Children's Home run by Total Care Matters Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1268530 1

p.1

Total Care Matters Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for three children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review concerns about management and staffing arrangements, and the potential impact on children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home has not had a registered manager since March 2019.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The independent visitor reported that the acting manager and deputy manager were resigning from their posts. This left the home without managers and with an unqualified staff team. The provider is aware of this situation and has arranged for a senior leader within the organisation to provide day-to-day support until the newly appointed manager comes into post. It is anticipated that this new, experienced manager will apply for registration with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Managers have not monitored recruitment and retention trends. This does not promote a stable workforce, nor does it provide continuity of care for children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The current staff team is wholly female. The home accommodates three male children. This gender imbalance is significant to the needs of the children. Children will miss having a male role model in the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Despite the current instability, children benefit from the care and support provided. Staff make sure that the children have good daily routines, and they have endeavoured to provide children with consistency and promote their development. Staff have received appropriate training, but they are not yet qualified. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1268530 2 The lack of robust management has affected management monitoring processes. Managers have not completed internal monitoring reports. This means that managers have not reviewed the effectiveness of care.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Ofsted has not received an up-to-date statement of purpose. As a result, the regulator has not been able to track the operation of the home.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/06/2019 Full Good 06/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1268530 3

p.2

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.

p.3

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—

p.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.3

Requirement Due date

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)) 19 December 2020

p.3

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 19 December 2020

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy Regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 19 December 2020

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. 19 December 2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1268530 4 (Regulation 45 (4)(a))

p.3

Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, and paragraph 10.19)

p.4

Recommendations

 Whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. Where the home’s Statement of Purpose makes it explicit that the home uses staff of one sex only, clear guidance will need to be in place and followed as to how children are enabled to maintain relationships with people of a different gender. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, and paragraph 10.22)

p.4

Recommendations

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Total Care Matters Ltd

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 230 Bathley Street, The Meadows, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 2ER

p.4

Inspector

Amanda Ellis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1268530 5 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.4

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.5