Children's Home run by Inspirations Leicestershire Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 1 SC486398 Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2019 Full Good 26/09/2017 Full Good 18/10/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 3

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improvement to be good

Not all children have made progress in the home. At times, the challenging behaviour of some children has adversely affected other children. This has had a significant impact on children’s progress and experiences. One child said that they had isolated themselves in their bedroom as they did not feel safe in the home at times. Children have not been supported by a consistent and stable staff team. As a result, children have not had the opportunity to build positive, secure and trusted relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

Only one child has consistently attended education. Other children have not engaged in their education placements. This has led to one child’s college course ending due to poor attendance.

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improvement to be good

One child has been working on their independent-living skills and they are due to leave the home shortly. There is a comprehensive independence file in place. However, most of the work identified for this child has not been completed. Some topics were covered, but the child has been reluctant to engage with most of the work. This means that the child may not be sufficiently prepared for this move to an independent living provision.

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improvement to be good

One child’s health needs have not been met. Their medical diagnosis is not included in the health plan or behaviour support plan. After running out of prescribed medication, the child made the decision to stop taking this. No advice was sought from a medical professional in response to this. There has been no consideration of the impact that this may have on the child’s health. This child is also known to smoke, and there is no evidence of how they are being supported to stop.

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improvement to be good

The induction and welcome guide to the home is detailed. It provides children moving into the home with a clear view of the home. It includes details of how to make a complaint and how children will be supported in the home. Despite this, there has not been careful and considered planning for new children moving into the home. The needs and feelings of the children already living at the home have not been considered. Some challenging behaviour has had a significant effect on children in the home and has led to placement breakdowns following serious incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are not captured well enough. Key-work sessions are reactive and are usually carried out in response to a concern in the home. Children do not routinely attend get togethers to talk about their wishes and feelings. This limits the opportunities for children to have their voices heard or contribute to the development of the home. There is limited evidence of children being consulted about their plans and targets. This limits children’s understanding of and engagement with their plans. Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 4 Children’s care plans are confusing and contain old information alongside updated information. There are three different versions of one child’s family time plan. Some essential information is missing, such as up-to-date education plans and minutes from meetings. Information is not always relevant to the current needs of the child. The plans are not written in a child-friendly format. There is no evidence of

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improvement to be good

progress, and the targets are not up to date. For example, one care plan had not been updated to reflect the targets set at the last planning meeting in October 2019. This means that children and staff do not have a clear understanding of the help children need and outcomes required. Children do not contribute to their plans, and their wishes and feelings are not included. There is no evidence of children being prepared for their reviews or how their views will be shared.

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improvement to be good

There have been several serious incidents at the home requiring police intervention. Children and staff have been assaulted during incidents. One child had to move to another home temporarily due to concerns for their safety following an assault by another child in the home. The number of incidents reduced once the decision was made to end placements, and children were moved out of the home in response.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are poor and do not contain sufficient information. Not all the risks identified have a clear and detailed plan in response. As a result, staff do not have clear guidance about how to respond in certain situations. Some risks have not been identified, such as the use of a mobile phone and smoking in bedrooms. Risk-taking behaviour increased in the home and community, and children have been drawn into this behaviour. This behaviour included substance misuse, consumption of alcohol, missing episodes and physical aggression towards each other. The risk management and behaviour support plans did not lead to a reduction in the concerning behaviour.

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improvement to be good

A concern was raised by a child about sexual activity between other children in the home. Children were alleged to be going into each other’s bedrooms at night. The children’s social workers met with them and carried out an investigation into the allegations. The findings have not been shared with the home. The management team showed a lack of awareness regarding the outcome of this investigation. This lack of management oversight had the potential to put children at risk. However, additional measures were put in place to ensure that children were supervised at night.

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improvement to be good

Staff have tried to promote positive behaviour. Incentives have been used in an attempt to engage children. Children have not received specific and targeted work to support them to find alternative strategies for managing conflict. Staff have not always understood the triggers for behaviour and how best to help and support children. This means that children’s behaviour has not improved, and some children’s behaviour has declined.

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improvement to be good

The recording of restraints and incidents does not always contain enough detail. One incident of restraint led to an injury to a child and an allegation of harm. This was Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 5 reported to the relevant professionals for investigation. The recording of this incident was confusing, and the narrative provided contained additional information not included in the report. Although no further action was deemed necessary by the designated officer, the missing information could have given a different context to the incident.

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good

The registered manager is currently absent from the home. A new manager has recently been appointed. There has been poor oversight of children’s plans and risk assessments in the home. Plans do not always reflect the children’s individual needs. Information is insufficient or out of date, and progress is not always evident. The voice of the child is not captured in their plans. Staff do not have clear guidance on the management of risk factors. Action has not been taken to address these issues.

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good

The quality of care has not been regularly monitored and assessed. Child-centred practice is not always evident. For example, one child who had their door broken during an incident has still not had this repaired. The manager has not considered the impact this is having on the child. The physical environment in the home has been significantly damaged, and this is only gradually being repaired. This means that the home does not look warm or welcoming.

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good

The matching and impact assessment for new children in the home has not been robust or sufficiently scrutinised by management. This has led to placement breakdowns and has had a significant impact on children already residing in the home. Staff have not always had the skills and experience to manage the behaviour of children in the home.

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good

Staff have had regular supervision and appraisal. Staff said that they are well supported by the manager in the home. Staff have opportunity to undertake a wide range of training. It is not clear from the system in place what training staff have received. All staff have completed mandatory training in a range of subjects.

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good

There has been a high turnover of staff, which has led to staff shortages in the home. Agency workers have been used to cover the shortfalls. Recruitment processes for permanent and agency staff are not robust. Some agency staff have worked in the home without appropriate documents or profiles in place. References have not been sufficiently sourced for permanent staff. This means that children could potentially be at risk of harm from unsuitable people being employed at the home.

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good

Not all serious incidents in the home have been notified to Ofsted. These have included a child protection concern and a suspected overdose by a child. This has prevented the regulatory body from evaluating and having oversight of serious events in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 6

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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;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’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—

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)(iv)(vii)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ensure that staff— 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 7 help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 7 (1)(a)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that staff— 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 8 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(xi))

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 01/06/2020

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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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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 9 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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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—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 10 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(d)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 11

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Recommendations

 Staff must help each child prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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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: SC486398 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inspirations Leicestershire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 131a London Road, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5DP

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC486398 13 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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