Children's home run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Information about this children’s home

The service provides short breaks for up to six children who may have sensory impairment, and/or physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The service is dual registered with both Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is a qualified learning disability nurse and is currently working towards the level 5 diploma in leadership and management of residential childcare.

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Information about this children’s home

Visit dates: 30 September to 1 October 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 4 February 2020

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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:  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: 2516984 2

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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.

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The care of children

Children are cared for by staff who provide care and support to enable each child to develop their full potential.

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The care of children

Children benefit from receiving child-centred care. Staff are skilled in understanding children’s preferred methods of communication. However, one communication aid used to help children raise their views during their stay is not always easily accessible as it is kept in the staff office. This limited access means that children do not have immediate access to essential aids to enable them to express their views and wishes. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, some parents made the decision to not use the short break service. The manager and staff ensured that during this difficult time, families still received emotional support, including giving families time to talk and to express their feelings. As a result, parents have continued to feel well supported.

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The care of children

During the period of national restrictions, children who still attended the service enjoyed varied activities. For example, children have enjoyed playing with water balloons in the garden, completing puzzles and spending time with their friends. Once national restrictions were lifted, children were able to resume some of their favourite activities, such as going swimming at the on-site hydrotherapy pool and visiting local parks.

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The care of children

The environment is bright and welcoming. However, not all of the garden play equipment is accessible to all children. For example, children who have a physical disability are unable to access the large outdoor play equipment.

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The safety of children

Children’s complex needs are understood well. This is helped by always having nursing staff on duty who can oversee each child’s health needs.

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The safety of children

Staff understand what action they should take if a child becomes ill during their short break. Excellent partnership working with a range of health professionals means that children get the right help at the right time.

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The safety of children

Children form trusting and secure relationships with staff and are comfortable to share worries. Staff are good at using their partnership working to escalate any concerns. Because of this joined-up approach, children feel safe and are protected from harm. Assurance visit report: 2516984 3

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and has managed the home for nearly one year. She ensures that staff receive regular reflective supervision and annual appraisals that acknowledge their achievements and evaluates their development. However, the records of supervision do not always show any assessment of children’s care. As a result, there is a missed opportunity to reflect on the care of children to help improve practice.

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Leaders and managers

Throughout COVID-19, the independent visitor has continued to monitor the service. These visits have been conducted remotely. This change of approach has compromised the independent visitor’s opportunity to secure the views of children and their families.

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Leaders and managers

Staff understand that children have a right to expect that information about them is recorded and reported accurately and used appropriately. Despite this knowledge, the language used in children’s care plans can be confusing and has the potential to compromise children’s care.

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Leaders and managers

The provider has demonstrated capacity to improve. The majority of requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. This has resulted in improvements in the safe recruitment of staff, children enjoying improved facilities, rotas holding the right information and children’s records now holding all the necessary statutory paperwork.

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 01/01/2021 Assurance visit report: 2516984 4 ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in regard to the play equipment in the garden.

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Recommendations

 Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.13).  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for

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Recommendations

proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24).  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2).  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should

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Recommendations

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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4). Assurance visit report: 2516984 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Worcestershire Health And Care NHS Trust

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Kings Court Business Park, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester, Worcestershire WR5 1JR

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2516984 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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