Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Autism Services Limited in Dorset

Assurance visit report: SC065261 1 SC065261

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is registered for up to 60 children with autism spectrum disorders and/or learning disabilities. The service operates as a residential special school that also provides accommodation for 52 weeks of the year. As a result, it is registered as a children’s home. The home provides care across nine houses. The home is owned by a private national organisation. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 23 June 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 25 February 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Sustained 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:

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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

Assurance visit report: SC065261 2 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

Relationships between children and the staff who care for them are mostly good. Some staff go the extra mile to ensure that the children they care for receive high quality care. Despite this, not all children have the same positive experience because the quality of care varies across the service.

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The care of children

Medication errors continue to occur, although these have reduced. Senior leaders fail to apply sufficient rigour to overseeing the safe management and administration of medication. Swift action is required to address this ongoing concern.

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The care of children

When children are unwell, appropriate action is taken to follow Public Health England guidance relating to isolating children during the COVID-19 pandemic period. However, during an isolation period, two children ate takeaway food every day for two weeks. This does not provide children with a nutritious diet in order to promote good health and recovery.

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The care of children

The quality of the accommodation across the school varies. Some houses are personalised, well maintained and attractively furnished. However, some children live in houses that are not so well maintained. Leaders and managers have taken insufficient action to ensure that all of the houses are of a good standard. Leaders and managers are recruiting an additional team to undertake the required improvement work.

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The care of children

Some care plans, risk assessments and behaviour support plans are not consistently of good quality. Not all children’s plans detail essential information. The targets set for children are often too broad. This does not support children to reach their full potential.

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The care of children

Most children are making good progress. Some children have learned to self-soothe, which has led to a reduction in their anxiety levels. Others have improved their communication and independence skills. The majority of parents and social workers who were consulted as part of this assurance visit, reported positively on their child’s progress.

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The care of children

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been given learning opportunities. They have been kept occupied in a safe, fun and meaningful way. Education has continued in house ‘bubbles’. Care and teaching staff have worked together productively to ensure that children were supported with their education.

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The care of children

A number of the therapy staff have left the service. Leaders and managers said that this has meant the standard of therapeutic input has not been as they wish. New therapists have been recently appointed. Assurance visit report: SC065261 3

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The safety of children

All staff have completed safeguarding training and are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. However, despite this, not all staff apply their learning in practice. For example, on one occasion, a safeguarding concern was not reported promptly. Leaders and managers took appropriate action to address this. Safeguarding records are of good quality, providing a clear record of events. Investigations into safeguarding concerns are detailed and comprehensive.

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The safety of children

Some children have not coped well with the restrictions imposed during the COVID- 19 lockdown. During this period, there was an increase of incidents when children became distressed and staff physically intervened to hold them for protection. Leaders and managers acted swiftly, working with teams across the school to ensure that they carefully examined each incident, so that they gained an understanding of the triggers for each child. As a result of this very positive work, staff quickly learned how to adjust their management and care of each child. They learned how to prevent children from becoming distressed and avoided the need to use of physical restraint.

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The safety of children

Since April 2020, there have been four reported incidents of children going missing from home. Following these events, leaders and managers have ensured the staff and children are provided with an opportunity to reflect and to learn from the actions they have taken. Good use is made of social stories to help the children explain what happened, why and how they felt. Management monitoring of these events is evaluative.

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Leaders and managers

A new head of school has recently been appointed. He is very experienced in residential care and is supported by a registered manager. Leaders and managers understand the weaknesses identified at this assurance visit and have plans in place to improve these. Swift action is required to implement these plans as a number of the areas for improvement have been ongoing for a considerable time.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring and oversight of records requires improvement. Records relating to behavioural incidents are not consistently well maintained. The managers’ monitoring of these reports has failed to rectify all omissions, discrepancies or to ensure that the entries are legible.

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Leaders and managers

Staff recruitment remains an ongoing issue. Leaders and managers have implemented a range of recruitment strategies, which are proving to be effective. These include improved employment packages and encouraging staff to move from a temporary/agency role to permanent staff. This has led to a significant reduction in the number of waking night staff vacancies. Assurance visit report: SC065261 4 During the pandemic, staff told inspectors that they felt supported and well informed by the senior leadership team.

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iii) treat each child with dignity and respect; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (v) help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that

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Requirement Due date

prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; (vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; (viii) provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and (ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— 31/12/2021 Assurance visit report: SC065261 5 (i) meet the needs of each child (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

11.The positive relationships standard 11.—(1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain

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Requirement Due date

positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(xi)(b)) 31/12/2021

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) 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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each

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Requirement Due date

child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and 31/1/2021 Assurance visit report: SC065261 6 (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Recommendations

 Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. Staff should encourage children to express their views about whether they feel safe both within and outside the home. Staff should support children to understand how to ask for help to stay safe and that the home is an environment which supports this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Autism Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Estates Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Melanie Micklewright

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Inspectors

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Michelle Oxley, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance visit report: SC065261 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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