SC 040491

Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 1 SC040132 Registered provider: Cornwall Council

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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 registered children’s home operates as a short-break service and is run by a local authority. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people who have learning difficulties. In total, there are 18 children on its register.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably qualified registered manager is in place.

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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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good

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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: 24 January 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2019 Full Good 17/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/08/2016 Full Good 16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 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 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 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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Requirement Due date

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 the care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(f)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

 ensure that staff undertake specialist training where required  The registered manager must develop a culture of high standards  Develop systems to monitor and celebrate the progress young people are making  When young people are not making progress, or not enjoying visits to the home, use this information to meet the needs of young people effectively 04/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 4  Develop a system to ensure that parents and other relevant people receive regular, timely and necessary feedback. This includes responding to any complaints effectively. The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, complete ongoing assessment in respect of the need to use both visual audio monitors in children’s bedrooms. 04/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

 The registered manager and senior leaders must drive forward plans that ensure the fire door in the kitchen area is accessible for wheelchair users. 04/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

 Staff must be able to respond to the emergency health care needs of young people effectively.  Duty officers must have the relevant training and skills to meet the needs of young people. They must also be able 04/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 5 to manage staff and to delegate important tasks effectively. The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, care planning records must be kept up to date to ensure that staff are able to meet the current needs of young people. 04/10/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained and furnished to a good standard. The large lounge area is equipped with numerous inviting chairs and a large tepee. There is a spacious garden which offers a variety of play equipment and fun activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people’s bedrooms are personalised for each visit. This provides a welcoming and homely feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are provided with varied experiences, which include swimming and trips out in the local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where possible, staff support families to ensure that children and young people can attend their stays. This includes facilitating travel arrangements and providing alternative dates if the child or young person has important appointments which clash with a stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a longstanding core staff team. Which means that children and young people can develop stable relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Stays for children and young people are carefully considered. This promotes positive dynamics between children and young people, and their peers.

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improvement to be good

The fire exit in the kitchen is not accessible for wheelchair users. There is a plan to address this. However, timescales are not clarified.

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improvement to be good

Duty officers do not always hold the relevant training. This means that, at times, they have lacked the ability to make informed decisions despite holding overall shift responsibility. Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 6 Staff are not always confident when dealing with emergency care. Guidance for staff at these times lacks clarity.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are not always reviewed and updated in a timely manner. This means that risk management guidance is not always current.

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improvement to be good

A requirement from the last inspection was for ongoing assessment of the need to use electronic monitoring systems in children and young people’s bedrooms. The use of visual monitors has been appropriately assessed. The use of audio monitors has not yet been assessed.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff have completed the relevant training highlighted at the last inspection. The training was booked during this inspection.

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improvement to be good

All children and young people have taken part in fire drill practice. However, these drills were completed six months ago and are due to be repeated.

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

The process for recording and investigation of complaints during the initial stages is not effective. Timescales and actions taken are not clear.

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

Care planning documents are streamlined and enable staff to access information easily. However, the progress children and young people make is not depicted within care planning. This means that opportunities to support ongoing progress are missed.

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

There is no clear process in place for gaining feedback from parents. This means that development opportunities are missed.

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

Supervision of staff is taking place on a regular basis. However, records lack detail and clarity regarding required actions and timescales for completion.

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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 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 7 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: SC040132 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cornwall Council, PO Box 727, Truro TR1 9GP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tony Phillips-Jones

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Inspector(s)

Polly Soper, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040132 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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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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