Children's home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottingham

Assurance visit report: SC431699 1 SC431699

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose says that it aims to achieve a child-centred, caring and nurturing home, offering short- to long-term care for three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 2013 and has completed his level 5 qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 17 January 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Improved effectiveness

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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: SC431699 2

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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:

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Findings from the visit

 Failures to respond appropriately to clear risks associated with child sexual exploitation (CSE), child criminal exploitation (CCE), and children missing from home.  Failure of staff to address poor behaviour and a lack of clear boundaries.  Staff and managers do not fully explore the dynamics between young people and this has led to manipulation and bullying.  Staff and leaders are not professionally curious in exploring the risk of criminal exploitation.  Managerial oversight and support by the responsible individual are poor, and there is a lack of senior staff within the team.

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The care of children

Staff do not fully understand the needs of young people, their placement plans, or the risks they face. For example, when a young person refused to engage with a counselling service for anger management, staff did not actively pursue any alternatives. Staff also provided conflicting views on the progress and plans for education for some of the young people.

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The care of children

One young person has successfully returned to full-time alternative education provision at the start of term.

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The care of children

Staff have made safe arrangements to enable young people to see their families. However, there were avoidable delays in arranging some contact with siblings.

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The care of children

Young people enjoy a range of leisure activities as restrictions begin to ease. These include activities to improve their physical health. Being able to socialise with friends is improving their emotional well-being.

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The care of children

Several young people have moved on successfully. One has succeeded in securing a place at university. The registered manager has continued to offer emotional and practical support for this young person. However, other young people have moved on because staff were not able to keep them safe.

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The care of children

The registered manager has hosted meetings with placing social workers and young people before their move into the home, thereby planning the move as effectively as possible. Assurance visit report: SC431699 3

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The safety of children

Managers and staff have failed to respond appropriately and proactively to clear risks associated with child sexual exploitation (CSE), child criminal exploitation (CCE), and children missing from home.

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The safety of children

Staff’s response to incidents, including young people going missing from the home, increases risk for young people. Staff have received safeguarding training, but this did not specifically cover managing incidents of young people going missing.

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The safety of children

Staff do not always reflect on incidents or share learning as a team, thereby failing to recognise possible triggers for incidents, or strategies to support young people. There is a lack of professional curiosity concerning incidents that may indicate that a young person is at risk of criminal exploitation.

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The safety of children

Relationships between staff and young people are erratic. Professionals and family members say that staff fail to implement consistent boundaries and do not manage behaviour effectively. Staff were slow to respond to an issue of bullying and manipulation by one young person.

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The safety of children

Several allegations and complaints are currently being investigated by the registered manager and local safeguarding officer.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager is very experienced and has recently completed the level 5 qualification. Currently, he has a severely depleted senior leadership team. His deputy manager now works across two homes and there are no senior care workers available during the day.

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Leaders and managers

In the absence of staff to delegate tasks to, the registered manager has struggled to manage his workload. Professionals speak very highly of the registered manager and his knowledge of the young people, but he has been unable to progress management tasks effectively.

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Leaders and managers

Staff do not always know the daily management arrangements for the home. They do not routinely take responsibility for decision making themselves. They do, however, state that they feel supported by the manager through supervision and team meetings.

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Leaders and managers

The independent visitor has continued to conduct virtual visits to the home during the pandemic and is now intending to visit in person. The manager has been slow to respond to some of the recommendations made by the visitor. The manager’s monitoring of the home lacks any evaluation. It also fails to reflect the views of young people and the impact their wishes and feelings have had on the home and the care provided. Assurance visit report: SC431699 4 The manager has continued to engage with a range of professionals, conducting some face-to-face meetings as well as using technology to ensure that meetings are held in a timely manner.

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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

Staff lack a full understanding of young people’s plans and do not always act proactively to address the needs of young people. 31/10/2020

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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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 31/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC431699 5 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the management of missing from home incidents, failure to address poor behaviour or to respond to incidents appropriately, the lack of reflection or learning from incidents, the lack of professional curiosity around potential exploitation, and the response to bullying and manipulation.

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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

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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d) and (e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to the lack of leadership from the responsible individual and a lack of senior staff in the home. It also relates to staff not understanding the management arrangements. 31/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC431699 6

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Recommendations

 The manager should ensure that the review of the quality of care includes evaluation and reflects the impact of young people’s views. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham NG3 2EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Trevor Edinborough

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Inspector

Judith Longden, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC431699 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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Inspector

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