Children's home run by Impact For Change Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 1

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Impact For Change Ltd

Monitoring visit 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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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as inadequate at the previous full inspection in September 2019. This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the actions taken by the provider to comply with the two compliance notices issued under regulations 12 and 13 following the previous inspection. The registered manager no longer works at the home. A senior manager is currently in day-to-day control. The staffing arrangement has improved. There is now minimal use of agency staff and a dedicated team is being established. An inclusive approach to care planning has been established. Care staff, deputy managers and senior leaders are now well informed. Children’s needs are understood and the approach to delivering care is now better planned, coordinated and more consistent. Protocols for managing children’s self-harming behaviours have been updated in line with professional advice. The staff team now has clear written plans about how

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This monitoring visit

often to check children who self-harm and how to deal with significant incidents. Staff are working hard to implement these plans. Risk assessments and safety plans are reviewed and updated frequently. Deputy managers ensure that staff understand changes to the planned approach. Two areas of risk that have not been formally assessed were identified during this visit. These need to be addressed and included in risk management plans. A programme of staff training has been implemented, and this is well underway. Staff have now undertaken important training in restraint and self-harm, thus better Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 2 equipping them to work safely with the children. Managers are ensuring that permanent and temporary staff receive regular supervision. Important issues about how to care for the children and testing staff knowledge are included in these supervision sessions.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding protocols were followed when one child made an allegation. However, Ofsted was not notified as required. The restraint log contains a record of comments made by one child. The comments may have safeguarding implications, and these require further exploration by the provider. Children feel positive about the home and the support that they receive. The benefits of a familiar staff team and a coordinated approach are apparent. Both children are currently content and stable, and no recent incidents have occurred. Ofsted will continue to monitor the home closely and will conduct a full inspection within 16 weeks of the date of the last full inspection. The requirements set at the last full inspection will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/09/2019 Full Inadequate 19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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 (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (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; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare

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Requirement Due date

the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and (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; (3) The conditions are— (c) that the care is delivered by a person who— (i) has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and (ii) is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately 30/10/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 4 skilled and qualified to supervise that care. 8: The education standard (1) The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training

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Requirement Due date

targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (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; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. 30/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard (1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those

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Requirement Due date

expectations in accordance with the child’s age and 30/10/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 5 understanding; (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; (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; (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; (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 (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

(b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. 12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure– (a) that staff— (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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s

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Requirement Due date

child protection policies; (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 25/10/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 6 from harm. 13: The leadership and management standard (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— (a) helps children aspire to their full potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

(d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child; (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; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on - (i) research and developments in relations to the ways in which the needs of the children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) the use of monitoring and review systems that make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 25/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard (1) The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. 30/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— 30/10/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 7 (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 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 that they require to meet children’s needs. In addition, ensure that supervision is appropriately supportive, challenging and reflective. 35: Behaviour management policies and records (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the

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Requirement Due date

children’s home; and (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (3) The registered person must ensure that— (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; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person,

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Requirement Due date

and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person 30/10/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 8 to do so ("the authorised person")— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (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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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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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Inspectors

Michelle Oxley, social care inspector Paula Lahey, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264756 9 to 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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