Children's home run by Heath Solo Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 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/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager recently left the home and an acting manager is in position.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) In particular, assessments must be updated to manage children’s care including any likely risks. 26/02/2020

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(e)) 26/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— 26/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 4 the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(e)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Recommendations

 Where children are placed in a home and not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not in school for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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improvement to be good

Young people living in the home have complex behavioural needs. Stability of the staff and continuity of care are key to their development. Efforts have been made to reduce the numbers of staff working with young people, and core members of staff remain in place. However, this is work in progress and consistency is not fully achieved yet. That said, young people are forging trusting relationships with the core staff. Young people identify the staff members that they ‘like’ and feel ‘comfortable’ with. Respectful relationships between the staff and young people were observed throughout the inspection. Care planning processes are in place and support the needs of young people. One young person is settling well into home life. Another young person’s placement broke down due to the staff being unable to manage the increased risks associated with this young person going missing from the home regularly. Moreover, the manager did not request a

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improvement to be good

review of the young person’s care plan with the placing authority, despite the escalating concerns. The staff continue to work with partner agencies to encourage young people to understand the value of education. A young person attends alternative education three days per week and refuses further learning in academic subjects. This can negatively impact future life chances. Moreover, a structured plan in not in place with the young person to complement further learning until full-time education is in place. Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 5 Routines and boundaries are clear and provide young people with structure to their daily lives. They participate in regular activities and hobbies such as hockey, roller skating, outdoor pursuits, youth club, baking and taking trips to the cinema and restaurants. A young person has also attended his review meeting and contributed his views. These are good examples of young people learning new skills and developing their confidence.

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improvement to be good

Consultation is undertaken with young people to ensure that they can voice their views and opinions. Young people know how to make a complaint and have used the process successfully to resolve their dissatisfaction. The staff respond promptly, which signals to young people that they are respected and valued. Furthermore, there are good examples of the staff advocating for young people, for example making sure that young people’s voices are listened to as well as other professionals in decisions about their future placement. The staff make sure that young people see their family members regularly in order to maintain these relationships. Also, young people have stayed overnight with their siblings and previous carers over the Christmas holidays, which gave them a real boost.

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improvement to be good

The staff understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting young people. They have regular safeguarding training and organisational policies to provide guidance and understanding. They teach young people how to stay safe in the home and the community through direct work sessions. Improved risk assessments are in place and help to manage risks to young people. However, the risks presented by a young person who previously lived in the home were not fully assessed and risk-reducing measures were not fully identified to effectively safeguard this young person. Lessons have been learned and risk assessments have been revised. Incidents of young people going missing from care are now well managed. If young people do go missing, the staff are proactive in their responses and search the area. They follow each young person’s missing-from-home protocol and report to all the relevant agencies. This helps to protect young people.

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improvement to be good

Challenging behaviour is managed in a consistent and positive manner that focuses on reward. There are few physical restraints and these are appropriately reviewed by the manager. The staff are trained in a certified method of restraint should it be necessary to hold young people to keep them safe. Young people live in a physically safe environment where they are protected by well- managed health and safety procedures. Young people are fully aware of the evacuation procedure and they confidently explained this during the inspection.

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

This is the first inspection following the registration of the home in May 2019. The registered manager has recently left her position. An acting manager is in post. He has Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 6 taken action to make improvements in the running of the home. For example, risk assessments and monitoring tools have been developed further to raise standards in the home. Since the home opened, the consistency of the staff working with young people has not been achieved. A new roster system has been put in place and the staff members are now appointed to the home to try and achieve continuity with young people. Several of the core staff have worked at the home since it opened and provide familiarity to young people. The staff members spoken with during the inspection said that the atmosphere is more positive within the team. Staff feel supported by the manager and their team members. The staff are suitably qualified or working towards a recognised qualification. They have

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

regular supervision, training and team meetings to keep them abreast of emerging information. The manager monitors and reports on the quality of care provided to young people. Reports show how the staff support young people to progress and develop. The manager intends to improve these to focus more on young people’s outcomes, achievements and experiences. A young person’s social worker is complimentary about the care, structured routines and relationships that the staff have developed with the young person. External quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. The independent person’s reports are improvement driven. The current manager has successfully addressed the actions raised to improve the quality of care provided to young people.

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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: 2511606 7

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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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Inspector

Caroline Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2511606 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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