The Banyan Tree

Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 1 SC396186 Registered provider: Living Life (UK) 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

The home is owned by a private provider. The home offers residential care for children and young people, irrespective of gender, who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The home provides accommodation for up to five children and young people.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 30 to 31 December 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Full Good 09/10/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/09/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 3

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Recommendations

 Each child’s placement plan should set out the permissions that their placing authority has delegated to the registered person. This should provide clarity on the home’s ability to give permission for school trips, sleep-overs or the child’s involvement in sporting, leisure and cultural activities. Wherever possible the home should secure the appropriate authority to support children to be involved in the same positive activities as their peers. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 30, paragraph 6.2)  Expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Children should be supported to develop understanding and empathy towards each other. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. The development of safe, stable and

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Recommendations

secure relationships with staff in the home should be central to the ethos of the home and support the development of secure attachments that, where appropriate, persist over time. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. In some cases children may need longer to work through their feelings, so a record that the child has talked about their feelings should be made no longer than five days after the incident of restraint (regulation 35(3) (c). Children should be encouraged to add their views and comments to the record of restraint. Children should be offered the opportunity to access an advocacy support to

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Recommendations

help them with this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress in the home. They have trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. They are looked after by adults who know them well and are supportive and nurturing towards them. Positive relationships, consistency and good communication have helped the young people to progress and thrive at the home. Feedback from parents, carers and professionals was very positive. Young people describe the staff as kind, amazing and always there to talk to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the young people are engaged in education or employment. Young people make good progress in education. Two young people passed GCSE examinations in the summer and have gone on to college and an apprenticeship. One young person has also got a part-time job in the local area. This will help them as they prepare for moving on from the home and developing more independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Attendance in education has improved for most of the young people. Where there are concerns about behaviour and attendance in school, staff do not always discuss this directly with the young people. This means that discussions have not taken place about the expectations regarding school attendance, the impact of young people’s behaviour at school, or any worries and concerns they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are offered a wide range of activities in the home and community. Some of the young people attended Camp America in the summer holidays. This had a positive impact on their self-confidence and emotional well-being. The holiday gave the young people an amazing experience and an opportunity to develop their social skills. Some young people attend after-school clubs and are developing hobbies and interests away from the home. Young people have also been involved in fundraising projects in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two of the young people in the home have been involved in research projects with a local university. They have contributed their views to research projects around education, communication and social workers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people do not routinely contribute to their care plans or have these discussed with them. The voice of the young person is not always captured in these plans. Overall, these plans are detailed, and individual to the young person. Some information in the plans needs to be more specific regarding individual needs. This will ensure that the adults caring for the young people know all the relevant information. The plans do not include what the home can give permission for. This lack of delegated authority means that consent for the young people to participate in activities and events must be sought on each occasion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people have emotional-health plans which are regularly reviewed by a clinical psychologist at the home. Staff contribute to these reviews, and information is shared with other professionals and education staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 5 A dental therapist was accessed to support a young person in attending dental appointments, and this was successful. All appointments have been attended, meaning that the young person’s dental health has improved. Staff at the home work well with other health professionals in sharing information, accompanying young people when they attend appointments and accessing additional support when needed.

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

All young people have a behaviour and emotional support plan, as well as a range of specific risk assessments in place. This means that adults working with the young people have clear strategies for behaviour management and support. Young people are given consistent boundaries to help and support them to manage their behaviours. Staff are good at identifying possible triggers for behaviour and discuss these during weekly meetings. Behaviour support plans are regularly updated.

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

When allegations have been made against staff, these have been investigated appropriately and relevant professionals informed. There are risk assessments and agreed strategies in place for managing allegations. Young people have been updated about the outcome of any allegation and supported to rebuild relationships, if appropriate, with those concerned.

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

Incidents in the home have reduced. When physical intervention has been used, this has been appropriate. Debriefs following the use of physical intervention are not always undertaken with the young people. This means that the young people do not have the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint. The current system for recording debriefs is confusing.

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

Recruitment systems are not as robust as they should be. Gaps were identified in the processes around safe recruitment. Although there has been no impact to the young people currently, there is the potential for risk of harm should these systems not improve.

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

Room searches are regularly undertaken in the home. When these are carried out, they are done with sensitivity to maintain the dignity of the young people concerned. These searches are being undertaken in response to a concern around fire-setting in a bedroom. A specific risk assessment is in place and additional advice has been sought from the local fire service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is reflective and can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She is ambitious and has clear plans for further improvement of the home and development of the team. Monitoring systems are used effectively, and the manager has a clear oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training and development of staff are strengths at the home. All staff have completed Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 6 mandatory training, and this is regularly refreshed. Staff have the opportunity to attend a wide range of training courses, including workshops with the clinical psychologist. The manager also delivers additional training to the team using current research to inform this. All staff are trained in the therapeutic model used. This means that staff have the skills and understanding to work with the complex needs of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals. Staff say that they are well supported by the manager, who was described as open and approachable. The manager receives regular supervision alongside therapeutic supervision with the clinical psychologist.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of the progress young people are making in the home. She works well with other professionals in supporting the young people and in accessing additional resources when needed. Communication is good, and information is shared regularly. Relationships with parents, carers and professionals are positive. This leads to young people being supported by adults who know them well and work together in a consistent way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home feels warm and welcoming. There are lots of personal touches around the home, including photographs of the young people. These celebrate achievements and show the young people enjoying a range of experiences such as their summer holidays. Young people’s bedrooms are personal to them and have been decorated to reflect their individual tastes.

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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 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: SC396186 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Living Life (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 60 Overstone Road, Sywell, Northampton NN6 0AW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lorraine Andrews-Miller

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC396186 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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