Children's Home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 1 Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Some of the young people may have an autism spectrum disorder. The home is operated by a private company.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2018 Full Outstanding 09/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(vii)) 06/12/2019

p.3

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–

p.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(c)) 06/12/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.3

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.3

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 06/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 4 The requirements are that–

p.3

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1), (2)(a)(b), (3)(d)) The registered person must ensure that–

p.4

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–

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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”)–

p.4

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)) 06/12/2019

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if–

p.4

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c) 06/12/2019

p.4

Recommendations

Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8) Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 5

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is well presented and has a warm and welcoming feel. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and their photographs are on view throughout the home.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well, and offer children hugs and show signs of affection. This helps children to feel secure and to build trusting relationships with staff.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to have successful moves into the home. One child was able to visit the home and meet the staff and other children. Staff quickly established his interests. These include going to the gym and online gaming. Staff have also helped him to secure a college placement. This approach has helped the child to settle quickly and to develop a sense of belonging.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to prepare for their future. For example, children complete independence folders that focus on key issues such as budgeting, healthy eating and support networks. Staff also support children to take age-appropriate risks. For example, children have free time and are confident to use public transport independently.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to have a say in decisions about their care through regular, planned meetings and day-to-day discussions. When children are unhappy, staff arrange for them to speak to an independent person. Children know how to complain and how to exercise their rights.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered a range of activities. These include going to the cinema, bike riding and visiting a cat cafe. Staff support children to develop their hobbies and interests, such as horse riding and boxing. Staff help children to maintain friendships and they welcome friends into the home. This helps children to develop social skills and to make friendships in the local community.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that staff meet children’s individual needs. For instance, staff adapt the incentives to ensure that children with communication needs are motivated to earn rewards and can achieve. Staff use imaginative play with a child and make a record of play sessions in a ‘play diary’. This excellent practice ensures that children with additional needs are involved in planning aspects of their care and have a valuable record which adds to their life story.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is valued in the home and all children attend school or college.

p.5

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

Staff keep comprehensive risk assessments up to date. These assessments set out children’s risks and provide guidance to the staff on how to safely manage children’s behaviours. Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 6 Staff take a proactive approach to managing challenging behaviour. For instance, staff know each child’s triggers and they act swiftly to calm children when they are agitated or anxious. As a last resort, staff use restraint to keep children safe. However, following a physical restraint, staff do not always receive a debriefing. This limits the opportunities available for staff to reflect on their actions and to continuously develop strategies to manage children’s challenging behaviours.

p.5

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

When incidents occur that trigger the need for a notification to be sent to the regulator, this is not always sent. This prevents the regulator from being informed about significant incidents. Also, on one occasion staff did not ensure that the social worker and the designated safeguarding officer were informed about an allegation. This failure to follow safeguarding procedures means that when children make allegations against staff there is insufficient independent scrutiny to ensure that children are safe.

p.6

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

Although staff receive regular training opportunities, leaders and managers have not ensured that all staff have received training to keep children safe. For example, not all members of staff have received ligature training and only three have received training on the topic of self-harm, despite this being a known risk for some children living in the home. Only three staff have received training in preventing radicalisation.

p.6

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

There has been one incident of a child going missing from the home since the last inspection. „Missing‟ protocols contain clear guidance for staff, and this helps to keep children safe.

p.6

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

Staff help children to develop an awareness of risks. For example, staff talk with children and educate them about online risks. Children are clear about the purpose of this work and they talk to staff and take their advice when they feel unsure about any online communication. This educational approach helps to equip children with the understanding and skills needed to keep themselves safe online.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since October 2019. She is awaiting confirmation of her level 5 diploma in leadership and management of residential childcare and has applied to be the home’s next registered manager.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the staff. Thirteen new members of staff have joined and seven members of staff have left. Leaders and managers have tried to ensure that continuity of care is sustained when recruiting new staff. Established staff have worked additional shifts and an agency member of staff who is well known and liked by the children has been used to cover most of the shortfalls.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The provider has not always followed safe recruitment practices that help to safeguard children. For example, employment references for a new member of staff were not requested from their last employer.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Less than half of the staff team have a level 3 diploma in residential childcare or are Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 7 enrolled on this qualification. Managers recognise this shortfall and have decided that all new staff will be enrolled immediately.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff who are new to the home have a planned induction. All staff benefit from regular monthly supervision which is well recorded and has elements of support and challenge. Staff say that leaders and managers support them and help them to develop.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses monitoring systems to improve the quality of care for children. This includes carrying out regular reviews of children’s progress. However, one child’s file did not contain all the required statutory care plans. Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 8

p.7

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.

p.8

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: 1257740 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd floor, 118 Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0UW

p.9

Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1257740 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10