Children's home run by Heath Solo Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 1 Registered provider: Heath Solo Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in position across two children‟s homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

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

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inadequate

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

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 2

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

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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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help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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

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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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(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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In particular, a lone-working risk assessment must be implemented to manage children’s care, including any likely risks. 09/12/2019

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*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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 09/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 3 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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

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understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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

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(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(e)(f)(h)) The care planning standard is that children—

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receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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

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that each child’s relevant plans are followed.

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(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 09/12/2019

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The health and well-being standard is that—

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

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

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The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that— 09/12/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 4 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 23 (1)(2)(c)) 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.

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

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

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are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Significant shortfalls in how children are helped and protected and failings in leadership and management have resulted in a judgement of inadequate for this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One young person’s placement ended unplanned due to staff no longer being able to protect him from harm. Staff have not been competent in developing constructive relationships that are the foundation for positive behaviour management. The young person continued to engage in destructive behaviour, including serious criminal activity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The stability of the staff team and continuity of care have not been achieved. This hampers the ability of staff to get to know young people, meet their needs and ensure that they reach their full potential. Moreover, information in relation to the progress and experience of young people from their starting points is limited.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Another young person is attending school on a reduced timetable. Staff are working well with the teachers to engage her back into full-time education. She is participating in Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 5 activities, including pamper nights, Halloween celebrations, and museum and cinema trips. These practices help to build self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Consultation is undertaken with young people to encourage the expression of their views and opinions. A young person has expressed her view that she would like to have consistent staff caring for her and plastic drawers. There is no evidence of these issues being addressed. This is a missed opportunity to really show young people how their views count.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people are registered with appropriate healthcare services. They receive therapy from in-house trained professionals. Healthcare plans are in place but do not reflect the needs of young people. For example, one young person‟s healthcare plan did not include any information about caring for his injured foot, nor any aftercare following sedation in hospital. Moreover, staff recordings of the help they provided are very limited and contradictory. Therefore, the health and welfare of this young person cannot be established following this injury.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff make sure that young people see their family members regularly to maintain these relationships. The home is well kept and furnished and there are photographs of young people around the home.

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

Staff do not always identify risk appropriately. Assessments do not take full account of the information available in care plans and measures identified to reduce risk are not followed. For example, direct work sessions regarding social media safety and safe relationships are not taking place to help mitigate risks.

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

There are no clear strategies to manage a young person‟s „free time‟ despite him spending long periods of time away from the home. Staff did make phone calls to the young person; however, this does not assure his safety and welfare. During the manager‟s absence, staff using their own discretion failed to check out an address that the young person was staying at locally. They then failed to report him as missing from care. This demonstrates a lack of understanding in relation to their responsibilities in protecting this young person from potential harm.

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

A serious incident occurred in which a young person required emergency medical treatment for an injury to his foot while on ‘free time’. Staff records do not provide a full account of the incident, the injury sustained, the hospital stay, nor any aftercare provided by the staff. Despite the young person being discharged with medication, there are no clear records of the administration of this medication. Moreover, a record stated that the manager had given the medication, but she was on annual leave. The care given to the young person by the staff did not safeguard his health and welfare.

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

The 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. Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This is the first inspection following the registration of the home in May 2019. A registered manager is in position over two homes situated next door to each other. She is open and honest about the difficulties in securing a consistent staff team in each home. She recognises the negative impact this can have on young people‟s daily lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An examination of the rosters shows an inconsistent staff team. Some have left the company and others have moved to work in other homes. Also, staff are shared between the two homes. This does not provide young people with continuity or the opportunity to form relationships and strong bonds with staff. A young person also highlights her concerns that staff are „taken away to work elsewhere‟.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management monitoring and review systems are not effective in making improvements in the quality of care provided. For example, medication records are inaccurately recorded, and incident records are not checked to ensure that they are factually correct. The lack of consistent recording and the difficulty on the part of the registered manager in producing information for inspectors hinder a real understanding of what is happening in young people’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Significant incidents are notified to all appropriate bodies to share information and develop practice. However, the statement of purpose does not reflect the staff currently working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff are currently lone working with young people. This has been agreed within the organisation and there is a policy in place. However, a risk assessment to identify and manage any potential risks is not in place. Staff have raised their concerns about lone working and feeling unsafe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager and responsible individual acknowledge the shortfalls raised at the inspection. They demonstrate commitment to making the required improvements, including an action plan. The responsible individual and area manager reported that they planned to support the registered manager in driving improvements.

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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 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 7 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: 2511608 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ann-Cheri Callow

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Inspectors

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 2511608 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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