Children's Home run by Broadlands Hall Limited in Suffolk

Assurance visit report: SC060936 1 SC060936

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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 disorder. There is an education provision in the grounds of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager left the home on 30 June 2020. A new manager has been appointed. She is yet to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted served a restriction of accommodation on 10 August 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 9 September 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: SC060936 2

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Findings from the visit

We identified no serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

During this visit, inspectors monitored the restriction of accommodation notice that was served on 10 August 2020. The provider has complied with the restriction. No children have been admitted to the home.

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The care of children

The progress that the children are making is variable. Two children are currently struggling, while others are described as making good progress. The social worker for one of these children was clear that the child’s current struggles are not the fault of the home. He said, ‘I feel that he is safer [at the home] than he could be anywhere else we have found at this time.’ However, another child’s social worker said that the inexperience and inconsistent practice of some of the staff affect the quality of the care.

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The care of children

The staff team remains inexperienced. This inexperience has been compounded by the historical failure to provide good management, although the team is now benefiting from improved support. This historical issue has contributed to the inconsistencies that professionals report. The incoming responsible individual has begun a process of competency assessment to identify additional support that the staff may need.

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The care of children

The staff have worked well with the school to support the children with their education during lockdown. This has included bespoke approaches for the children who have struggled. However, one child has continued to refuse to attend education. The home, the school and the local authority are looking for a new placement for the child, recognising that this is not a service that can meet his holistic needs.

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The care of children

The physical environment has improved since the last full inspection. The children’s rooms are large, airy and personalised, and communal areas are much more welcoming. However, some areas require further attention in respect of cleanliness.

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The care of children

During the inspection, the children appeared comfortable with the staff. Children told inspectors, ‘The staff are good; the staff are fun.’

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The safety of children

At present, the children have numerous risk assessments. The use of multiple risk assessments, combined with ineffective monitoring, has resulted in discrepancies and inaccuracies in some documents. This means that the staff, many of whom are inexperienced, have limited access to clear guidance on how to safely and consistently support the children. The new management team recognises this and is in the process of changing the ways in which risks are assessed and reported on. Assurance visit report: SC060936 3 The new management team has ensured that allegations are shared with the designated officer in line with statutory expectations.

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The safety of children

The staff reported a new openness at the home. They said that this supports them to raise concerns. The staff are clear about the routes through which they can do this.

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The safety of children

During the pandemic, the staff were provided with support from a physical intervention trainer. This has meant that the staff have been able to have their competency monitored during a period that full training has been on hold.

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The safety of children

In one instance, the previous management team failed to apply for a certificate of good conduct overseas for a member of staff who was transferring from agency to bank staff. This conflicts with safe recruitment practice and the home’s own recruitment policy and does not ensure that all possible safety checks are made.

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Leaders and managers

The responsible individual is stepping down imminently. The incoming responsible individual has begun to exert a positive influence at the home.

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Leaders and managers

Management monitoring is improving. Although some specific shortfalls identified in this assurance visit were not fully known by the managers, they had a good understanding of the broader concerns. Some of the issues identified predate the new management team’s involvement.

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Leaders and managers

The last formal review of care, required by regulation, took place in January 2020. This was an ineffective review containing inaccuracies and contradictions. No formal review has taken place since.

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Leaders and managers

There are few staff who have a relevant level 3 qualification. Two staff who should have achieved a level 3 qualification are outside of the regulatory timescale.

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Leaders and managers

There have been no complaints about the quality of the service from external professionals or families since the last visit. The management team continues to work with the staff to improve morale and manage issues between them. The staff said that morale is improving.

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Leaders and managers

Feedback from families is generally positive, with most noting improvement in communication with the management team over recent weeks. Comments from families included:

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Leaders and managers

 ‘[My child] is doing really well. His behaviour is improving.’  ‘The staff and my child have coped remarkably well with his routine being effectively destroyed by COVID-19.’ Assurance visit report: SC060936 4  ‘[My child] has made progress. He is happier in himself. He seems to be doing well.’

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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 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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(e)(h)) 30/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1)) 12/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. 31/03/2021 Assurance visit report: SC060936 5 The relevant date is—

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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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)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)) 31/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC060936 6

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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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, ensure that the quality of cleaning is monitored and effective.

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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

Ashley Hinson, Social Care Inspector Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC060936 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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Inspectors

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