Children's Home run by PCT Care Services Limited in Norfolk

Assurance visit report: SC471856 1 SC471856

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six children aged between eight and 18 who may have experienced trauma or neglect.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 24 October 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Sustained 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:  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 did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC471856 2

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The care of children

There are three children living at the home. A child had a planned move into the home in February 2020, shortly before the lockdown restrictions.

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The care of children

The staff have the children’s best interests at heart and build warm relationships with them. The children enjoy the rural environment by spending time on the beach and going on fishing trips. One child is a member of a local football team.

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The care of children

Staff promote children’s education. During the lockdown period, when schools were closed, the staff were creative in engaging the children in educational activities. One child completed a project on seashells. A child who was not attending school before coming to live at the home now attends regularly and is enjoying school. The staff work in partnership with schools to improve attendance and engagement. Parents’ evenings and meetings to review children’s individual education plans are well attended by key workers. This shows the children that the staff care about their education and want the best for them.

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The care of children

The children live a long way from their families. During the lockdown period, the children were supported to keep in touch with people who are important to them using video calls and social media. The staff arrange children’s family visits in consultation with social workers. The staff understand that children can become unsettled when their family meeting arrangements change and have been proactive in following children’s plans for face-to-face contact when restrictions were lifted.

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The care of children

The staff meet the children’s health needs. Children who need additional support to address individual issues are referred to specialist services. A therapist helps the children to talk about their emotions and work through their past trauma.

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The care of children

Bedrooms and communal areas require redecoration and modernisation. Routine repairs have not been actioned quickly enough. The accommodation is dated and lacks a feeling of homeliness.

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The safety of children

The staff update children’s risk assessments following incidents. The staff understand risks and intervene when the children try to hurt each other. When children take risks that compromise their safety, the staff use key-work sessions to talk through situations to help them to reflect on their behaviour and make good choices. The positive relationships between staff and children help to keep the children safe.

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The safety of children

Staff know what to do when a child goes missing. Social workers are informed of missing episodes, and the frequency of return home interviews has improved.

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The safety of children

Allegations are dealt with in line with safeguarding procedures. Staff are trained in safeguarding and know how to escalate concerns about a child’s safety. Assurance visit report: SC471856 3 One child has increased his use of illegal drugs and has committed offences. The staff have worked closely with the child’s social worker to review this child’s plans and risk assessments to manage and reduce identified risks. Drug use and smoking are challenged by staff and referrals for specialist support are followed up.

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The safety of children

At the time of the assurance visit, hazards were present inside and outside the home. Repairs were put on hold due to the pandemic. However, the manager and responsible individual have not ensured that immediate hazards have been repaired quickly enough. Sharp pieces of metal were protruding from bathroom walls and the stairway. Two children’s window restrictors were broken. This means that children could exit the building via their bedroom windows.

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The safety of children

The manager has failed to ensure that a risk assessment on scaffolding at the property was being followed. The responsible individual and the manager acknowledged the risks and hazards during the assurance visit and immediate action was taken to address these risks. An action plan setting out timescales for improvement was provided to the inspector.

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Leaders and managers

Four staff have left the home and four new staff have joined the team since 1 April 2020. Consistency in the management team has meant that staff and children were well supported during these changes. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on staffing at the home, but the current staff team is settled.

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Leaders and managers

External professionals and staff complimented the leadership of the registered manager. The manager is available to the staff and the children. The staff value being able to learn from the manager.

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Leaders and managers

Sometimes, managers intervene to de-escalate incidents when the children’s behaviour is challenging. Although this intervention helps less experienced staff and the children, it can result in some management monitoring tasks being deferred.

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Leaders and managers

Plans are in place to address gaps in staff training. The home has access to a psychologist and one child is benefiting from this service. Face-to-face training was paused during the pandemic, but the manager has worked hard to ensure that new staff access online training and are given suitable guidance and a thorough induction.

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Leaders and managers

The interior and exterior of the building require extensive modernisation and repair. Work has begun to address shortfalls in the quality of the accommodation. Progress with this has been slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic but monitoring of essential repairs and hazards is not good enough.

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Leaders and managers

One member of staff has not achieved a relevant level 3 qualification within two years of working in children’s residential care. This shortfall was raised at the last monitoring visit. Some staff have had an annual appraisal, but many have not, therefore, the requirement raised at the last inspection is not met. It is Assurance visit report: SC471856 4 acknowledged that the pandemic has had an impact on staffing and accessibility to workplace assessors.

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d)) 05/11/2020

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 19/11/2020

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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 31/03/2020 Assurance visit report: SC471856 5 a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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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))

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Old Hall Farm, Silfield Road, Silfield, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 9NH

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Inspector

Angela Weston, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC471856 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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Inspector

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