Children's Home run by Clouds Children’s Care Ltd in Derbyshire

Assurance visit report: SC489610 1 SC489610

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children or young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. At the time of this visit, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 27 November 2019

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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:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership. 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: SC489610 2

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The care of children

Staff have developed positive relationships with the child. Professionals and the child report that she is settled, comfortable and well cared for in this home.

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The care of children

There has been improvement in capturing the child’s views, consulting with her and encouraging her to contribute to her plans and decisions about her care.

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The care of children

The child’s views and wishes are listened to, for example she has responsibility for her two pets that she is very fond and proud of.

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The care of children

A strength of the home is promoting and supporting visits and maintaining relationships, in a range of ways, with extended family and friends. Home staff work closely with the social worker to ensure these are safe and positive experiences for the child.

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The care of children

Staff know and have detailed plans in place to meet the child’s health needs. These have improved since the start of the placement, ensuring staff have had relevant training to meet specific emotional health needs.

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The care of children

The current manager has worked effectively with the child and her social worker to ensure an appropriate therapeutic resource was commissioned and is in place. The child is engaging with this.

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The care of children

There has been one medication error, which did not impact on the child’s health but has not been followed up with the child’s doctor to seek advice. Managers have not reviewed the incident to prevent this from happening again.

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The care of children

Staff are promoting education progress by working with the child to overcome barriers and supplement education arrangements. There is an up-to-date personal education plan in place for the child but the education and health care plan is not up to date. The current education arrangements require further review, to enhance the offer provided by the virtual school and placing local authority. Managers and staff require training to support their understanding of local authority duties in respect of identifying and meeting the educational needs of children looked after.

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The safety of children

The child reported that she feels safe in the home. She is benefiting from trusted relationships with staff, and consistent boundaries and routines.

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The safety of children

There have been no reports of children going missing from the home. Staff have defused incidents of concern effectively. As a result, there has been reduced incidence of self-harming behaviours and no incidents of physical restraint for this child. Assurance visit report: SC489610 3 Staff have undertaken effective one-to-one work with the child, to develop strategies and tools that improve communication. These have been particularly helpful when the child has been distressed or experiencing low mood.

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The safety of children

There are improved risk assessments and records following a safeguarding concern. They capture the child’s and staff’s views. They include records of individual work undertaken to change and influence behaviours that may have led to the incident, in order to reduce and manage risks.

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The safety of children

There has been one referral to the designated officer. Child protection procedures were followed and it has been concluded. Unfortunately, managers have not yet reviewed this concern, in order to share learning.

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The safety of children

There have been changes in the staff team since the last inspection, which means that some staff have not received essential safeguarding training in allegations against staff who work with children.

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The safety of children

Staff also require training in understanding risks associated with children presenting sexualised behaviours and harmful sexual behaviours.

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Leaders and managers

The home has a COVID-19 strategy in place that includes measures to reduce the risk of infection. All staff and children have adhered to advice. This is amended and reviewed regularly in light of updates from Public Health England. Managers ensured that children benefited from contact with family and professionals during the time there were restrictions in place on visitors to the home.

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Leaders and managers

There have been a number of changes in managers, staff and independent visitors since the previous inspection. As a result, there have been differences in the quality of monitoring information about the home’s practice and effectiveness. Not all of the requirements from the previous inspection are met, some have been repeated following this visit. There have also been gaps in the supervision of staff and managers.

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Leaders and managers

Managers have not ensured that they have robust information in place about a child’s needs, prior to the admission of a child. For example, they did not request an up-to-date education, health and care plan for a child.

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Leaders and managers

Managers have not ensured that staff are in place who have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to meet the child’s needs, when considering a child’s admission to the home. For example, some staff have not had training or experience in responding to self-harming behaviour.

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Leaders and managers

At the time of the assurance visit, actions had been taken by senior managers to strengthen the management team and oversight of the home. Assurance visit report: SC489610 4 The current manager has improved the supervision agenda to include development and reflective practice and has ensured all staff have received supervision in the past month. Staff subject to probation have received enhanced supervision.

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Leaders and managers

There has been increased monitoring of records, including medication records and risk assessments. As a result, there is improvement in the quality of recording.

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Leaders and managers

Managers and staff work collaboratively with placing local authority social workers, families and the child’s network including education, health and police representatives. They share information in a timely way to support ongoing assessment of, and effective response to, the child’s needs.

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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

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(v)(vii)) 07/12/2020

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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

promotes their welfare. 07/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC489610 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(f)(h)) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Recommendations

 Staff should have an understanding of how schools function, including the processes for admission, the role of designated teachers for children looked after and the role of the virtual school head. If a looked after child from another local authority area is placed in the home, the virtual school head of that local authority remains responsible for promoting the child’s education achievement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.10)  Children home staff should act as effective advocates for or on behalf of a child who may be experiencing difficulties with education or training matters including, but not limited to, attainment, admissions, attendance, or behaviour, as a good parent would. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.12) Assurance visit report: SC489610 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire B16 8SP

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC489610 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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