Children's home run by Cornwall Council in Cornwall

Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 1 SC368934 Registered provider: Cornwall Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide a short-break service for up to 21 children and young people who have learning difficulties and/or physical difficulties. The home is managed and owned by the local authority. There is a registered manager in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/10/2018 Full Good 26/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 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.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are 01/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 4 designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e)) The care planning standard is that children–

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Requirement Due date

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.

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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

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

In particular, care plans must clarify the maximum length of time that a child should be seated in their wheelchair without a rest from it. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b), (2)(a)) 01/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who stay at this home are given varied experiences which they may not have previously been able to access. These include trips to local attractions, surfing, trampolining and other fun activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide important boundaries and a consistent approach to supporting good behaviour. This has had a significantly positive impact on several children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Many children visit on a regular basis, and this provides an important structure and routine for them. However, at times, scheduled stays are cancelled to provide stays for children at times of crisis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Several children have gained significantly at home from the care provided to them. For example, one child was previously unable to sleep in standard bed without being enclosed. This child has slept in a standard bed since visiting the home, and there is now a plan for this to happen at her family home also.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been several changes in staffing at the home. This means that children do not always benefit from consistent relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Observations during the inspection demonstrated the children enjoying attentive care, which included the massaging of their feet and hands. This delighted the children who were staying that night.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding, recording and reporting systems lack rigour. It is unclear if matters have been concluded and, at times, the referrals to social workers lack important detail.

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improvement to be good

Managers’ investigations are of a good standard and opportunities for learning are identified. Any concerns regarding staff practice are robustly explored. However, on one occasion the local authority designated officer was not contacted, which is an important action given the concerns held.

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improvement to be good

One complaint has been received since the previous inspection. This matter was well managed and the parent was kept fully involved throughout the investigation process. However, no formal written apology was given to the parent.

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improvement to be good

Care planning, overall, is of a good standard. Records are clear and concise, which enables staff to access important information easily, although care plans do not clarify the maximum amount of time that a child should be seated in their wheelchair without a rest from it. Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 6 Children are frequently supported to make choices. Varied communication techniques are used to enable to children to have a voice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong advocate for the needs, wishes and feelings of children. One child is now safe and well cared for because of the manager’s tenacity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home itself is due to be relocated to other premises. This is taking a considerable time. Although the current premises are functional, they lack a homely feel.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recruitment practice is safe. Staff are carefully vetted prior to undertaking any initial shadow shifts at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and her staff team have good relationships with parents, carers and other professionals. The staff team fully contributes to care-planning activities for children, overall. The feedback received from parents and professionals during the inspection was very positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Case records, overall, clearly convey the everyday lives of children and the support that they need from staff to enjoy their time at the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 7

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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

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: SC368934 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cornwall Council, PO Box 727, Truro TR1 9GP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tony Phillips-Jones

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Inspector(s)

Polly Soper, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC368934 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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