Children's home run by Cornwall Council in Cornwall

Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 1 SC361789 Registered provider: Cornwall Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties. The home is owned by a local authority. It is situated near a school for children who have additional needs and a children’s home that offers short breaks. There is currently no registered manager in post.

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Inspection date: 3 January 2020

Date of last inspection: 3 September 2019

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Inspection date: 3 January 2020

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 3 January 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Several requirements which were made at the last inspection have not been met. Due to concerns identified at this current inspection, two of these requirements are now subject to compliance notices.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Unnecessary aids and adaptation that are not required by the children have not been removed. They include a room with padding on the walls currently used as a play room and a bedroom intercom system.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child is living in self-imposed isolation. He only leaves the home to go out in the car. He has not got out of the car during these trips since the summer months. He is not in education and is making very limited progress in his emotional development. At times of frustration, he can be aggressive towards staff. Staff struggle to manage this behaviour. Staff are also not able to meet all his physical health needs. For example, he has not brushed his teeth for two months. This child has not moved on to a home where staff are able to meet his needs in a timely manner.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The needs of another child who has recently moved to the home are also not fully understood. Support to enable this child to thrive is lacking.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care planning documents are not effective, which places both the children and the staff at risk of harm. Staff lack the skills and guidance to meet the needs of all the children who live at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Consistency of staffing is poor. This means that children with complex needs are experiencing frequent changes in their caregivers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leadership and management are inadequate. There is a lack of clear and effective guidance for staff. There is currently no registered manager in post. Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/03/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/11/2018 Full Inadequate 15/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

Understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and Uses this understanding to deliver care that meets the children’s s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home; and ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that— relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health; and is not arranged or provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3). The conditions are— that the care meets the child’s needs; that the care is delivered by a person who— has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i)(ii)(d)(i)(ii) 31/01/2020* Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 5 (3)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

 Care planning documents must provide clear and robust guidance to ensure that staff understand how to meet the complex needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

 Children’s short- and long-term goals must be clearly recorded to promote best outcomes. This includes matters such as toileting, oral hygiene etc.

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Requirement Due date

 When staff are not able to meet the needs of children, effective early planning must be completed to promote the welfare of children. Specifically, when children need to move to their next home.

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Requirement Due date

 Continue to improve the home environment so that it can be as homely as possible.

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Requirement Due date

 Remove the padding from the play room.

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Requirement Due date

 Remove or conceal irrelevant intercom panels situated throughout the building to reduce the institutional feel. 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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 31/01/2020* Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 6 (Regulation 13 (1) (a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g))

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Requirement Due date

 Appoint and register a manger without delay.

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that the home is managed in a way which provides robust leadership and guidance for staff.

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance by leaders and managers.

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Requirement Due date

 Leaders and managers must have good oversight of the day to day running of the home and ensure that staff provide care and support that meets children’s s developing needs.

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that children’s s needs are kept under review, and staff approaches to these changing needs, skills and outcomes are aspirational for the children and strive to support children to meet their full potential.

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Requirement Due date

 Ensure that record-keeping is clear and that staff can access important information easily.

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Requirement Due date

 Embed management quality assurance, oversight and monitoring systems. Clarify timescales for actions.

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Requirement Due date

The behaviour management policies and records standard states the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

(iv) a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

(v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

(vi) the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

(vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii) 31/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 7 In particular:

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Requirement Due date

 Information obtained at these times must be analysed and used to inform care planning effectively.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC361789 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tony Phillips-Jones

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Inspectors

Polly Soper, Social Care Inspector Michelle Oxley, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report children‟s home: SC361789 9 to 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

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

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