Children's Home run by Broadlands Hall Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 1 SC060936

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Broadlands Hall Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care, accommodation and education for up to eight children who have moderate to severe learning difficulties and/or autism spectrum disorders. There is an education provision in the grounds of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we visit. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19. This has included the effect that these have had on staffing arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection was undertaken with some remote inspection activity due to the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to Ofsted inspecting services.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor and investigate concerns raised to Ofsted. This monitoring visit identified significant shortfalls that place the children at potential risk. The senior leadership team has failed to monitor the care, staff practice and records effectively. Consequently, there are serious shortfalls that are detrimental to the children’s welfare and care.

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This monitoring visit

A child who was admitted to the home in January 2020 has experienced poor care planning and a sudden end to their placement. The admission impact risk assessment failed to accurately assess and consider the child’s behaviours in relation to the children who were already living at the home. This was despite a known history of violent behaviours towards other children and professionals in school placements and the family home. This admission led to many prolonged incidents Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 2 during which extensive damage to the environment caused the child and the other children fear and anxiety.

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This monitoring visit

The behaviour management plan, placement plan and risk assessments for one child failed to provide the staff with clear or effective strategies. This meant that the staff managed behavioural incidents inconsistently. A child’s items were removed without any record of the removal, and a member of staff threatened a child with a non- permissible sanction. The records of physical interventions fail to include enough detail about the duration of each individual hold. It is unclear from these records whether the manager gave any consideration to the effectiveness and appropriateness of the holds to try to reduce the intensity and frequency. The staff have failed to follow the behaviour management policy, and the manager has failed to monitor the records. The approach to behaviour management does not help the children to feel safe.

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This monitoring visit

The staff failed to make a doctor’s appointment for a child for five weeks following the child’s admission. This was despite identified concerns about the child’s physical and mental health and a commitment from the manager to seek medical oversight. This delay failed to ensure that the child’s physical and mental health needs were met. The manager was unable to provide any records detailing the child’s health appointment chronology.

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This monitoring visit

A placement for one child was ended without any notice and without prior discussion with the social worker. This unplanned ending caused considerable distress to the child and the family.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is aware of some concerns that relate directly to children’s care that were raised by the staff. However, she has failed to pass these concerns on to the designated officer or to notify Ofsted. The manager also failed to notify Ofsted about a serious incident during which a child accessed and started a vehicle after taking the keys from the staff. A failure to notify Ofsted removes the extra safeguard that is intended.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s files include records of several allegations and whistle-blowing concerns raised by staff and children about the staff’s practice. Supervising staff have noted staff concerns in supervision meetings. Despite concerns being raised, there is no record that the staff have taken these to the manager or the responsible individual. The manager and the staff have failed to follow the safeguarding policy in the management of these allegations. Failure to respond to these concerns placed the children at risk.

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This monitoring visit

A high turnover of staff means that there are staff who are relatively new and in their probationary periods. There are also staff who are new to residential childcare, but, despite this, some staff have quickly progressed to senior positions. This has led to inexperienced staff managing difficult and serious incidents inappropriately. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 3 The manager was unable to provide the inspectors with some important records during the inspection. During a review of records of incidents, inspectors noted that the records held differing accounts of one incident and inaccurate details of another incident. Some of the children’s daily case records had overlaid sheets on top of the original record. Therefore, the information on the original record is not always clear.

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This monitoring visit

Complaints are not always recorded or acknowledged. The responsible individual has failed to refer a complaint about the manager to the appropriate authorities. The responsible individual started an investigation about the manager without agreement from the designated officer. This action failed to ensure good oversight and transparency. The referral to the designated officer was made when the provider was prompted to do so by Ofsted. This failure to work with safeguarding professionals shows a poor understanding of the safeguarding procedures and places the children at risk.

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This monitoring visit

Complaints about children’s care are not managed transparently. Complaints from parents and children that were identified in children’s files were not recorded as such. These complaints have not been investigated in line with the home’s complaint policy. Consequently, there is an inaccurate picture of the number of complaints and lack of evidence of resolution.

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This monitoring visit

The staff morale is poor. A divided team and difficulties between members of staff and between some staff and the manager have affected the quality of care provided to the children. These concerns have been raised with the responsible individual but have not been addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Vehicle safety checks show that the home’s vehicles are progressively defective. Several children travel a considerable distance in these vehicles to their family homes. The use of deficient vehicles poses a risk to the children and the staff.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to ensure that the physical environment is consistently kept to a good enough standard. Interior wiring is visible in the games room and the first- floor lounge. The fire door to the ground-floor small kitchen failed to close.

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This monitoring visit

The managerial monitoring and external monitoring are poor and have failed to identify serious safeguarding concerns and shortfalls that are detrimental to the children’s care.

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This monitoring visit

The two requirements and two recommendations that were raised at the last full inspection have not been fully reviewed at this visit and will be evaluated at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2019 Full Inadequate 07/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 5

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)) 16/06/2020

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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—

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies:

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12(1)(a)(i)(vii)(b))* 16/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 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 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c))* 16/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 16/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; 30/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 7 medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(b)(c)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1)) 16/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b) 16/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 8 (i)(ii)(c)(iv)) The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 16/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)) 16/06/2020

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 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. (Regulation 40(4)(c)(e)) 16/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 9

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role that they play in the training and development of staff at the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that staff undertake training in relation to understanding and managing autism spectrum disorder.  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) In particular, ensure that external monitoring results in timely report submission to the provider and Ofsted.

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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: Broadlands Hall Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Greenwood House, Greenwood Court, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7GY

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Inspectors

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Deirdra Keating, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC060936 10 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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