Children's Home run by Pasture View Nurturing Homes Ltd in Lincolnshire

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately run. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children with autism spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in March 2020. This was the first visit to the home since registration.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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. Assurance visit report: 2570253 2

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:

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Findings from the visit

 Staff not having mandatory or essential training, including physical intervention and first aid.  Poor management oversight and monitoring of how the home is run.  Poor recording and reviewing of key documentation relating to children.  Failure to challenge placing authorities to ensure children’s needs are met.  Children having restrictions placed on their access and movement inside/outside the home.

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The care of children

Children have started to form some trusting relationships with staff. There has been a significant loss of staff since the home opened earlier this year. Two children have had a change of key worker as a result of this. Children report that they like living in this home and that they are happy with the care and support they receive from staff and managers.

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The care of children

Children get to keep in touch with family, friends and other people who are important to them. During lockdown and more recent COVID-19 restrictions, staff have supported children well to maintain contact. This has included the use of social media and virtual visits.

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The care of children

Children feel able to express their wishes, views and feelings. This includes using the formal complaints procedures in the home. Regular meetings are held with children, to ensure their views are sought about all aspects of the care and support they receive.

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The care of children

Children love spending time with the wide variety of animals kept in the grounds of the home. They help staff to clean and feed the animals. Feedback from involved agencies consistently refers to the positive impact that the animals have on children’s emotional well-being. Involved agencies report that children have made progress since moving to live at this home.

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The care of children

Education is in place for all children living in the home. Staff work well with education providers. Schools for two children report a positive relationship with staff and that children are making progress.

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The safety of children

Actual or potential risks are not clearly recorded on risk assessments. Documents have not been updated to reflect serious incidents. One risk assessment seen had the name of another child on the front. There was reference to two children Assurance visit report: 2570253 3 throughout the one risk assessment. This does not provide assurance that children’s individual needs are known and being met.

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The safety of children

Staff use techniques with one child which they are not trained to do. This places both staff and the child at risk of significant harm. There is the potential for inappropriate physical intervention techniques to be used by staff with children.

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The safety of children

The response to children who may be at risk of harm is a concern. In order to prevent one child from leaving the home and placing themselves at risk, door locks have been changed. This prevents children from entering or leaving the home without staff’s consent. It restricts the freedom of movement of all children living in the home. There is no risk assessment or clear agreement in place for this. There is no evidence that this has been reviewed by managers with the placing authority.

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The safety of children

Staff have not responded appropriately or safely to all challenging situations. A significant number of staff are not trained in physical intervention. One staff member is trained in a different accredited intervention method to other staff. The use of two models of physical intervention could place children at risk of harm. One physical intervention episode was not recorded for over 10 days. It only came to light during this assurance visit.

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The safety of children

Staff have not had the necessary training to support children safely and effectively. This includes several staff not being first-aid trained. The manager could not guarantee that there would always be a suitably qualified first-aid person on duty. Given one child’s potential to self-harm, this poses significant risk of physical harm to children.

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Leaders and managers

The manager came into post in May 2020. He has relevant previous experience of working in similar settings. He has applied to Ofsted for registration. There was no deputy manager in post until very recently. There is a significant number of staff who have left since the home registered in March 2020. There is too much reliance on agency and bank staff at this time.

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Leaders and managers

The manager and deputy manager are also working (between them) over a seven- day period each week. This is to provide support to staff and children. The manager admits that staff need support, in part due to their lack of experience and training. This undermines the ability of managers to have robust and clear management oversight of the home.

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Leaders and managers

The registered person has failed to challenge the placing authority for one child sufficiently. This relates to agreements on deprivation of liberty. The manager was not sure if the same child has an education, health and care plan in place and has not clarified or pursued this.

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Leaders and managers

The registered person has failed to ensure that all relevant incidents and events have been notified to Ofsted. This includes when police have been called out to Assurance visit report: 2570253 4 assist staff with incidents of a serious nature. This undermines the ability of the regulator to monitor and oversee relevant issues.

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Leaders and managers

The registered person has failed to ensure that a care quality review and report has been undertaken. Due to the need for managers to support staff on shift, such management tasks are not getting the attention they need.

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Leaders and managers

The home’s statement of purpose sets out the range of needs of children it can accommodate. Staff have not received training in key areas and do not have the necessary skills, qualifications or experience. This includes a lack of training in first aid, medication administration, restraint, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyspraxia and other learning disabilities/difficulties.

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Leaders and managers

Records relating to children are not consistently clear, detailed or up to date. There is a lack of evidence of them being reviewed and/or updated. One behaviour support plan seen was not dated or signed. Team meeting minutes do not have a date, or details of who attended. They do not specify who will be responsible for updating children’s plans and risk assessments.

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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

If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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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

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; 22/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 2570253 5 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) * 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) * 22/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify Ofsted and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or other person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and 22/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 2570253 6 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply to Ofsted a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet the child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. Any decision to limit a child’s access to any area of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) Assurance visit report: 2570253 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pasture View Nurturing Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 92 Linkside, Bretton, Peterborough, Northamptonshire PE3 8PA

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Inspectors

Tracy Murty, Social Care Inspector Alison Marshall, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2570253 8 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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