Children's home run by Skyline Child Care Ltd

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 20 May 2020. He holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management of residential childcare.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 29 January 2020

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Declined in effectiveness

p.1

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).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

Information about this visit

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

p.1

Information about this visit

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

p.1

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: 1265096 2

p.1

Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

p.2

The care of children

Children receive consistent care from a stable staff team. This consistency has been achieved by managers securing a more established team of staff. This positive change is now enabling children to build trusting relationships with the people who care for them.

p.2

The care of children

Staff have worked hard to ensure that children benefit from daily routines during the COVID-19 restrictions. This has included having set times for school work. This has helped children to participate in learning and to see the value of education.

p.2

The care of children

Children have been supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them. Staff have used technology so that children have been able to maintain contact and, when it has been considered safe, have ensured that arrangements have been made for children to physically see their family.

p.2

The care of children

Staff ensure that children take part in a range of activities that reflect their individual interests. During lockdown, this has included children developing new skills, including painting and gardening. Children have enjoyed going on holiday, day trips, including to London, playing golf and receiving horse-riding lessons. These experiences have helped children to develop positive childhood memories.

p.2

The safety of children

The manager has overseen a number of improvements in how staff identify, understand and manage risk. Consequently, staff are better informed about how to keep children safe. However, the range of documents now being used has led to staff sometimes having conflicting information.

p.2

The safety of children

The manager has implemented new arrangements for the staff to make a record about an incident. These are now more child friendly and enable children to express their views. However, the language used sometimes fails to acknowledge that children have a right to expect that information about them adheres to the home’s policies and procedures.

p.2

The safety of children

The manager has implemented a risk assessment for the home in response to COVID-19. However, this does not extend to visitors to the home. This leaves visitors unclear over the required safeguards.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff help the children to work towards individual targets that support positive behaviour. The use of negative consequences is rare. Children show improved patterns of behaviour as a result of staff implementing behaviour support plans and Assurance visit report: 1265096 3 preventative strategies. However, when staff do implement consequences, these are not always relevant or proportionate.

p.2

Leaders and managers

The manager has made a number of positive changes. As a result, five of the six requirements raised at the last inspection are now met.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager has a good understanding of what further changes are required and is realistic that improvements will take time to become embedded into everyday practice.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager has ensured that despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, staff still received training. This included training that reflects the individual needs of the children.

p.3

Leaders and managers

The manager has developed his professional networks with the local police service and the local health services. This partnership working is helping to keep children safe and healthy.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Despite all the good progress, senior managers have failed to notify Ofsted of changes to the structure of the organisation. In addition, it is not clear that the responsible individual has an active role in the operation of the home. These oversights prevent the regulator from having an accurate understanding of the organisation’s operations.

p.3

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

p.3

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; 01/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 1265096 4 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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b)) The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

p.4

Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is an organisation—

p.4

Requirement Due date

the organisation’s name or address changes;

p.4

Requirement Due date

any change of director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the organisation;

p.4

Requirement Due date

any change in the identity of the responsible individual.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 49 (e)(i)(ii)(iii))49: Notice of changes 30/09/2020

p.4

Recommendations

 Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out.  Staff should be 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.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Skyline Child Care Limited

p.4

Children’s home details

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

p.4

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mahesh Mehan Assurance visit report: 1265096 5 Registered manager: Stewart Hogg

p.4

Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 1265096 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.5

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6