Children's Home run by Changing Lives Care Group Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 1 Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a small private organisation. It is registered with Ofsted to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in June 2019. A new manager was appointed and started on 1 July 2019, and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager resigned at the end of June 2019 and a new manager was appointed. However, there have been significant delays in the new manager successfully submitting a completed application to register with Ofsted. This has contributed to the judgement of declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. However, leadership and management in the home has not been effective. The manager has not ensured that all the required records are kept, and the management’s monitoring of the care Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 2 provided has been poor.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has implemented some new management monitoring systems. However, they have not been effective in ensuring that young people receive the care and support that they need.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a high turnover of staff since the last inspection. This means that young people have not received continuity of care from staff whom they know well. Many of the new staff have previous experience of working in children’s homes. However, the shortfalls identified during this inspection indicate that staff do not fully understand what is required of them. The management monitoring systems have failed to identify the shortfalls in staff practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Admission practices require improvement. There is no evidence of how managers assess young people’s compatibility or the impact of an admission. Additionally, managers have not ensured that the required local authority documentation is in place for a young person admitted in July 2019. There has been a lack of persistence in obtaining these documents and in challenging the placing authority. Consequently, there is no evidence to show that the young person is receiving care in line with the placing authority’s care plans.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home does not have an admission and discharge register as required. This means that there is no effective monitoring of the numbers of young people being admitted to and moving on from the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of record-keeping is poor and does not help to ensure that young people receive the care that they need. Young people’s care plans and risk assessments are not always kept up to date and they do not accurately reflect all areas of current need and risk. This is particularly important given the high staff turnover, as new staff are not fully informed about how to meet young people’s needs and keep them safe. This also has the potential to affect the consistency of care provided.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records are not always kept of important health appointments. This does not inform the staff of young people’s current health needs, nor does it ensure that young people receive the treatment that they need. This has the potential to affect their health and well-being.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s engagement in education is poor. Not all young people have an education placement. There are low aspirations for young people in terms of engagement in education. Staff have not provided enough structure during the school day to prepare them for full-time education, training or employment or to improve young people’s knowledge and skills. As a result, young people are not achieving their academic potential. The requirement made at the full inspection regarding education has been repeated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a lack of management monitoring, which means that the shortfalls have not been identified. Consequently, the quality of young people’s care is not being Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 3 monitored. This lack of management oversight has the potential to place young people at risk of harm.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has not notified Ofsted when incidents at the home have required police involvement.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted has not received revised copies of the home’s statement of purpose as required. The statement of purpose reviewed during the inspection does not contain information relating to the experience and qualifications of the staff employed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a lot of damage to the home. The home is currently being redecorated. However, there are delays to the repairs and maintenance of the home. This means that young people do not always live in a pleasant and comfortable environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been several incidents of challenging behaviour from young people, and this has sometimes resulted in damage to the property. However, this behaviour has been contained within the home and the level of risk to young people in the community has been reduced. There has been one incident of a young person going missing from the home since the last inspection. This is a significant improvement for some young people and reduces risk. However, the manager has not ensured that young people receive independent return-home interviews.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to–

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(2)(b)(ii)(c)(i)(ii)) 31/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule1;

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of revision.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b)) 31/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 5 The registered person must maintain in the home a record in the form of a register showing in respect of each child:

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Requirement Due date

– the date of the child‟s admission to the children‟s home; – the date on which the child ceased to be accommodated in the home; – the child‟s address immediately before being accommodated in the home; – the child‟s address on leaving the home; – the child‟s placing authority; and – the statutory provision (if any) under which the child is accommodated. – (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a) Schedule 4 point 1) 31/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; and

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iv)(v)) 26/01/2020

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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– 26/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 6 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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–

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(h)) *26/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 26/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to ensuring that appropriate matching of all children’s needs is carried out and documented as part of the admission process.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which–

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

obtaining a copy of any plan for the care of the child prepared by the child’s placing authority, and of the placement plan;

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Requirement Due date

ensuring that children’s care plans and risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they reflect current needs and risks; and

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Requirement Due date

ensuring that records are kept of all health appointments including details of the outcome of the appointment.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)(Schedule 3)) 26/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations:

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 8 risks and putting arrangement in place to protect each child. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30) Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 9

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2490999 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 35–37 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7JN

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Inspector

Katarina Djordjevic, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 2490999 11 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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