Children's home run by Heath Solo Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 1 Registered provider: Heath Solo Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person irrespective of gender. The home specialises in caring for young people who have been, or who are, experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home‟s registration in June 2019. She manages two children‟s homes.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: this is the home’s s first inspection since registration

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 2

p.1

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.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)) 03/01/2020

p.2

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

Requirement Due date

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;

p.2

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.2

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training, and employment. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 03/01/2020

p.2

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.2

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.2

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.2

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.2

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 03/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 3 that staff help each child to—

p.2

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.3

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.3

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.3

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.3

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a) 03/01/2020

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 03/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.3

Requirement Due date

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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 from harm. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) * 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.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(h)) * 03/01/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 03/01/2020

p.4

Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

p.4

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s 03/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 5 premises; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.5

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.5

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.5

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)) 03/01/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 6

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Significant shortfalls in leadership and management and how young people are helped and protected have led to this overall judgement of inadequate.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have not been successful in developing a positive rapport with the young person currently living in the home. This is because of the numerous staffing changes that have occurred since the home opened. Therefore, the constructive relationships that are key to supporting the young person have not been established. Furthermore, the home is not able to demonstrate the progress that the young person has made since coming to live here.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff are not equipped to support the young person’s healthcare needs. This is because the young person’s healthcare plan does not contain enough information concerning their self-injurious behaviour or therapeutic support.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The young person has begun the process of engaging with the home’s therapist, but this is in the very early stages. Limited information is available as to what staff are doing to encourage the young person to engage with professionals. As a result, the young person continues to refuse any other professional help and support.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager and staff are struggling to get the young person to engage with their education. The young person now has a school place, but in 13 days has attended a morning session and has gone into school for registration, and then returned home.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The registered manager imposed a full internet ban to encourage the young person to attend school, despite the young person stating that online gaming helps to reduce their anxieties. This is also in direct conflict with the advice from the home’s therapist. This has not been taken on board by leaders and managers, despite therapy being a key priority for the young person.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

There is no plan as to how the internet ban is to be managed, resulting in inconsistencies in the staff’s approach to this. Some staff take the young person to fast food restaurants and coffee shops so that they can access the internet there. Bans have also been imposed on the young person travelling in the company car and occasionally on the use of their mobile phone. Consequently, there has been a significant increase in self-injurious behaviour, assaults on staff and damage to property. These interventions are not meeting the young person’s needs and are detrimental to their well-being.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The placing authority’s s care plan states the importance of the young person building strong attachments with staff and having ‘free time’. This has not been achieved due to the restrictions in place. The young person has attended activities with staff including football matches, the cinema and Comic Com, but is constantly supervised by staff.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The living arrangements do not provide a positive, supportive and caring environment for Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 7 the young person. This is because they do not have the opportunities to develop and learn life skills as their freedom of movement is limited.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Currently, all food items, crockery, cooking utensils and pans are locked away. Staff said this is to reduce the risk of them being used as weapons by the young person. This began in September 2019 and has gradually increased. The young person now uses plastic plates, cutlery and paper cups which are removed when they are finished with. They are not happy with this arrangement. These extreme restrictive measures breach the young person’s freedom and liberty, with the home acting as a secure setting and not as a family home.

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The young person is encouraged to spend time with their family and to keep in contact with them.

p.7

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

Staff are risk-averse and do not help the young people develop strategies to keep themselves safe. A risk assessment dated 24 September 2019 states that all appliances, such as the toaster and kettle, are to be locked away as a control measure to reduce risk. However, the risk assessment does not say what the risks are or who may be affected. Furthermore, there is no review or end date for this restriction. This practice has been expanded to include all kitchen items and food. Several members of staff state that these measures were taken to protect the staff. Ultimately, plans and risk assessments in place are not preventing the escalation in self-injurious behaviour or aggression and violence towards staff.

p.7

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

Staff are trained in safeguarding practice and understand the action to take should they become concerned about a young person. Staff have completed e-learning training in relation to self-harm and the needs of young people. However, there is no guidance to staff or the young person on how to safely treat injuries and cuts.

p.7

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

The young person’s bedroom is in a poor state: clothes, dirty cups, fizzy drinks cans and other items are strewn across the floor. The young person’s bed, mattress and carpet were stained with blood from incidents of self-injurious behaviour. This is detrimental to the health and well-being of the young person.

p.7

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

When challenged, staff said initially that the young person would not let them in their room. However, the young person is subjected to daily room searches to ensure that they do not have any materials with which to harm themselves. The effectiveness of these searches is questionable, given the poor condition of the bedroom.

p.7

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

Inconsistently applied rules and boundaries hinder the young person’s ability to learn the skills to manage their emotions and achieve conflict resolution. Staff manage the young person’s behaviour by removing items from them. These punitive measures are ineffective and have increased the young person’s risks of harming themselves and others. This is echoed by staff and the registered manager, who said that they are concerned for their safety and do not feel that they can keep the young person safe. Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 8 Risk reduction measures are poor. A looked-after children’s nurse has refused to visit the home until a risk assessment is carried out in relation to their safety within the home. Youth offending teams said that they have chosen not to carry out some activities with the young person, for example cookery activities, due to the risks involved. However, these high-level risks are not made clear in the home’s risk assessments.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This is the home’s first inspection since registration in June 2019. The registered manager is managing two homes for the company, but one is yet to open. The registered manager acknowledges the difficulties the home has experienced in gaining a stable staff team and the negative impact this has had on the young person.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This is a key priority for the registered manager. She acknowledges the importance of having a consistent team of staff that have the knowledge, skills and experience to meet the needs of the young person.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Due to the restrictive measures in place, the home is not meeting its statement of purpose. This is having a negative impact on the care and support provided.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff rotas highlight the inconsistencies in staffing. Rotas contain staff initials rather than the individuals’ full names, and do not reflect the actual staff on duty. Several staff members have left the company and others have moved to work in different houses. The young person said that they do not know who is going to be working with them on a daily basis.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On the day of inspection, an inexperienced member of staff who had just completed their first 48-hour shift in the home was clearly distressed following incidents the previous night. This is indicative of staff not being able to build strong relationships with the young person and having the emotional skills and resilience to manage difficult situations.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring by the registered manager is not yet secure. Records and documentation contain contradictory information or lack vital information. Incidents of injuries are recorded; however, they do not demonstrate the support offered to the young person or if they have been encouraged to seek help. This is not followed up in a key-worker session. This lack of oversight is not helping to decrease these incidents.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Social workers and others are notified of any significant incidents within the home, which promotes transparency. Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 9

p.8

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.

p.9

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: 2534233 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 1.3, My Buro, 20 Market Street, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1PF

p.10

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ann-Cheri Callow

p.10

Inspectors

Chris Scully, social care inspector Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 2534233 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.10

Inspectors

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 http://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.11

Inspectors

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

p.11

Inspectors

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

p.11