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

Assurance visit report: SC035364 1 SC035364

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority run home that is registered to care for seven children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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:  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.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:  Young people are at risk of physical and emotional harm because of poor placement matching  Young people are subject to bullying and intimidation in their home Assurance visit report: SC035364 2  Staff are not safely managing challenging behaviour presented by young people  Management systems do not support staff to keep young people safe  Quality assurance processes are not child-centred and have not identified the concerns noted within this report.

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The care of children

As a result of poor placement decisions by senior managers, vulnerable children have been subjected to violence, threatening behaviour and sustained bullying. Behaviours have escalated to include violence to staff, making and storing weapons and setting fires. Staff have been unable to prevent or reduce such behaviour.

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The care of children

Staff and managers have not fully recognised the potential significant impact of the intimidating, threatening and violent behaviour on children living at the home. Because staff have not intervened effectively, the home is not a safe, nurturing place for children to live.

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The care of children

A considerable risk of child criminal exploitation has not been robustly addressed by staff or managers. Because staff and managers do not respond effectively to such information, children are not safe.

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The care of children

Despite the clear shortfalls in care quality, some young people have been able to develop relationships with staff that have helped them to address significant mental and emotional health concerns. As a result, risks associated with self-harm and suicide have not increased, and some young people are in a position to make meaningful progress towards improved emotional well-being.

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The safety of children

Threatening and intimidating behaviour is common within the home. Young people and staff have been subject to violence. This means that the home does not feel safe and is not safe.

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The safety of children

Pre-admission matching and risk assessment systems are ineffective. This means that young people who are likely to present a risk to existing residents are admitted to the home. Emerging and escalating risks are not responded to effectively. Risk management plans are not robust enough to protect young people from harm.

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The safety of children

Supervision of young people is ineffective. Young people are not supervised in line with their needs. For example, staff were not aware that a serious incident had happened in the home until a complaint was made by another agency.

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The safety of children

Staff have not received training in child criminal exploitation despite young people being particularly vulnerable. A number of staff have also not received training on Assurance visit report: SC035364 3 child sexual exploitation despite the particular risk factors of young people placed at the home.

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Leaders and managers

Decision making by senior managers is poor and has placed children at risk of harm. The registered manager was overruled by senior managers when she articulated, prior to placement, that a placement was not suitable. The decision to offer a young person a permanent placement in the home has not been reviewed or reconsidered, despite an obvious escalation in risks.

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Leaders and managers

There are several inexperienced new staff at the home. The registered manager is also relatively new, having been registered in April 2020. Within this context, the local authority placed young people with complex and incompatible needs in the home. Although well intentioned and committed, the staff have not been able to meet the needs of young people or keep them safe.

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Leaders and managers

The independent visitor reports are not child-centred and have not identified the shortfalls identified during this assurance visit.

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Leaders and managers

The quality of recording is poor, particularly the recording of safeguarding issues. Poor recording means that it is difficult for managers and independent visitors to scrutinise and evaluate the quality of staff practice. Furthermore, staff do not record discussions with young people after incidents. Staff debriefs and handovers are also not recorded. This means that opportunities to learn from incidents are missed.

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Leaders and managers

Serious incidents have not been notified to Ofsted as they should be. This means that the regulator does not have a full understanding of what is happening in the home and cannot carry out its regulatory functions.

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, an understanding of acceptable behaviour, and positive responses to other children and adults. 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC035364 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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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)(2)(a)(ix)) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 30/10/2020

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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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)) 30/10/2020

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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

promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1)(b)) 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC035364 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northamptonshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Northamptonshire County Council, One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN1 1ED

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Inspectors

Joanne Vyas, Social Care Inspector Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC035364 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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