Children's home run by What's Out There Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 1 SC465120 Registered provider: What’s Out There 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 provides care and accommodation for up to three children. It is part of a private organisation that solely operates this registered children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 September 2019

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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: 19 December 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/08/2018 Full Good 15/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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treat each child with dignity and respect;

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 4 provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) and (ix)) 8: The education standard 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 particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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

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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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 5 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x) and (b)) 9: The enjoyment and achievement standard The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— 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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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 9 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) and (b)) 30/09/2019

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10: The health and well-being standard The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 6 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being.

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(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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positive responses to other children and adults.

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 7 help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii) and (xiii)) 13: The leadership and management standard 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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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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. 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 8 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(f))

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improvement to be good

Not all children have positive experiences and make good progress while living in this children’s home. The manager and staff do not fully understand the complex needs of a child who has lived in the home for nearly six months. They have failed to take effective action to help the child to make good progress and the inspector was concerned that not all members of the staff team knew some key information about the child and, as a consequence, had not used creative approaches to positively engage with the child.

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improvement to be good

The child leads a reclusive and unhealthy lifestyle. Too little has been done to make improvements in key areas of his life such as daily routines, sleep patterns, personal hygiene, social interaction, activities and education.

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improvement to be good

While specialist advice has been sought, it has been taken too literally and the manager and staff have failed to evaluate its effectiveness or balance this advice with what good parenting would look like in these circumstances.

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improvement to be good

One child is in full-time education and doing well but the other child has not received any education since moving into the home nearly six months ago. While plans were in place for home education, these were not put into action.

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improvement to be good

Other children have had positive experiences and made good progress while living in this home. A child who left recently had lived in the home for two years and was well supported through some difficult times. Overall, except for one child, care has been taken to develop good, supportive relationships with children and to help them to make good choices, achieve positive outcomes and prepare well for being young adults.

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improvement to be good

When children have gone missing from the home, the manager and staff have failed to ensure that the children have always received independent return home interviews. This has meant that every opportunity has not been taken to understand why a child has taken such a risk and how they can be supported to become increasingly safe.

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improvement to be good

Incentives and rewards are used to good effect. However, not enough thought has been given to the use of a sanction for one child, in particular how this sanction reflects an understanding of the child’s emotional well-being and how meaningful the impact of the sanction is likely to be. Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 9 Key-working time has not been fully explored with all children in terms of how this one- to-one time can help children and staff develop positive relationships. Too often it is used in response to a difficulty, as opposed to seeking to promote nurturing care and positive help to the child.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. There has been a thorough and effective response to a safeguarding concern in respect of staff conduct and suitability. Appropriate action has also been taken in response to serious incidents involving children. This includes following them and trying to encourage them to return home when they have gone missing, and reporting concerns to other professionals who have a safeguarding responsibility.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment processes are safe and effective, and all records are well organised and stored electronically.

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

The registered manager has not responded effectively to shortfalls that exist in the home, including how to engage with and appropriately meet the complex needs of one of the current children. In respect of two previous children who lived in the home, the registered manager did not escalate concerns that these children did not always receive independent return home interviews after they had been missing. In respect of this later shortfall, the registered manager told the inspector that this was because the electronic programme used by the home did not prompt her to do this, but the programme has now been amended. The registered manager’s dependence on being supported in this way, in such a key area of helping and protecting children, is concerning and requires improvement.

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

In other respects, there are strengths to the management and leadership and staffing of the home. The registered manager has been mentoring the deputy manager for approximately two years and there are plans in place for this senior member of staff to apply to Ofsted to become the registered manager. The home does not use agency staff and covers all shifts from within the core team, with additional support from two bank members of staff. The team feels well supported through a thorough induction, on- going training, regular supervision and team meetings. Currently, 80% of the staff have achieved a level 3 diploma qualification in residential childcare and the deputy manager has just completed a level 5 qualification.

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

Leaders and managers work collaboratively to make important decisions in consultation with other professionals.

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

The physical environment is maintained to a good standard, with recent improvements including the fitting of a new kitchen. The comfort, hygiene and appearance of one child’s bedroom has improved since the child was visited by a reviewing officer from his home authority.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 10 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: SC465120 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: What’s Out There Limited

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Inspector(s)

Norma Welsby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC465120 12 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)

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

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