Children's home run by Cornerways Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 1 SC013613 Registered provider: Cornerways Children’s Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is one of two children’s homes owned and run by a private company that also operates a fostering agency and a school. It has accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service also provides individual young people with support from therapists.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2014.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 23 to 24 and 29 July 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2018

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2018 Full Good 11/01/2018 Full Good 30/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

p.3

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; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(4)(a)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, induction, supervision and appraisals should take place at the frequency outlined in the organisation’s policy and be of sufficient quality to help staff undertake the role and task. 27/09/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

p.3

Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must— supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report 27/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 4 within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

p.4

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 (3)(a)(b)) 27/09/2019

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that arrangements are in place to— plan for, and help each child to prepare to leave the home or move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iii)(e)(i)(ii)) 27/09/2019

p.4

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the 27/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 5 approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(f))

p.4

improvement to be good

In recent months, there has been an unusually high number of new admissions to the home which have resulted in unplanned endings. The referral and matching process used by leaders and managers has not fully considered the high needs of the children, the impact on the existing group or the current levels of skills and experience within the staff team to meet them. These children’s experience of moving in and out of the home has been poor.

p.5

improvement to be good

Other children whose placements have been stable have good relationships with the staff and are making progress. The staff team is committed to all the children in its care and works hard to make their experiences more positive. The team actively encourages the children to participate in activities to keep them occupied. This is achieved through consistent daily routines, rules and boundaries and clear care plans.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff prioritise one-to-one time with children. These sessions take place regularly and are planned and in response to children’s requests. Records show that staff approach conversations sensitively. They also give children the opportunity to explore how they feel and help them manage difficult situations in their lives. Children also meet regularly as a group. However, while they are given the opportunity to influence the way that the home is run, staff have used the children’s negative behaviour as a reason not to act. For example, the children had repeatedly asked for new items to be purchased for the lounge to make it feel homelier. However, this was refused following an incident, despite it having previously been agreed.

p.5

improvement to be good

Education is seen as a high priority by the staff. They understand the barriers some children face to accessing school and the curriculum. All children attend the organisation’s school. Staff support them to go to school, and attendance is good. Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 6

p.5

improvement to be good

The home’s statement of purpose does not accurately reflect what the home sets out to do. Throughout the inspection, there was no evidence of staff having been briefed or trained in the issues and behaviours arising from the children’s complex needs. The underpinning model of care is not fully embedded into practice, and some staff lack insight into why the children present with behaviour that challenges.

p.6

improvement to be good

Staff are working very hard to keep children safe. They are managing some extremely difficult and challenging behaviours including children going missing and self-harming. When these incidents occur, despite their response being more crisis management, the staff do respond well and follow written guidance. As a result of this, some children have been helped to reduce these behaviours.

p.6

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers advocate on behalf of children. However, they are not always robust enough in challenging placing authorities, particularly when there are disagreements about how children should be looked after. This lack of action is confusing for children and staff in terms of what the expectations of them are.

p.6

improvement to be good

Children, staff and managers benefit from regular input from the clinical psychologist. Her close working relationship with the local child and adolescent mental health services means that any concerns about children can be discussed immediately. This clear risk management process helps the staff to manage their anxieties.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is very experienced and holds a relevant qualification in leadership and management.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, the management or on-call arrangements were not satisfactory. Both the registered manager and responsible individual were on annual leave. The deputy manager in charge was working shifts while also being on call. The out-of-hours cover was also being shared with a new manager on probation from the organisation’s other home and a company director. The absence of the home’s managers was felt by the staff team that felt unsupported, particularly when managing difficult and risky situations.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the morale in the staff team has been low, as leaders and managers have not trained and developed staff sufficiently to meet the children’s individual and complex needs. This has contributed to children experiencing unplanned endings and placement breakdowns.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Systems designed to formally support and develop staff in their roles are not being used consistently. This includes the induction of new staff, ongoing supervision and annual appraisals. The frequency and quality of these meetings have led to staff feeling Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 7 unsupported. The absence of regular team meetings has compounded this by not supporting staff through change.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The arrangements for monitoring the quality of care have lapsed recently. This has meant that leaders and managers have not maintained sufficient oversight and scrutiny of practice. This has led to tasks either not being completed or not reviewed. Examples include the home’s statement of purpose, the fire risk assessment and the annual training plan. Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 8

p.7

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.

p.8

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: SC013613 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Children’s Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ashcombe Court, Woolsack Way, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1LQ

p.9

Inspector

Amanda Harvey, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC013613 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10