Children's home run by Positive Steps (Care Services) Limited in Peterborough

Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 1 SC061770 Registered provider: Positive Steps (Care 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

The home is owned by a private limited company. The home primarily provides care for up to four children who have learning disabilities. The registered manager left the home on 13 October 2019. A new manager is in post, but she is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 27 to 28 November 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2018 Full Good 24/10/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/05/2017 Full Good 11/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 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; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(vi)(vii)) 20/01/2020

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 20/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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). The requirements are that— 20/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 4 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)) If there is a referral of a person working in the home pursuant to section 35 (Regulated activity providers: duty to refer) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(a), the registered person must without delay notify—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40(4)(c)(d)(ii)) 13/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— HMCI. (Regulation 44(1)(7)(a)) 13/01/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that damage to the home is repaired and that the communal areas are decorated to a good standard.  The children’s home must produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21) In particular, ensure that when using symbols to communicate the symbols are

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Recommendations

chosen carefully to provide clarity for the children.  Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 5 home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12) In particular, ensure that the staff receive training in safeguarding disabled children.

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improvement to be good

The quality of overall experiences and care for children has declined. A turbulent period of supporting a child who has complex needs and a high staffing turnover have resulted in gaps in managerial monitoring. Furthermore, the management team has failed to consistently follow safeguarding procedures, which has placed children at risk. However, despite these shortfalls, children are making some progress. The staff use alternative communication systems to adapt information for the children. Objects of reference and symbols are used to good effect in key-worker and house meetings to gain children’s views. However, staff do not always consider children’s individual communication abilities when using the complaints procedures and children’s guides, which limits the potential benefit of these guides. The home is suitably spacious. The children benefit from personalised bedrooms. However, communal areas are not decorated to a high standard. Worn paint and scuffed

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improvement to be good

walls are evident in many areas of the home. Damage sustained to the home has not been repaired in a timely manner. This detracts from an otherwise well-appointed setting. The staff ensure that all the children attend school regularly and achieve well. The staff work closely with schools to help the children to meet their educational targets. Effective use of home-school diaries has ensured good communication and that progress has been shared. The staff meet the children’s health needs well. The approach that the staff take helps the children to access health appointments that have previously caused them anxiety. The staff have maintained good relationships with the children. Children have been involved in positive leisure activities at the home and in the community. These opportunities have ensured that the children have continued to develop their interests. The staff communicate well with children’s families. Effective planning enables the

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improvement to be good

children to maintain contact with their family. One child has started to have weekend stays with his family. Staff recognise the importance of maintaining these relationships. Consequently, the children benefit from an improved sense of identity and well-being. Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 6

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improvement to be good

The management team has failed to follow the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures when allegations have been made against staff. One allegation was investigated without the appropriate referrals being made to the local authority. This did not ensure independent scrutiny and objectivity to safeguard the child. Another allegation was referred appropriately; however, the management team required a high level of support to conclude the investigation. These delays and failures to follow safeguarding procedures effectively had the potential to compromise children’s safety. The selection and checking processes for the recruitment of permanent and agency staff do not meet requirements consistently. Information is not clearly documented or monitored. As a result, the processes do not sufficiently reduce the potential for unsuitable people to gain employment at the home. Risk assessments and behaviour management strategies help keep the children safe and

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improvement to be good

to manage their feelings. However, one child’s plan lacked detail about a behaviour that could make him increasingly vulnerable. This lack of clarity reduces the staff’s ability to consistently respond to the child’s behavioural needs. The training programme for staff includes a range of courses such as responding to self- harm and autistic spectrum disorder awareness. However, the staff do not receive training in safeguarding children who have disabilities. Given the inexperience of some of the staff, the absence of this training means that staff may not understand the children’s increased vulnerabilities. Staff have good awareness of children’s individual missing-from-home profiles and procedures. There are high supervision levels and effective security arrangements. As a result, no significant incidents of children going missing from the home have occurred.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A new manager has recently been appointed. She knows the children well and has been well received by staff and external professionals. She is realistic about the service and understands the improvements that are necessary. The management team has failed to consistently notify Ofsted about significant incidents at the home. Conclusions of investigations and resulting actions, and an allegation against a staff member, were not notified. This affects Ofsted’s capacity to monitor the home and ensure that the children are safeguarded effectively. The managerial monitoring requires improvement. Inaccuracies in risk assessments and support plans had not been identified by the management team. This lack of oversight reduces the staff’s ability to consistently provide individual support to one child. External monitoring visits provide a fair level of challenge. However, report submissions to Ofsted are consistently delayed or omitted. This was a requirement from the last

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

inspection and has still not been met. As a result, the quality assurance process has been undermined and Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home has been reduced. Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 7 The team is relatively inexperienced. Despite this, the staff are positive about their roles and the support that they receive from the management team. The staff benefit from practice-led supervisions and regular team meetings. This support enables good reflection and helps the staff to meet the needs of children. Wider feedback about and confidence in the home and management team is positive. The effectiveness of communication and good-quality of care was consistently shared by external professionals.

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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: SC061770 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Steps (Care Services) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bank Chambers, 27a Market Place, Market Deeping, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE6 8EA

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Inspectors

Mark Anderton: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC061770 9 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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