Children's home run by Impact For Change Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 1 Registered provider: Impact for Change Limited 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 is registered to care for up to two children.

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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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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: declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Several requirements were made at the last inspection. Not all of these have been addressed effectively. Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 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

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Requirement Due date

(1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

(a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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(i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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(ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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(iii) treat each child with dignity and respect;

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

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(vi) 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; and

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Requirement Due date

(ix) 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; 30/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 4 (3) The conditions are–

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Requirement Due date

(c) that the care is delivered by a person who–

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Requirement Due date

(i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

(ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. 8: The education standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) 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

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

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

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(ii) 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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(iii) 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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(iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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(v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. 30/10/2019

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

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(b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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(c) positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure– 30/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 5 (a) that staff–

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Requirement Due date

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

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(ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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

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

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(v) 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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(vi) 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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(viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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(ix) 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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(x) 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; and

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

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(b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. 12: The protection of children standard *

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(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure– 25/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 6 (a) that staff–

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(i) 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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(ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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

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

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

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(vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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(b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 13: The leadership and management standard *

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Requirement Due date

(1) 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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(a) helps children aspire to their full potential; and

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

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(a) 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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(b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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(d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 25/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 7 (e) ensure the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child;

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(f) 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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(g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on -

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(i) research and developments in relations to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and

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(ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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(h) the use of monitoring and review systems that make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 14: The care planning standard

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(1) The care planning standard is that children–

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(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 30/10/2019

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(4) The registered person must ensure that all employees–

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(a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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(b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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(c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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In particular, ensure that all staff have completed basic mandatory training, have completed up-to-date restraint training and are provided with the specialist training they require to meet children’s needs. In addition, ensure that supervision is appropriately supportive, challenging and reflective. 30/10/2019

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35: Behaviour management policies and records

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(1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out–

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(a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the 30/10/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 8 children’s home; and

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(b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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(2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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(3) The registered person must ensure that–

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(a) 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– (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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(iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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(iv) a description of the measure and its duration;

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(v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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(vi) the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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(vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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(viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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(b) 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")–

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(i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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(ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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(c) 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.

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* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 9

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The progress and experiences of children are inadequate, because the home is not well- led, the safeguarding arrangements are weak and children are not fully protected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not always provided with consistency of care. Not all staff are up to date with basic mandatory training, including safeguarding. Neither have they been provided with the crucial specialist training that they require to keep children safe. For example, staff on duty and responsible for emergency equipment. Staff do not have the training to use the equipment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

A reliance on agency and inexperienced staff prevents children from building trusting and meaningful relationships with the staff who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s records are cumbersome, and they do not provide staff with clear direction about how to meet children’s needs. At times, the records offer conflicting information. None of the staff spoken to during this inspection could fully describe the children’s needs and risks. All the accounts were different. This results in confusion and inconsistent care for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are not receiving the education that they are entitled to. The registered manager has failed to successfully escalate this concern and to make contact with the virtual school headteacher to try to resolve these concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children take part in several activities, both in and out of the home. The home is clean and tidy. The children’s bedrooms reflect their interests. The outdoor space is well kept and there is play and gym equipment that the children enjoy using.

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

The arrangements to safeguard children are inadequate. Responses to serious and significant concerns for children are weak, inconsistent and too slow. For example, the police were called when one child tampered with their bedroom door lock so that staff could not enter. No action was taken to change the bedroom door locks to prevent this situation from recurring.

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

Serious incidents of self-injurious behaviours are not managed effectively. Incidents are not responded to quickly, and steps are not taken to remove items of risk consistently. Following one serious incident, staff failed to contact either the on-call manager and the emergency services. Current practice results in children being left at significant risk of harm.

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

Staff are not able to keep children safe, because leaders and managers have not shared crucial information with them. Communication is chaotic and expectations unclear. In Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 10 one case, staff have not been advised that there are concerns that one child may pose a potential risk of harm to others. The child’s risk assessments and care plans have not been updated to fully reflect this concern. This prevents staff from acting to minimise the potential risk of harm.

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

Risk management is weak. Records do not provide staff with the information or strategies that they need to support the children and keep them safe. Serious and significant concerns for children are not managed consistently, and staff are not clear about what they should do to protect children.

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

Concerns about staff practice are not always managed well. Known concerns in respect of one member of staff have not been assessed for risk. No monitoring systems are in place. This member of staff continues to work alone with children.

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

The arrangements are weak in respect of safer recruitment. Managers are not clear about Disclosure and Barring Service processes. Where there are known concerns about new staff, not enough action is taken to assess if they are suitable and safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders are culpable for the serious and widespread shortfalls identified at this inspection. They have failed in their duty to ensure that the home is led and managed effectively. Senior leaders have not provided adequate supervision, support or training to the registered manager to help her into her new role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Insufficient action has been taken by leaders to meet the requirements raised at the last inspection. Significant weaknesses remain in the help and protection of children and the leadership and management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management of the home is chaotic, and this is reflected in how the children are cared for. Managers do not effectively communicate with staff and the documentation that is provided to support staff in their role, lacks clarity. As a result, staff do not have the critical information that they need to mitigate risks, meet children’s needs and keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Scrutiny by leaders and managers into the day-to-day running of the home is weak. They do not have adequate oversight of the home and they do not understand accurately how it is performing. For example, when physical interventions take place the managers do not ask crucial questions to understand what has happened for children and why. Managers have allowed some staff to be involved in physical intervention who are not trained to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders and managers have not provided staff with the training, guidance and specialist support that they need to safely care for children. There are insufficient skilled and trained staff to meet children’s needs. Not all staff receive good-quality, regular, practice-based supervision. At times, the content is weak and does not address known concerns or offer purposeful reflection on practice. Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 11

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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: 1264756 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Impact for Change Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Great Warham Cottage, Beaford, Winkleigh, Devon EX19 8AB

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Inspector(s)

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 13 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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