Children's home run by Impact For Change Ltd

Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a small organisation. The home is registered to care for up to two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 10 January 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:

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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 identified the following serious and/or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: 1264756 2  Staff who are still completing their probation period and have not completed all mandatory training have been left to work alone with children. This places the children and staff at potential risk.  The behaviour management of a child who is no longer in placement was not effective. Staff failed to maintain boundaries or provide consistent care. This resulted in several high-risk incidents.  Care plans and risk assessments do not provide staff with clear behaviour management strategies. Restrictions documented in risk assessments have not been maintained. As a result, the child who is no longer in placement had regular access to the internet when they should not have done.  The manager’s internal monitoring of the home is not effective. He has failed

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Findings from the visit

to identify and rectify entries in records that are factually incorrect and not fit for purpose.

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The care of children

During the period between July and September 2020, leaders and managers placed a vulnerable child in the home whose needs they could not meet.

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The care of children

Leaders and managers did not ensure that those adults looking after the child had the required experience, training and skills to manage the child’s increasingly complex needs.

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The care of children

During this time, the manager did not ensure that risk assessments and behaviour management plans provided the staff team with clear instructions about how to mitigate and manage the risks. Behavioural incidents were a common occurrence and resulted in police intervention on three separate occasions.

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The care of children

Inconsistent behaviour management strategies resulted in the staff allowing the child to use prohibited items, such as electronic devices, and to access the internet. Staff did not maintain boundaries or follow risk management strategies despite the child being subjected to a deprivation of liberty order. Over a short period of time an escalation of significant incidents took place. The child and staff were at significant risk of harm. Leaders and managers recognised that they could not keep the child safe or meet her needs. Notice was given to the placing authority with immediate effect and the child moved from the home.

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The care of children

Leaders and managers closed the home for two weeks. This provided them with an opportunity to evaluate and reflect on what lessons had been learned. Following this reflective period, leaders and managers agreed to move a new child into the home. This child’s move has been successful to date. There has been a reduction in significant incidents and he is forming positive relationships with the care staff and manager.

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The care of children

However, the staff are not meeting all of this child’s health needs. They do not ensure that he is eating a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. Staff recognise the importance of education. They work closely with the child’s education provider and, Assurance visit report: 1264756 3 as a result, his attendance and attainment are good.

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The safety of children

During the period between July and September 2020 there was an increase in the use of temporary staff working in the home. In addition, staff often worked on their own with a child who had complex behavioural needs.

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The safety of children

This child did not experience continuity of care and as a result she could not build trusting and consistent relationships with staff. The child did not feel safe and a series of allegations, complaints and threats were made by the child to staff.

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The safety of children

The staff’s inability to manage the child’s behaviour resulted in an escalation of significant incidents. Physical interventions, missing from home incidents and allegations made against staff became commonplace.

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The safety of children

The arrangements for the safekeeping and administration of medication are not effective. Since the last inspection, the medication audits have failed to identify medication errors. Incident reports completed by staff confirm that a child gained access to medication cabinets and took tablets with the intent to overdose. In response, all staff have completed re-fresher training in the safe storage and administration of medication. There have not been any further reported medication incidents.

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The safety of children

Since placing a new child in the home, leaders and managers have allowed him to be cared for regularly by two staff members who work with him on their own and who are still in their probationary period. In addition, these staff have not completed the organisation’s induction programme or basic mandatory training. The manager has assessed their current experience and provided clear instructions about how they are to manage the potential risks of working on their own. However, leaving staff in charge of the home and working on their own with a child when they have not completed the required mandatory training places them and the child at risk. Swift action is required to address this poor decision.

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Leaders and managers

At the time of this visit, the home was staffed by a new manager and two newly recruited staff. Leaders and managers have not ensured that the newly recruited members of staff have completed the organisation’s induction programme or basic mandatory training before being allowed to work on their own and with children.

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Leaders and managers

In September 2020, a new child moved into the home. The manager has ensured that the small staff team provides the child with continuity of care. However, vacancies on the staff team continue to be a problem. Where possible, these vacancies are covered by the core team and manager.

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Leaders and managers

The manager’s monitoring is ineffective. He has failed to identify errors in records or analyse and evaluate the actions taken by staff to ensure they are appropriate. The Assurance visit report: 1264756 4 content, quality and factual accuracy of reports written by staff are poor.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient or swift action to address the concerns raised by the independent visitor. For example, in August 2020 the independent visitor reported concerns about staff in their probationary period working on their own and not having the skills or ability to build constructive or meaningful relationships with the children. These same weaknesses were allowed to continue.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders were clear with the inspector that they intended to rectify the shortfalls found at this inspection.

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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 homes 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—

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that the staff provide nurturing and consistent care to all children who live in the home. 31/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 1264756 5 10: The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children eat a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. 31/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

11. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, Assurance visit report: 1264756 6 sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii) and (xiii))

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children’s standard

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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; 31/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 1264756 7 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard*

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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— helps children to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous

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Requirement Due date

improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 11/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

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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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

Medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to 11/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 1264756 8 them.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should 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) In particular, ensure that the recording of incidents is factually accurate, clear and concise.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Impact For Change Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Canns Down Press, Beaford, Winkleigh, Devon EX19 8LZ

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 1264756 9 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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