Children's Home run by Clouds Children’s Care Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 1 Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Ltd 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 for one child with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. This is the home’s first inspection since it was registered in October 2018. The registered manager holds the appropriate qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff–

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)) 04/11/2019

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

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

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help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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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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 04/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 3 education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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. (Regulation 8(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x)) The health and well-being standard is that–

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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–

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achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c), (2)(a)(i)(iv)) 04/11/2019

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The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on–

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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–

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meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; 04/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 4 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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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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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. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(x)) 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–

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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;

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help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child 04/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 5 protection policies. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(a)(c)) 04/11/2019

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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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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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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;

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(f)(h)) 04/11/2019

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Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19) Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 6

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improvement to be good

Experiences for young people in this home have been mixed. Managers have not ensured that they have received all the relevant information about the current young person, who has moved into the placement recently. This does not support staff to know the young person’s needs or understand their previous experiences.

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improvement to be good

Strategies to support good daily routines are not consistent or effective. There is evidence of the young person developing poor routines, including poor eating and sleeping patterns. Staff were unable to articulate the behaviour management strategies being used. Staff require training to support them to influence and change young people’s negative behaviours and choices.

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improvement to be good

Staff have ensured that the young person has a part-time college placement and have supported the young person to settle at college. However, managers have not ensured that there are additional education or training arrangements in place to supplement this placement. This does not support the young person to make good use of their time or to develop good routines. The lack of structure does not fully promote the young person’s life chances.

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improvement to be good

The young person has attended health appointments, including an essential ophthalmic appointment. However, good arrangements are not in place for the administration of medication. Records are not sufficiently detailed or accurate. In addition, the medication administration systems are not informed by a risk assessment.

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improvement to be good

The young person’s health plan does not include plans to address emotional health and well-being needs. A psychologist commissioned by the home’s managers has provided consultation sessions with staff. However, their advice about the young person’s needs is not incorporated into the health plan.

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improvement to be good

Despite these shortfalls, it is clear that the previous young person did make strong progress. Staff developed positive relationships with the young person and provided a nurturing home environment. This helped the young person to grow in confidence, self- esteem and resilience. Staff worked well with the young person’s placing local authority and family to improve the visiting arrangements. This helped the young person to develop better family relationships. The young person was supported to move to a placement near to their family. This was a good outcome.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and risk management plans are not yet good enough. They do not include all relevant information about known risks. There is insufficient information to inform decisions about contact arrangements, for the current resident. There has been Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 7 one incident of substance misuse outside of the home, yet this had not been added to the young person’s risk assessment records. This means that staff may not have all the essential information when making decisions affecting the young person’s safety.

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improvement to be good

There is no evidence that young people are supported to regularly read their risk management and behaviour support plans. Young people should be proactively encouraged to contribute to their risk management plans.

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improvement to be good

A concern has been raised about the conduct of a member of staff. This remains subject to disciplinary processes. There was some delay in reporting the concern to, and seeking advice from, the local authority designated officer and the placing local authority. Although this shortfall has not impacted on the safety of young people, reporting arrangements should be clearly understood and followed by staff.

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improvement to be good

The disciplinary investigation has highlighted an additional shortfall regarding safe recruitment practice. The manager will undertake a ‘lessons learned’ exercise when the disciplinary process is concluded.

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improvement to be good

Although there have been shortfalls in safeguarding arrangements, these have not impacted directly on the experiences of young people. Children have generally felt safe and been safe. Challenging behaviours and risk-taking behaviours have reduced over time. This progress has been supported by effective monitoring and supervision of young people.

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

An experienced and qualified registered manager is in post. Higher than expected levels of staff sickness and staff turnover have impacted on the consistency of care arrangements, and recently the staffing arrangements have stabilised.

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

Managers have not ensured that essential information is in place from the start of each young person’s placement. The manager requested information and asked for a planning meeting in respect of the current young person. However, when the information was not provided and the planning meeting did not take place, the manager did not escalate the concerns within the placing authority. The impact of this is that the young person has not had their family visit arrangements agreed as quickly as they should have been. This has impacted on their emotional well-being. In addition, staff have not had access to all the relevant information that could help them to meet the young person’s needs.

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

Staff and managers have not benefited from good-quality training about child protection policies and procedures. Staff also require training to support them with record keeping.

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

Although staff report that they feel well supported by managers, some, including newly appointed and inexperienced staff, have not received regular supervision. Weak supervision arrangements mean that training and development needs may go unrecognised. Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 8 The organisation’s quality assurance and monitoring systems have not highlighted a number of the shortfalls identified during this inspection. Therefore, these systems are not fully effective. Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 9

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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 difference 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: 2495504 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire B16 8SP

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Inspector(s)

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Sarah Orriss, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2495504 11 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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