Children's Home run by Step Up Children and Family Services Ltd in Essex

Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 1 Registered provider: Foundations Children & Family Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to five children aged eight to 17 who have had past traumatic experiences. The registered manager has been in post since June 2018.

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 requires improvement to be 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: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.2

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(v)) 31/01/2020

p.2

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.2

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 31/01/2020

p.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

Requirement Due date

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

p.2

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 29/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 3 individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that—

p.2

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

p.3

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.3

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

p.3

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.3

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.3

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b) (3)(d)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out—

p.3

Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, complete records when children go missing from the home. 31/01/2020

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away without Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 4 permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role

p.3

Recommendations

they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, provide the staff with training in understanding gang affiliation and county lines.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are happy and safe. They spoke positively about living at the home. One child wrote a glowing testimonial. He said, ‘I don’t want to go missing anymore. Living here is classed as a good life.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have high aspirations for the children and instil the value of education and employment. This is evident in the children’s positive education attendance and achievement. One child recently started an apprenticeship in catering that was sourced by the staff. This support helps the children to realise their full potential and prepares them for adult life.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the children extremely well and understand what is important in each of their lives. The staff consistently follow detailed plans that are tailored to meet each child’s personal needs. The staff work with therapists and social workers effectively to ensure that the children continue to receive the right support.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have different arrangements for keeping in touch with their families. These arrangements include some restrictions that are clearly recorded in the children’s plans. The staff plan children’s family visits well, which benefits all the children, including those who live a long distance from their families.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff offer the children a range of activities. However, these offers are not always taken up. The planned summer holiday did not come to fruition, reducing opportunities for the children to experience new places and build positive memories.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated to a good standard. It is bright and spacious. The children benefit from several rooms which can be used for time to be alone, activities and communal living. Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 5

p.4

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

The children are safer now than when they arrived at the home. Overall, they are involved in far fewer significant incidents at the home and in the community.

p.5

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

The staff refer the children for professional support when substance misuse is an issue. They encourage the children to engage with this support. As a result, children are learning about substance misuse and making some positive changes to their lifestyles.

p.5

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

Children are involved in the development of their individualised risk assessments. This helps them to understand the risks and the actions required to keep them safe.

p.5

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

The staff provide clear and consistent boundaries for the children. They use their positive relationships to explain what is expected. As a result, the children’s behaviour is generally good. There have been no physical restraints or sanctions used since the last inspection.

p.5

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

The children are encouraged to talk about their emotions with members of staff and supporting professionals. This emotional support helps the children to find alternative ways to manage their feelings.

p.5

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

The incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced. For some children, this is a remarkable improvement. However, the manager and staff do not always complete all the required records. The independent return home interviews have not taken place despite these being requested.

p.5

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

The children are not at risk from child criminal exploitation. This represents enormous progress for some. The children continue to work with the staff to improve their understanding of these risks. However, the staff have not had training in understanding gang affiliation and county lines.

p.5

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

The safe recruitment practice requires improvement in some areas. One member of staff’s reference is not from their most recent employer. There are gaps in employment history that have not been explored or discussed. This fails to provide consistently thorough checks for new staff.

p.5

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

The established, experienced manager has an appropriate management qualification. She is respected by the children, the staff and other professionals.

p.5

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

The manager’s ability to manage the home is partially compromised. Senior leaders often visit the home and make decisions without her knowledge. This undermines and disempowers the manager. These decisions can lead to confusion when making decisions about the daily plans for the staff and the children.

p.5

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

The reward system is ineffective. The manager and staff do not make decisions about Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 6 the children’s rewards. These decisions are made by a different member of staff who works part time. This is compounded by ineffective monitoring and oversight of the reward system. This leaves the staff feeling disempowered and can cause delays in decision-making. A social worker said that this system does not work for their child and should be more individualised. This was raised at the last inspection and remains unaddressed, along with another requirement. These shortfalls have both been raised again.

p.5

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

The manager makes good use of a range of quality assurance processes to ensure that most aspects of the home’s performance and the children’s progress are routinely monitored. Poor staff practice and conduct are dealt with efficiently by the manager.

p.6

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

The staff receive regular supervision and training. This support provides the staff with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge to work effectively with the children. However, one member of staff has not achieved a suitable level 3 qualification within the required time frame.

p.6

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

The manager and staff generally work collaboratively with a wide range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the children’s care. When these services have been slow to respond or have not been available, the manager has challenged them effectively. While this is positive, one social worker has highlighted poor communication at times and said that this was ‘challenging and causing conflict’.

p.6

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

The children’s written records contain a detailed picture of their histories, experiences and progress. These records are regularly updated and signed by all parties so that everyone works towards the same goals.

p.6

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.6

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: 1271182 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Foundations Children & Family Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 742 New Hey Road, Huddersfield HD3 3YQ

p.7

Inspector

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1271182 8 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.7

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 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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8