inspection, the home was served with two compliance notices. These related to leadership and management, and fire safety. This monitoring inspection was conducted to assess the progress made by the provider in addressing these shortfalls and reviewing the progress made against requirements raised at the full inspection with a due date before this visit. A fire safety officer from the Fire and Rescue Service joined the inspectors in assessing the progress made to improve fire safety arrangements at the home. The manager has replaced the office, kitchen and bedroom doors with fire doors, and each door has a self-closer and intumescent strip. As a result, the compliance notice with regards to fire safety has been met. During the monitoring inspection, the fire safety officer raised additional recommendations. These relate to measures that staff need to take to ensure that

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This monitoring visit

the escape route to be used in the event of a fire is kept clear, and that an additional fire door is also needed downstairs. A requirement is raised in relation to this and progress will be reviewed at the next inspection. The manager and staff have improved the physical state of the home, internally and externally. The downstairs shower room has been cleared of clutter. The garden has been maintained and this area is now accessible to children. Staff and the deputy Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 2 manager are maintaining good standards of cleanliness at the home and the home now has a welcoming and homely appeal. The deputy manager reports that staff are beginning to take pride in the home and this may also help children begin to invest in where they live. Despite these improvements, inspectors identified continued shortfalls in leadership and management and the protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of physical intervention incidents is poor. For example, restraint records do not always contain key information such as the type of hold used by staff and the duration of the restraint. Staff debriefs do not always take place after a restraint incident. As a result, the manager cannot be clear about whether restraints are proportionate, legal and effective. This has the potential to compromise children’s safety. A relatively new staff team works at the home. Some improvements have been made in upskilling the staff. For example, staff have completed fire safety and first aid training. However, these improvements have not gone far enough to ensure that there is a clear plan for staff to receive all mandatory training in a timely manner. Only one permanent member of staff has the expected level 3 qualification. Although all staff have now been enrolled onto the level 3 training programme, the

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This monitoring visit

lack of qualified staff remains a concern and compromises the quality of care provided to children. Staff do not have the skills and understanding to effectively manage young people’s challenging behaviour. Following the inspection, the children’s risk-taking behaviours escalated. Behaviours include children verbally abusing and physically assaulting staff, going missing from home, causing damage to the home and self-harming. Despite children’s plans and risk assessments detailing the work that staff need to undertake with children to address some of these behaviours, key-working sessions are not being completed as per their plans. As a result, not enough direct work is being undertaken by staff to help children, and children continue to place themselves and others around them at risk of harm. Managers have not looked at ways to develop a positive relationship between a child and a member of staff. For example, a child is targeting a female member of staff

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This monitoring visit

specifically. The child is verbally and physically violent towards this member of staff and makes sexually inappropriate remarks to her. Despite these incidents escalating since the inspection, managers and staff have not carried out work with the child to address these concerning behaviours. Following the inspection, the registered manager has been off sick and has now resigned. In the interim, until a new manager is appointed, the deputy will be in day-day-charge of the home. However, it is not clear if the deputy meets the relevant requirements to undertake this role. During the last inspection, there was an ongoing internal investigation with regards to a member of staff following allegations from children. This investigation has since been completed and the member of staff has returned to work in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 3 However, it was not clear how the action plan, recommended from the internal

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This monitoring visit

investigation, and subsequent risk assessment, will be completed and reviewed. Of further concern is that the interim manager did not have the details of the investigation and recommendations arising from it. Consequently, they are not able to ensure that the action plan is implemented to protect children and the staff member. Following the monitoring inspection, the home’s two compliance notices and a restriction notice on accommodation have been served.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/06/2019 Full Inadequate 04/09/2018 Full Good 26/09/2017 Full Good 08/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— staff help each child to— take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10(2)(a)(iii)) 31/07/2019

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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 08/09/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 4 positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)) 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 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))* 08/09/2019

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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. 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; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 08/09/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 5 (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(f)(h))* After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home; provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(a)(b)) 08/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— Have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26(7)(b)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has— within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children; worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role. (Regulation 28(1)(b)(i)(c)2(a)(b)) 08/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children’s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 08/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hill Farm, Shawbury Lane, Shustoke, Coleshill, Birmingham B46 2RN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Aristidou

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Inspectors

Shazana Jamal, social care inspector Mr Patrick McIntosh, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC383941 7 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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