Children's Home run by Lifeworks Charity Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 1 SC003792 Registered provider: Lifeworks Charity Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a charitable trust, providing care and accommodation for young people both on a residential basis and for short breaks. The home provides six short- break and four residential placements for young people who may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or a sensory impairment.

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 requires improvement to be 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

Date of last inspection: 19 December 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/12/2018 Full Good 09/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/05/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 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 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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.3

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)(e)(h))

p.3

Requirement Due date

 review children’s care and planning documentation to ensure that it contains all required information and that it reflects objectives, experience, progress and outcomes.  improve the analysis of fire drills and personal evacuation plans.  review the premises and make changes where appropriate, so that they are homelier in all parts.  ensure that any meetings for young people recorded. 06/01/2020

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 16/12/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 4 individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.3

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.4

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.4

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.4

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.4

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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.4

Requirement Due date

 additionally, refer to schedule 2 of the children’s homes regulations to ensure that the home has all the relevant documentation for agency workers who look after children. The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees–

p.4

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.4

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(1)(a), (4)(a)(b))

p.4

Requirement Due date

 ensure that all staff receive face-to-face safeguarding training within a suitable timescale.  ensure that all necessary issues are discussed in supervision and recorded, and that it takes place within the required intervals. 06/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 5

p.4

Recommendations

 The registered person must lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4) In particular, ensure that a written response is made to a complainant in line with the statement of purpose and good practice.

p.5

Recommendations

 Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 6

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s best interests are at the centre of this home’s practice. They receive individualised and well-planned support from the manager and staff team. The quality of the relationships between staff and young people is good and, in several cases, long- standing. Young people who have had to move to several different homes previously have settled here. They have made good progress in relation to their social and emotional well-being and their education.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have worked hard to improve communication with young people and to isolate areas for improvement. Young people are supported to make choices and have their views heard. Individually and as a group, young people enjoy increasingly varied activities, trips and holidays, which the manager monitors to ensure that all young people have opportunities to participate in. These opportunities include attending local clubs that help young people to make connections with the community which they could continue after they have left the home.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers, foster carers and family members make positive comments about the care given to young people and the progress that they have made. Not all social workers receive regular, written feedback on young people’s experience and progress.

p.6

improvement to be good

Young people have daily routines that help them to feel secure. Staff understand and respond to young people’s behaviours well. The deputy manager plays a prominent part in preventing situations from escalating into incidents and supporting staff to do the same. Physical intervention has not been used since the previous inspection, because staff are skilled in using strategies to avoid this action. Young people have not gone missing, but written procedures need to be more specific in case this happens.

p.6

improvement to be good

The medication process is organised so that it is safe and clear for staff to follow. Following a minor medication error, which did not cause harm to the young person, managers introduced an additional safeguard to prevent mistakes from happening in the future. The deputy manager ensures that a rigorous approach is applied to the administration of pro re nata, or ‘as required’, medication.

p.6

improvement to be good

Some agency staff continue to work in the home without the manager having satisfied herself that all the necessary checks to safeguard young people have been made This was a concern at the previous inspection and, therefore, a repeat requirement is made.

p.6

improvement to be good

When allegations are made, they have been investigated appropriately. Staff know what to do to keep children safe, but the process for recording injuries, and the subsequent action taken, needs to improve. Effective safeguarding training takes place specifically regarding young people who have disabilities. New staff have received online Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 7 safeguarding training, but some have to wait as long as six months to receive this face- to-face specialist training.

p.6

improvement to be good

Fire drills take place at regular intervals and evacuation is swift. However, more detailed analysis of who was involved and what happened would ensure that all aspects and eventualities of such a scenario are considered, to enhance everybody’s safety.

p.7

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

The manager, who has been registered for just over a year, has worked tirelessly to raise standards and make identified improvements for the service. She is supported by the responsible individual to review progress on a regular basis. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the service. Team days and meetings have focused on areas for development, from improving laundry to communicating more effectively with parents, redecorating bedrooms and team building.

p.7

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

Over the last year, the home has not had enough permanent staff. Therefore, agency staff have been used frequently. At times, this has had a negative impact on the consistency and quality of care provided in the home. The manager has sought to continually recruit permanent staff and has now reached the point when nearly all vacancies will be filled within the next two months.

p.7

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

Not all staff receive timely supervision, and the accompanying written records do not show a clear focus on young people’s progress. Most permanent staff have received up- to-date training, but it is notable that bank staff and agency staff have not received enough. The manager has recognised this problem and put measures in place to address it.

p.7

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

Work has been done to improve written guidance for staff and plans for young people, but some important issues are not included or the information is repetitive. Moreover, team around the child meetings are held but not recorded.

p.7

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

When complaints are made, the managers respond thoroughly. However, a verbal, not a written, response is sent to the complainant. Learning is discussed as a group and the team also role plays scenarios to improve practice.

p.7

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

Improvements have been made to the home environment, but some areas need updating. Additionally, there are several offices in the building that are cluttered with files and storage items, which is not conducive to a homely environment.

p.7

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

The manager has needed to be flexible in relation to accommodating children who have become adults. A number of young people have reached adulthood chronologically but have not yet moved from the home, either due to their needs, in terms of their readiness, or because plans have broken down. However, the risk to all young people is carefully assessed and has not increased. Move-on plans are in place and reviewed regularly. The manager and staff team’s commitment to the young people whom they care for is Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 8 unquestionable. They enjoy their work and are proud of the young people’s achievements. Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 9

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.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: SC003792 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Lifeworks Charity Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blacklers Park Road, Dartington Hall Estate, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EQ

p.10

Inspectors

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Joy Howick, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC003792 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.

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 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: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11