Children's home run by Outbound Care

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507889 1

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Outbound Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is one of a number operated by a private provider. It provides care and accommodation for one young person who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2020 and has managed the home since May 2020. He is also registered to manage another home in the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place off site. It was undertaken while assurance visits were paused due to restrictions in place because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. It was to help ensure that the home is making progress since its last full inspection in March 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The young person living in the home currently has been resident since late April 2020. As he was admitted during a nationwide lockdown, due to the pandemic, there were limitations on the way that staff were able to manage his transition into the home. The registered manager gathered appropriate information and spoke with relevant professionals. However, he was only able to communicate with the young person via video call prior to his admission. The young person was unable to have an introductory visit before moving into the home, nor did the registered manager meet him in person, which is not ideal. Consequently, the requirement made at the last inspection regarding care planning is repeated, to ensure that positive practice is embedded in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management is good. The young person’s risks are well understood, and staff have received training and support to enable them to care for the young person safely. Positive multi-agency work and cooperation mean that professionals are Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507889 2 working together with agreed strategies and objectives. However, despite this, the young person’s risk-taking behaviour has escalated.

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This monitoring visit

There have been a number of serious incidents in the home where the young person has caused damage, as well as injury, to staff and to himself. The police have been called to assist on occasion and staff have needed to engage in physical interventions to keep everyone safe. Physical intervention records are of good quality and provide the reader with a clear understanding of the incident and the need to physically intervene. However, some incidents have involved staff who work elsewhere in the organisation and who are not based in this home. It is unclear if this is significant, as the registered manager has yet to complete a review of these incidents and the individuals involved. Furthermore, staff rotas indicate that other staff were on duty at the time of one incident. Apparently, this shift had been covered by staff from another home, but the rota remained unchanged, despite this being three weeks earlier. This does not provide a true picture of staffing

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This monitoring visit

The staff team has been largely consistent since the last inspection, with staff demonstrating a real commitment to the young person. Communication within the staff team is good, with staff being kept up to date about any new developments or changes to the young person’s routine or risks. The views of staff are explored, which contributes to a shared ownership of decisions made. This means that staff are more likely to be consistent in their approach.

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This monitoring visit

The standard of recording in the home is generally good and documents are regularly updated. A number of room searches have been completed to ensure that the young person does not have the means to harm himself or others. However, staff are not always completing a detailed room search record, including details of the items removed, where these will be stored and how they plan to return them to the young person. This would ensure that the young person knows what has happened to his belongings.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have helped the young person to manage restrictions due to COVID-19. This has had an impact on some activities that he enjoys. However, he has for the most part been able to continue to attend horse riding and going on walks with staff. The young person also enjoyed a camping holiday over the summer. Staff have also promoted family contact, which has taken place by video call, telephone call and face to face when possible. This has involved staff driving some considerable distance to ensure that this took place as arranged, to save disappointment to the young person. They appreciate the significance of maintaining these relationships.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken decisive action to address the four requirements and four recommendations made at the last full inspection. For example, there have been improvements in risk management, repairs completed to the premises and staff training. One requirement in relation to care planning is repeated at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507889 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507889 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 31 December 2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, keep an accurate duty roster of staff who have worked in the home. 31 December 2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, a record of any room searches completed must be maintained. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507889 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Outbound Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Metropolitan Business Park, Preston New Road, Blackpool, Lancashire FY3 9LT

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Inspector

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2507889 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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