Children's Home run by South West Childcare Services in Plymouth

Inspection report children‟s home: 1235576 1 Registered provider: South West Childcare Services 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 is part of a small organisation based in south-west England. This home is registered to provide accommodation and care for up to two young people.

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers 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: 25 September 2018

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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: 1235576 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2018 Full Good 09/11/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 1235576 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

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to ensure that it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 31/10/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1235576 4

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person currently living in the home is building positive and trusting relationships with the adults in the home, who offer him sensitive and nurturing care. These relationships form the foundation from which the young person is starting to reduce his negative and risky behaviours and increase his confidence, self-esteem and sense of self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people achieve positive outcomes at this home. All three young people who have left the home since the previous inspection have made progress, and have successfully moved on to their family, foster care or an independent living arrangement. The adults in the home understand the importance of remaining in touch with young people who have left the home, so that they continue to feel cared for when they leave. One young person regularly returns to the home and benefits from the ongoing care and interest offered by the adults in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is successfully supported to maintain relationships with his family. This is very important to him. His friends and family are welcome to visit him at the home if this is deemed appropriate by the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views and wishes of the young person are gained and documented in care plans. His voice comes through loud and clear in all records. Care is taken to consult him on all decisions that will affect him. The young person is sensitively encouraged to reflect on and understand his complex history. The adults in the home understand the importance of keeping a memory book, so the young person has a photographic record of his time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is receiving education in the home from a tutor and has educational activities out of the home in accordance with his educational timetable and plan. The manager is challenging the placing authority to obtain a school place for the young person so that he is not so isolated, and is able to mix with his peers and learn social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The adults in the home support the young person to participate in a range of activities, such as going on bike rides, to skateparks and to the cinema. The young person is Inspection report children‟s home: 1235576 5 encouraged and supported to attend a local youth club and to make friends in the local area.

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

The staff fully understand the high levels ofrisk that the young person may present. Comprehensive assessments of risk and control measures are in place to help to keep him safe. The manager and adults in the home have strong links with safeguarding professionals and the police and, when needed, gain support and advice from them to help to keep the young person safe.

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

The young person does not go missing and is gradually developing a sense of safety and well-being. Risk-taking behaviour and incidents of aggression and damage to the home are reducing. The young person is beginning to build trusting relationships with adults in the home and can tell them if he has a worry or concern. This means that the staff can promptly respond to him and reassure him.

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

The adults effectively de-escalate incidents using the therapeutic method of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE). Incidents of restraint are reducing in number. Records of restraint are generally comprehensive. However, on one occasion, a restraint was not clearly recorded so that the manager could evaluate the incident and implement any learning.

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

Comprehensive staff recruitment procedures are in place and are effectively implemented by managers. This helps to ensure that only suitable people are employed in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous manager recently left the home. Effective succession planning by senior managers ensured that, following the resignation of the registered manager, the deputy manager was promptly appointed as acting manager and soon afterwards submitted his application for registration to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has undergone extensive change in the last 12 months. The experienced adults who work in the home are, alongside the manager, effectively supporting their recently appointed colleagues, who are less experienced. The very complex care needs of the young person mean that he requires an intensive level of support. The manager is sensitive to the demands that are placed on his colleagues as a result of this. He closely monitors them in supervision sessions, and through observation of their practice, to ensure that they are not ‘burning out’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records in the home are generally well organised. However, the daily logs are not always fully completed. This means that if the young person wishes in the future to see a record of his time living at the home, he will not be able to do so. Inspection report children‟s home: 1235576 6 The adults who work in the home reported that they feel very well-supported by the manager, and said that they enjoy their jobs, routines run smoothly and the home is a positive place to work. Because the staff are so well supported and supervised by the manager, they in turn can offer high-quality support to the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a culture in the home of having high aspirations for the young person. The manager actively challenges other services, such as education professionals or the placing authority, if he thinks that they are not offering the young person a high quality of service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from other professionals was positive. They recognised the extensive and creative work being undertaken to support the young person effectively and to help him to make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Any damage to the home is promptly repaired. The young person is fully involved in choosing items for the home. He helps to keep the house looking clean and tidy, and is learning to value his home. Incidents of damage being done to the home are reducing in number. The young person is very proud of his bedroom and his family tree that, with the help of the adults, he has painted on his bedroom wall.

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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: 1235576 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: South West Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor Flat, 46 Durnford Street, Plymouth, Devon PL1 3QN

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Inspector

Tina Maddison: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1235576 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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