Children's home run by Northamptonshire County Council in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC374180 1 SC374180

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Northamptonshire County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned by Northamptonshire County Council. It is a residential home for young people who have autism spectrum disorders and moderate to severe learning disabilities. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted on 13 February 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This unannounced visit was carried out in response to a complaint made to Ofsted regarding the way in which specific incidents in the home have been managed. The complaint also raised concerns about the lack of management presence in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as requires improvement at the full inspection on 02 and 03 July 2019. At this inspection six requirements and one recommendation were made. The home’s progress in meeting these requirements was not the focus of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis, off-site monitoring of the home has taken place. This monitoring of the service along with the home’s Reg 44 reports and the history of the concerns highlighted at the last inspection have been considered as part of this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The observations of the quality of care provided to all the children in the home were positive. This includes-

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This monitoring visit

 Staff ensuring that children were able to effectively communicate their needs. This included using non-verbal communication systems that ensured children’s needs were understood and responded to. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC374180 2  Staff know each child well and understand their likes and dislikes.

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This monitoring visit

 All children were clean and appropriately dressed. Their personal care was well attended to.

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This monitoring visit

 The care offered to children reflected their individual needs. The home is now a more welcoming and homelier place for children to live.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff engage children in activities to ensure they are appropriately stimulated.

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This monitoring visit

 Considered, warm and compassionate care was observed.

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This monitoring visit

 When children become upset staff respond well to them. Staff work hard to understand the child’s distress and resolve matters as quickly as possible.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff speak about children in a fond way. Staff are respectful when talking about children and treat them with dignity and respect.

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This monitoring visit

However, the way that senior managers have responded to allegations or concerns of abuse has not been good enough. In two instances, despite challenge from the home’s registered manager, decision making has not taken sufficient account of possible ongoing risks to children. Although this has not resulted in harm to children, it had the potential to do so.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the recent pandemic the home has experienced a difficult period. For reasons outside their control, the manager and the assistant manager have not been in the home. This has left staff without onsite management support. Senior managers accept this as a concern and have very recently recruited a temporary home’s manager. Until this person is in post, a manager from another home will be offering frequent on-site support.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have shown great tenacity and resilience over the last several months. They have worked extra shifts to ensure that children are being cared for by staff who children have relationships with and are familiar to them. They have demonstrated unwavering commitment. This is to be highly commended.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been adequately staffed throughout this period. However, at times staffing ratios have meant that if an incident was to occur this would leave staff stretched. Additionally, at times the number of staff has meant that children cannot always be taken out in the community. This has the potential to impact on children’s day-to-day life experiences.

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This monitoring visit

During the Coronavirus pandemic the management has robustly followed the advice from Public Health England. This has meant that children have not been able to spend time with their parents. Concerns have been highlighted about how flexible and responsive the home has been in relation to parents starting to see their Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC374180 3 children again. This is being reviewed by the management team so that clear timeframes, strategies and plans can start to be implemented.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2017 Full Good 19/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC374180 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard 09/08/2019 6: The quality and purpose of care standard 09/08/2019 12: The protection of children standard 09/08/2019 12: The protection of children standard 09/08/2019 13: The leadership and management standard 09/08/2019 13: The leadership and management standard 09/08/2019 33: Employment of staff 09/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards', April 2015, page 62, paragraph 14.4.).

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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: Northamptonshire County Council Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC374180 5 Registered provider address: Northamptonshire County Council, One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1ED

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Inspector(s)

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Mrs Allison, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC374180 6 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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