Children's home run by Archways Care Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 1 SC061837 Registered provider: Archways Care Ltd

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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 part of a small organisation. The home can accommodate up to four young people who have had difficult early life experiences and have complex emotional and behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not have a registered manager. A manager has been appointed and has applied to Ofsted for registration. The applicant manager is currently absent from work and the deputy manager is in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/09/2018 Full Inadequate 06/09/2017 Full Good 13/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) 14/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(ix)) 14/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 3 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 that staff— take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vi)(vii)) 14/10/2019

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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— 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— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 14/10/19

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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)) 14/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; 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)(c)(d)) 14/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure.in the interests of the safety or welfare of children. (Regulation 33(2)) 14/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; 14/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 4 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant

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Requirement Due date

person without delay if— there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 14/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person (“the independent person”) to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider. Subject to paragraph (4), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person— if the registered provider is not a local authority, a person who is employed for payment by the registered provider; a person who has, or has had, a connection with— the registered person. An employee of the registered provider is not, by reason only of that employment, disqualified under paragraph (3)(a), (b) or (g) from appointment as an independent person if the employee is employed solely to examine and scrutinise critically— the way that a home is carried on or managed; and the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 43 (1)(3)(b)(g)(i)(4)(a)(b)) 30/11/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Aspects of the home environment are extremely poor. The downstairs bathroom is not fit for purpose. Despite staff complaining to the registered provider about the overwhelming and unacceptable smell coming from the bathroom, managers and staff took insufficient action to seal off the bathroom and carry out prompt repairs. In addition, an upstairs bathroom lacks appropriate ventilation and so an unpleasant smell also emanates from this room. Consequently, young people live in unsuitable conditions, which compromises their health and well-being. During the inspection, the registered provider took steps to start to rectify this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not always respond appropriately to young people. For example, a member of Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 5 staff swore at a young person and behaved in a manner that worried her. As a result, young people’s relationships with some staff lack trust and respect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the shortfalls outlined above, young people do make some progress from their starting points. Most young people attend education. The education coordinator works effectively with the virtual headteacher to ensure that young people have an appropriate education placement that supports their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff help young people to move on from the home in a planned and positive way. As a result, young people are well prepared for their next steps.

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

Staff do not always protect young people from risk of harm. For example, the manager has not taken immediate action to refer a safeguarding concern to the appropriate external agencies. Not sharing information with, and taking guidance from, the designated officer means that allegations of harm are not responded to appropriately. This does not promote young people’s safety and welfare.

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

Restraint records do not contain detailed information required by regulation. For example, not all records include the location and duration of the restraint and what action staff took to try to de-escalate the situation. In addition, there is no recorded evidence that staff and young people have a debrief with someone not involved in the incident, to reflect on what has happened. Managers have not identified these shortfalls and taken steps to address them. As a result, it is not clear whether restraint practice is safe and proportionate.

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

Managers do not review the use of bedroom door alarms. All young people have a bedroom door alarm that is activated at night. This is despite there being no evidence of safeguarding concerns that would warrant this level of monitoring for every young person. As a result, young people do not receive personalised care and their right to privacy is intruded on.

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

Staff work in partnership with the police to help young people who go missing from care to return safely. This effective joint working between staff, police and other external agencies ensures that risks to young people are managed well and minimised.

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

Young people respond well to positive praise. Staff offer incentives to help young people to manage their behaviour. As a result, young people learn how to manage their emotions appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management arrangements are poor and ineffective. Managers do not follow the company’s procedures when staff’s behaviour is in question. For example, after an investigation into a staff conduct, managers did not implement disciplinary procedures. This failure means that staff are not held to account for conduct that does Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 6 not meet the expected standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered provider does not notify Ofsted of all significant events in a timely manner. This does not enable the regulator to promptly review whether the actions taken by the provider are appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff have undertaken relevant training to enable them to meet young people’s needs effectively. As a result, staff do not recognise the impact of young people’s early life experiences on their emotions and behaviour and respond appropriately. Some staff have not undertaken self-harm training. As a result, all staff do not have the knowledge and skills to support young people appropriately when they have self-harmed or show signs of self-injurious behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not operate the home in accordance with the information set out in the statement of purpose in relation to the use of bedroom door alarms at night. As a result, the statement of purpose contains information that has the potential to mislead those who read it. In addition, when the statement of purpose is update, the revised copy is not forwarded to Ofsted in line with regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered provider has not appointed a person who is suitably independent to undertake monthly visits to the home. This limits the effectiveness of the external monitoring of the home.

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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 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: SC061837 7

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Aristidou

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Inspector

Michelle Spruce, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC061837 8 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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