Children's home run by Skyline Child Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 1

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Skyline Child Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is the only home that this company currently operates. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since December 2019. The current acting manager was appointed on 17 January 2020. He has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home has been judged requires improvement to be good at the first two full inspections since it was registered on 19 April 2018. At the most recent interim inspection, conducted on 29 January 2020, the home was judged to have declined in effectiveness. Following the interim inspection Ofsted issued four compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to review the action taken by the provider to meet the four compliance notices. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ofsted did not physically visit the home. The inspector gathered evidence in several different ways, including talking to the responsible individual and manager. The responsible individual and manager also provided electronic documents for the inspector to review.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring inspection the inspector found that three of the four compliance notices have been met.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have made improvements to the staffing arrangements at the home. As a result, although there is still a reliance on agency staff for five of the fourteen staff Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 2 posts, managers have reduced the agency staff to a core group. This has improved the consistency of care for the children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have increased the support and training provided to staff. As a result, most of the staff are now receiving regular supervision. Managers have ensured that most of the staff have received training that reflects the individual needs of the children who live in the home. The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak is recognised as a factor that has restricted the availability of some members of staff in receiving training.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have taken some action to address safeguarding practice. However, the action taken has not been sufficient to show how the managers have met all the steps that were set out in the fourth compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Although managers have reviewed and updated children’s risk assessments, there is still a failure to ensure that the review of risk assessments is an ongoing process. As a result, these documents continue to lack essential and up-to-date information. For example, risk assessments do not reflect that one child had gained access to illegal drugs when they went missing from school. In addition, risk assessments do not contain information that a child had been able to go into a local public house and purchase alcohol despite the fact that the child should have had a member of staff with them. As a result of these omissions, staff continue to have unreliable information about new and emerging risks that can be used to help to keep children in their care safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received training regarding the recording of incidents in the home. This includes when they have needed to use physical intervention. However, this training has not resulted in an improvement in how staff record a physical intervention. This means that it is not possible to understand how incidents have developed and the reasons why a physical intervention becomes necessary.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have again failed to report an allegation made by a child against a member of staff in a timely way to the right professionals. Staff and management records of this event lack sufficient information. Continued failings in relation to the management of allegations fails to safeguard children and to ensure that children know that they are listened to.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of continued failure to improve safeguarding arrangements, Ofsted has issued a further compliance notice following this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements raised at the last inspection have not been reviewed at this monitoring inspection. These requirements will be reviewed at a future inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/01/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 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 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. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)) 22/05/2020

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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

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; 22/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 5 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)) 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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))* 22/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 6 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

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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h)) 22/05/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1)(7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 03/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(5)) 03/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 7

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Skyline Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 29 Old Farm Drive, Codsall, Wolverhampton WV8 1GF

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1265096 8 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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