Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Oxfordshire

Assurance visit report: SC013143 1 SC013143

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides full-time care for up to six children who have disabilities, including learning, physical, health and social behavioural needs. The service is delivered and managed by a national charitable organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 19 February 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Declined in effectiveness

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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.

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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: SC013143 2

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The care of children

Children have formed strong relationships with permanent staff, who have the knowledge and skills to support the changing needs of the group. The staff team, however, is currently made up of a significant number of agency staff who are less familiar to the children.

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The care of children

Children were observed to approach favoured staff, to play, sit with or for a hug. Staff respond sensitively to children, seeking to understand and guide them when they are demanding or become frustrated in their communication.

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The care of children

During the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children have continued to speak with their families through video calls. The staff have responded well to the challenging circumstances and have made good use of social stories and other communication tools to help children to adapt to the new restrictions. The children’s recent return to school has been smooth and well planned. The acting manager has well-developed plans for children to engage in a more rewarding activities programme away from school, but this is yet to start.

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The care of children

Staff are increasingly using various bespoke communication tools to seek the views and ideas of children. Children are encouraged to make simple daily choices, such as which drinks and snacks they would like. The independent advocate has been unable to visit during lockdown but is planning to restart sessions to seek children’s views. Children have access to specialist help according to their individual needs. Professionals working with the home, such as therapists, nurses and social workers, have noted some significant improvements in joint working to meet children’s needs, but acknowledge that there is still some work to be done in this area.

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The safety of children

Staff have good insight into the children’s individual vulnerabilities and risks. Effective joint working with partner agencies, including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), enables staff to recognise the impact of trauma and abuse, and how this is acted out through behaviours. The provider has implemented new recording and assessment tools to help get a clearer picture of things that may cause individual children to become upset and to identify the most effect ways to support them. This is a useful tool, but not all staff are using this effectively. This runs the risk that children will not receive a consistent and effective response when they become upset.

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The safety of children

Staff are striving to be consistent with boundaries, to support children to feel contained and safe. However, the high number of agency staff in the home contributes to some inconsistencies in approach.

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The safety of children

Staff understand and can explain how to report safeguarding or child protection concerns appropriately. Initial responses are swift and reported to relevant partner Assurance visit report: SC013143 3 agencies. However, the organisation’s systems and processes are clunky, leading to unnecessary delays in completing investigations of safeguarding incidents and challenging poor practice.

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The safety of children

The use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in bedrooms is agreed with parents and/or social workers. Colourful signs in children’s communication style remind them that cameras may be on. The plans and policies relating to the use of CCTV in children’s bedrooms do not specify how CCTV is used. During the inspection, children, staff and visitors could see a child in their bed, as a large monitor was on in a communal area. The child was not being treated with dignity and respect, or afforded the privacy they deserve while in their bedroom.

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The safety of children

The living environment is institutional and dated. Plans to improve the facilities and decor have been approved, but are yet to have a start date. It appeared that staff do not pay sufficient care and attention to some aspects of trying to make it a homely environment, such as not keeping the home tidy and putting away toys that are not being used.

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Leaders and managers

The management team in the home is currently being supported by another registered manager within the organisation. She is working through a comprehensive and ambitious development plan to improve the service. She is also enhancing the support to the staff team with experienced staff from other local homes. While there have been many improvements, most of the changes – such as to supervisions – are yet to be fully embedded in practice. It is clear that while there has been a great deal of work done, it is yet to be fully embedded in practice and therefore the impact on children’s care and well-being of these changes is yet to be tested.

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Leaders and managers

Similarly, in the rush to transfer children’s plans into the new formats, copying and pasting information from other children’s plans means that some information is irrelevant and inaccurate and breaches confidentiality. For example, some children’s plans had the wrong name on them. Further, the use of value-laden or vague language in children’s plans, risk assessments and reports is inappropriate. However, the information, in the main, relates to the correct child, and provides a clear plan for staff in how to support the child throughout the day.

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Leaders and managers

The home does not currently have a full staff team. A recent recruitment drive has identified some potential candidates. The high proportion of agency staff, which at times is over half the staff team, leads to inconsistency in their approach to meeting children’s needs. As a result, children are not as settled as they could be, and plans formulated with partner agencies are not consistently applied or followed. Assurance visit report: SC013143 4

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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 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; 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 ensure that staff treat each child with dignity and respect

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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 that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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)(h)) 27/11/2020

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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— 27/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC013143 5 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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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 etc.); 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)  No more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG6 1QG

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Assurance visit report: SC013143 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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