Children's Home, Residential special school run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 1258769 1 Registered provider: Roc Northwest Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number of homes operated by a private provider. The home provides care and accommodation for up to 10 children who have disabilities and/or behavioural needs. Accommodation is provided across five individual units on the site. However, at the time of this inspection, only one unit was in operation.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post who is currently going through the process of registration with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 27 February 2020

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation to the protection of children, leadership and management and behaviour management policies and records in August 2019. The provider has taken the actions required within the notices.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted restricted the provider from admitting any new young people in August 2019. This restriction has now been removed.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted imposed a condition on the provider to reduce the numbers of young people the provider could accommodate to 10 in September 2019. Inspection report children’s home: 1258769 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 improved effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the time of the inspection, two young people were living at the home. A number of young people have recently left the service. There was evidence that their transitions to new services were well supported. Managers and staff ensured effective communication with new providers to plan young people’s moves and share information throughout their moves. Staff discussed a good level of direct work that had taken place with young people to help prepare them for their moves. However, this work could have been evidenced more effectively in young people’s transition files.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people who currently live at the home are receiving safe and effective support. Managers and staff have a good understanding of young people’s needs and plan their care effectively. Where appropriate, the manager works closely with external professionals to help ensure that young people’s needs are met.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All managers and staff have been provided with updated safeguarding training. This learning includes a competence assessment to ensure that staff have understood and retained the necessary information. Staff have also benefited from focused supervision sessions, in which the importance of safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures have been discussed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has introduced a new whistleblowing campaign to encourage staff to share concerns. All staff spoken with demonstrated awareness of whistleblowing procedures and expressed confidence in managers to deal with safeguarding concerns appropriately. Improved safeguarding practice promotes young people’s safety and well-being and helps to protect them from harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk management has improved. Assessments and plans are more comprehensive and contain clear guidance for staff. Young people’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated when new information is identified. This helps to ensure that staff have up-to-date guidance on maintaining young people’s safety and well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have been supported to develop their skills in managing young people’s behaviours. Workshops have taken place, which have given staff the opportunity to explore individual young people’s behaviours and the strategies that they should use to support them. This has resulted in a more consistent approach and staff being able to de-escalate challenging situations more effectively.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been occasions when staff have been required to physically intervene to safeguard young people or those around them. Records of these incidents demonstrate that the staff members’ responses were appropriate and proportionate. Inspection report children’s home: 1258769 3 The quality of recording is good, and managers’ monitoring of physical interventions is much improved. Managers have clear understanding of these incidents and the events leading up to them. Incidents are evaluated to help ensure that any potential learning is identified.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers are currently in the process of introducing personal development plans for all staff. The plans identify staff members’ strengths and areas for development and are reviewed regularly during one-to-one supervision sessions. The learning programme has been enhanced to include additional training in a variety of areas, and there are workshops relating to young people’s individual needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The frequency and quality of team meetings have improved. Meetings are focused on young people’s needs, and significant incidents are standing items on the agenda. Staff are given clear direction about approaches to use with young people, but are also being encouraged to reflect and share practice ideas among themselves. Managers have introduced new initiatives such as ‘policy of the week’ to increase staff understanding of key policies and offer a forum in which to discuss them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team presents a cohesive approach and commitment to maintaining improvements within the home. There is a newly appointed manager in post who has applied for registration with Ofsted. She demonstrates a good understanding of her role and of young people’s needs. She shared some positive ideas about the development of the service during this inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Weekly improvement meetings continue to take place and include senior managers from the organisation. All significant incidents are reviewed in these meetings to help ensure that any concerns about practice or potential learning can be identified. Improvements to processes for monitoring safety and quality mean that areas for development can be identified and addressed. This helps to support continuous improvement across the service. Inspection report children’s home: 1258769 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/01/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: 1258769 5

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Recommendations

 Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. Support to assist the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope with the transition should be detailed within their placement plan. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis must be clearly detailed within children’s placement plans. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 1258769 6

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Sophie Thomson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258769 7 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

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