Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 1 SC013143 Registered provider: Barnardo’s Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate up to six children. The home’s statement of purpose states that it provides full-time care for children with disabilities. This includes children with learning, physical, health and social behavioural needs. The service is delivered and managed by a national charitable organisation. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2014.

p.1

Inspection date: 19 February 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 2

p.1

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Longstanding and dedicated staff provide nurturing care to the children. However, the registered manager has not addressed all of the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. There are significant staff vacancies and a heavy reliance on agency staff at the home. This has adversely affected the quality and consistency of the care that the children receive. Consequently, the experiences and progress of the children have declined since the last inspection.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspectors found shortfalls in the standards of practice relating to safeguarding and poor record-keeping. Following a delay in staff reporting an allegation, senior managers undertook interviews to fact find. This was undertaken without prior consultation with the local authority designated officer. As a result, the member of staff who was the subject of the allegation continued to work with the children without the risks of doing so being duly considered.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The arrival of two energetic and younger children to the home has led to considerable shift in the ambience in the home. This has resulted in the quieter and non-mobile children experiencing considerable disruption and instability to their day- to-day routines.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Impact risk assessments undertaken to consider the impact of new arrivals on the existing group of children are weak in detail. While the perceived risks that a child may pose to other children are outlined, the specific behaviours and circumstances which may trigger these behaviours are not included. Details of the actions and strategies to be taken by staff to minimise the risks and impact on other children are insufficient. This lack of preparation and detailed planning has contributed towards the staff struggling to understand and manage the children’s behaviours.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been incidents at the home where staff have not kept the children safe. One child has been targeted and hurt by another child. This has significantly impacted on his well-being and sense of safety.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and the staff have been pushed, hit and hurt. One child has had his gastro feed tube pulled out by another child. The registered manager is working closely with the local learning disabilities child and adolescent mental health team that are providing extra support and guidance to the staff team. The registered manager has reported that the staff are now feeling more confident and incidents have reduced.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are not consistently reviewed following significant events. A risk assessment was not in place for one child who has been on the receiving end of Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 3 unwanted behaviours from another child. This means that the staff may not be aware of what the risks are, or know the strategies to reduce them.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Arrangements for when children join and leave the home are variable. For one child, due to the urgency of his need to move, there were no tea visits or overnight stays. The registered manager raised concerns about the speed and planning of this. However, she was not effective in ensuring that his move to the home was at an appropriate pace or that she had full knowledge of his needs to inform a decision about the suitability of placing this child in the home.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

For another child, his planned move from the home to foster care is being managed well. Joined up working between the staff, foster carer and professionals has ensured that the child’s needs are at the centre of the transition planning. The child’s foster carer spoke highly about how helpful the staff have been in helping the move for the child to her home go smoothly.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of physical intervention to keep the children safe is low. The logs relating to the use of physical intervention show timely manager review, the children’s well- being being checked and de-briefs with the staff. However, the individual behaviour management records showed inconsistencies. On one child’s plan, two different behavioural management models are referred to, one of which is not used at the home.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A physical intervention log referred to named positive handling techniques for a child which were not identified on his behaviour management plan. In addition, plans do not show consideration to the children’s health needs or relevant past experiences. This runs the risk that the use of physical intervention may be used without a full exploration of the implications of this for each child.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of fixed visual monitors and door sensors have not been individually risk assessed for all the children to ensure that it is justified for them. While the use of monitoring may be necessary to ensure safety for some children, there is no evidence of regular review in the children’s plans to ensure that measures are proportionate and that they meet the changing needs of the children. A requirement has been repeated in relation to this matter to improve practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2019 Full Good 08/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/05/2017 Full Good 14/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (c)(ii)(iii)) 10/03/2020

p.5

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; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iv)(v))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they record an assessment of the impact a child may have on other children. The assessment must include any perceived risk that the child may pose to other children and details of the actions to be taken to minimise the risks.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that all risk assessments are quickly reviewed following significant events.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that the staff act in accordance with the home’s safeguarding policy and report allegations without delay. 20/0/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 6

p.5

Recommendations

 Each local authority should have clear arrangements in place for the management and oversight of allegations against people who work with children. The relevant officer or teams within the local authority should be informed promptly of all allegations that come to an employer’s attention or that are made directly to the police. For further information, including about the role of a local authority designated officer see Working together to safeguard children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18) In particular, the registered manager to ensure accurate and good record-keeping of safeguarding incidents.  Any use of restraint carries risks. These include causing physical injury, psychological trauma or emotional disturbance. When considering whether restraint is warranted, staff in children’s homes need to take into account: - the age and understanding of the child;

p.6

Recommendations

- the size of the child; - the relevance of any disability, health problem or medication to the behaviour in question and the action that might be taken as a result; - the relative risks of not intervening; - the child’s previously sought views on strategies that they considered might de- escalate or calm a situation, if appropriate; - the method of restraint which would be appropriate in the specific circumstances; and - the impact of the restraint on the carer’s future relationship with the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.55)  The registered person should only accept placement for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to

p.6

Recommendations

the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children’s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need (Regulation 31 (1)). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1) Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 7

p.6

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.

p.7

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: SC013143 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Head Office, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG6 1QG

p.8

Inspectors

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Melissa McMillan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC013143 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.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9