Children's Home run by Prime Adolescence Limited in Barnsley

Information about this Children’s home

The home is privately run and provides care and accommodation for one child or young person who requires care and support to deal with their emotional difficulties.

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Information about this Children’s home

The home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection on 21 to 22 January 2020. Two compliance notices were issued under regulations 12 and 13. A monitoring visit was undertaken on 10 March 2020 to assess the provider’s compliance with addressing the steps identified in the compliance notices. Ofsted considered that the conditions under the compliance notices were met.

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Information about this Children’s home

The home has been closed since March 2020 and the staff were furloughed during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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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: 21 January 2020

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Information about this Children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Inadequate

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19, 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.

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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 Assurance visit report: 2516658 2 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.

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The care of children

The child who was placed in the home moved on to an alternative placement in February 2020. No further children have been placed in the home.

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The care of children

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard throughout. However, the child’s bedroom does not have a set of drawers or a bedside table. Furthermore, the garden is in the process of being renovated. The registered provider has an action plan in place to address this.

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The safety of children

The manager and the responsible individual have reviewed risk management processes and staff have received refresher training regarding policies and procedures linked to safeguarding. This includes training around what to do if a child goes missing from the home. This means that staff are more familiar with relevant protocols that aim to keep children and young people safe.

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The safety of children

Safer recruitment practices are followed. This helps to ensure that the staff employed are suitable individuals to work with vulnerable children and young people.

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The safety of children

A number of health and safety measures are in place, including an up-to-date locality risk assessment, electrical and gas checks and a COVID-19 risk assessment. Some fire safety work is underway. However, the responsible individual has not implemented all the recommendations made by the fire and rescue service in a timely manner. This includes the servicing of the emergency lighting and fire extinguishers.

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Leaders and managers

A new manager started in post in May 2020 and is in the process of registering with Ofsted. She is currently undertaking the level 5 diploma qualification in leadership and management.

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Leaders and managers

The statement of purpose has been reviewed and submitted to Ofsted as required by the regulations. This ensures that there is clear and up-to-date information about the care to be provided to children or young people living at this home. Assurance visit report: 2516658 3 The staff have undertaken mandatory and more specialist training, including safeguarding, first aid, child trauma, neglect, behaviour management, and child sexual and criminal exploitation. This has helped to improve the and knowledge of how to support children and young people effectively.

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Leaders and managers

Most staff are either qualified or are in the process of completing the level 3 diploma. The remaining staff will be enrolled after successfully completing their probationary period.

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Leaders and managers

The manager and responsible individual receive professional supervision and mentoring from an independent consultant. Additional regulatory training has also been identified as an area of need. This will help to support their professional development.

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Leaders and managers

Internal and external monitoring systems have improved. There is thorough external monthly monitoring of the home, with deficits and areas for improvement identified. Recently, there has been an improvement in the manager’s response time to address the identified shortfalls. These enhanced monitoring systems will help to further improve the quality of care provided to the children and young people.

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Leaders and managers

Some staff have recently returned to work after a period of being furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the home is not yet fully resourced in terms of staffing and a recruitment drive is underway. This will help to ensure that suitable staffing levels at the home are maintained.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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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— In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(d)) In particular, the vacant posts must be recruited to ensure that there are sufficient staff to maintain a working rota. 28/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— 10/11/2020 Assurance visit report: 2516658 4 take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home— the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(2)(b)) In particular, ensure that all recommendations made by the fire and rescue authority are fully implemented in a timely manner.

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene and so on). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, that the child’s bedroom is fully furnished. It should contain a set of drawers, bedside cabinet and lamp. In addition, the garden project continues and is completed to provide a safe and useable space for children.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) This relates to the provider’s continued professional development and training. Assurance visit report: 2516658 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prime Adolescence Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Wood Walk, Wombwell, Barnsley, Yorkshire S73 0LZ

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Children’s home details

Manager: Nicola Carey (currently registering with Ofsted)

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Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2516658 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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