Children's Home run by 3 Dimensions Care Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 1 SC060758 Registered provider: 3 Dimensions 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 home is one of a small group of services which are operated by a private company. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties, and/or learning disabilities. The home has an independent special school on-site.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since June 2019. The responsible individual is currently in day-to-day charge of the home and has advertised the managers post.

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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 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: 4 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/06/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 21/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure that staff—

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are supported and encouraged to attend full-time education, and that additional learning opportunities provided by staff are recorded. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 9.60). In particular, ensure that all restraint records clearly detail the manager’s review of the intervention, to reference that in their view the intervention was proportionate and that the least restrictive intervention was used. In addition, ensure that staff supervision records demonstrate that if actions are raised at an initial supervision that the outcomes of these are clearly recorded at the next meeting.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care and support at this home. Staff have developed positive and trusting relationships with children. Staff are nurturing and show children genuine warmth and affection. At this inspection, inspectors observed very positive and respectful interactions between staff and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities both in the home and the wider community. For example, they attend sporting events such as county cricket matches, go to open-air cinema shows, and visit local attractions and play and fun parks, as well as pursuing their individual hobbies, such as fishing and horse riding. Staff encourage children to try new activities, and children are actively involved in the planning of their activities. Children are proud of their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have introduced ‘positive moments’ books to replace reward books. These are colourful, high-quality books for individual children, and provide a sensitive and accurate record of their time here.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers take effective action to challenge education providers to ensure that children receive an education that meets their specific needs. Generally, children make good progress in relation to their educational achievements. However, staff do not maintain detailed records that demonstrate that they provide meaningful learning opportunities for two children who are not in full-time education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good support in learning basic life skills, including their independence skills. These include taking part in household chores and making simple meals. This prepares children for adult life and raises their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers ensure that the health needs of children are met and that children are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staff have challenged medical professionals effectively to ensure that one child’s medication is reviewed. This is because staff have some concerns about its continued use. As a result of this, an Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 5 appointment has now been made with a specialist healthcare professional.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have recognised that they cannot meet the needs of one child. They have been in regular discussion and contact with the child’s placing authority and have ended the placement. However, leaders and managers continue to provide effective care and support to ensure that this child and the others remain safe in the intervening period.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The arrangements to safeguard children are good. Leaders and managers respond effectively to any safeguarding concerns. Staff receive safeguarding training and refresher training, and demonstrate a good understanding of safeguarding protocols.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Shortly after one child moved into the home in April 2019, there was an increase in the use of restraint. However, since June 2019 there has been a significant reduction in its use. This is because the staff have enabled this particular child to better manage their feelings, and staff have developed a good relationship with him. Restraint is used as a last resort to keep children and others safe. Children’s views about the restraint are sought, and staff reflect on their practice to establish if things could have been managed differently.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers have good management oversight and scrutiny of restraint records and incidents in the home. However, some restraint records do not always clearly state that leaders and managers considered that the use of an intervention was proportionate, and that the least restrictive intervention was used.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are provided with detailed and effective behaviour support plans. At this inspection, inspectors observed staff consistently applying the agreed strategies, which diverted children effectively from harmful or aggressive behaviours. This was carried out in a non- judgemental manner with a kind approach, and clear setting of boundaries. In addition, children are encouraged to be involved in the writing of their own behaviour support plans, and there is a constant emphasis for staff to use words that children can understand.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Since the last inspection, children have not gone missing and there are no concerns in relation to the misuse of substances.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders and managers ensure that there is an effective recruitment and selection process that safeguards children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children live in a safe and well-maintained home. A comprehensive location assessment includes the impact of the local amenities on the home and the children it provides for, and the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 6 Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left. The post was promptly advertised, and the responsible individual appointed a manager. However, the appointed person did not take up the post and it is currently being advertised again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual is in day-to day charge of the home and is managing it effectively. In addition, another senior manager and managers from another home in the organisation have been supporting the staff team and visiting the home regularly. The responsible individual has a good understanding and awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The responsible individual has taken effective action and has introduced an electronic monitoring system that has greatly improved the management oversight and monitoring of many records in the home. These include records in relation to incidents, the use of restraint and accidents. As a result of this, the responsible individual has a clearer understanding of the incidents and interventions and responds effectively to these. In addition, this data is used to inform the homes internal quality assurance systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers respond effectively to recommendations made by the independent visitor. In addition, there has been an improvement in the home’s internal monitoring and quality assurance audits, which now clearly identify where further improvements can be made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with detailed plans that guide them in how to meet the needs of the children. These are regularly reviewed and updated. Staff are able to clearly track the progress and impact of the care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive mandatory training as well as tailored training to meet the specific needs of the children. Staff say that they are well prepared and supported to meet the children’s needs. They receive regular supervision that holistically addresses their professional development needs. However, not all supervision records demonstrate that if actions are raised at an initial supervision that the outcomes of these are clearly recorded at the next meeting. Leaders and managers take effective action to address poor staff performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a number of improvements have been made to the environment. These include improved bathing and showering facilities for children, modernisation of the kitchens and redecoration of the home. Further plans to improve are the fitting of new carpets and additional soft furnishings. As a result of this, children stay in a welcoming, homely environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have ensured that the five requirements that were made at the last inspection have been met.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 7 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: SC060758 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 3 Dimensions Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chardleigh House, Chardleigh Green, Wadeford, Chard TA20 3AJ

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Inspectors

David Kidner, social care inspector Joy Howick, HMI social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC060758 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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