Setting SC03728

Assurance visit report: SC037281 1 SC037281

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to six children aged between 10 and 17. The children may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse or had traumatic experiences that have left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since April 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 26 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:

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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

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: SC037281 2

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The care of children

There are currently four children living at the home. Since October 2020, the home has changed its statement of purpose to care for older children. This has altered the dynamics at the home. The staff have struggled with the shift in focus of care. The management team has failed to provide the staff with adequate training to develop the skill set required to work with older children. This led to an unsettled period of increased incidents and the children going missing from the home.

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The care of children

Changes to staff shift patterns have led to some staff turnover. The children have lacked a stable staff team and, consequently, struggled to develop trusting relationships with the staff.

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The care of children

Further challenges because of the COVID-19 lockdown period have limited the children’s activities and routines. Being kept indoors created tensions in the children’s relationships. The staff have tried to promote positive relationships through children’s meetings and key-work sessions. However, the manager has failed to identify a clear strategy on how to manage the children’s interpersonal relationships. This has meant that the work that has been undertaken has not been consistent or effective.

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The care of children

The staff do not always provide personalised care for the children. Despite one child struggling to develop a healthy sleeping pattern, the staff did not consider an individualised plan to meet his needs or consider specialist support. Lack of healthy sleep patterns has negatively affected his ability to attend education and engage in daytime activities. For another child, the staff identified her understanding of English as a challenging factor in communication. Despite this, the staff did not follow up accessing language support for the child. This means that the child may not be able to fully express herself and her preferences as she would like.

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The care of children

The staff have continued to support the children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff have helped the children to maintain virtual and, later, appropriately socially distanced contact with their families.

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The care of children

The quality of the accommodation continues to require improvement. There is a damaged door and flaking paintwork in the communal areas. In one child’s room, there is a water stain on the ceiling. Another child’s bedroom walls are damaged. The manager said that there is a plan for the home to move properties. Nevertheless, the lack of investment in improving the home creates an uncomfortable lived experience for the children and an unwelcoming environment.

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The safety of children

There has been a high number of incidents at the home requiring physical intervention. The staff have managed these safely, but the records do not consistently include all of the required information. When incidents have involved more than one child, not all the children have been offered a debrief. Therefore, Assurance visit report: SC037281 3 some children have not been given the opportunity to reflect on their actions and how they could have behaved differently. In addition, the managers do not consistently date the records. It is therefore not always clear how timely the managerial oversight has been.

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The safety of children

Risk-management plans do not include full details of the children’s individual risks. For example, the staff identified the internet and sexual exploitation as risks for one child. They described the difficulty of monitoring the child’s mobile phone as it is in a different language. However, this risk was not mitigated in the child’s risk assessment.

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The safety of children

Although some risk assessments identify the children’s individual risks, risk-reduction strategies are not detailed. This means that the staff do not have clear and effective guidance on how to keep the children safe.

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The safety of children

Following initial changes to the group dynamics, there has been a significant number of missing-from-home episodes. The manager has actively ensured that the staff follow the missing-from-home protocols. The staff swiftly notify social workers and return home interviews are conducted. This has led to a recent reduction in children going missing from the home.

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The safety of children

Allegations about staff are responded to swiftly and thoroughly. The manager makes appropriate referrals to the designated officer and works closely with social workers to ensure that the children are kept safe.

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The safety of children

The staff take a thoughtful approach to managing negative behaviours. The staff include the children in deciding consequences that are meaningful and restorative, such as writing letters of apology. These actions encourage the children to understand the consequences of their behaviour and their impact on others.

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Leaders and managers

The staff said that, although the manager has been supportive, there has been unhappiness at the changes in shift pattern and staff turnover. For some staff, a consequence has been a loss of confidence in their practice.

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Leaders and managers

Some of the staff have yet to achieve a relevant level 3 diploma, despite working for the provider for over two years. There has been limited specialist training provided to the staff. The staff do not always distinguish between bullying, racism and antagonistic behaviours. There is a lack of clear guidance on how the staff are to challenge bullying and racist behaviours effectively. This increases the likelihood of these behaviours going unchecked.

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Leaders and managers

Staff have monthly supervision. However, the supervision records do not demonstrate how practice issues have been fully explored or how the staff will reflect on and consider their learning and the changing dynamics of the home. Assurance visit report: SC037281 4 The manager monitors and reports on the home. However, the reports lack details of how actions will improve the quality of care and the time frame for these actions. This therefore limits the report’s usefulness as a tool to support improvements.

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Leaders and managers

Placement plans are not all up to date. The manager has not ensured that the staff record all changes to children’s care and placement plans. This means that staff may not have important information about a child’s circumstances to be able to respond appropriately.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has provided a timely response to complaints. He has worked collaboratively with the community to consider feedback and how this can inform practice.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has begun to develop professional partnerships to consider contextual risks. He has initiated plans for the local missing coordinator to attend regular team meetings to promote joint working with the staff.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that the repairs in the children’s bedrooms are completed. 29 January 2021 Assurance visit report: SC037281 5 The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that children have individualised health plans that address their needs and are recorded in the children’s care and placement plans. 29 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 29 January 2021 Assurance visit report: SC037281 6 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(xi)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that all staff undertake training on promoting diversity and managing bullying and racism and that staff understand how to challenge racist and bullying behaviours.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that the risk assessments explore all the children’s risks and vulnerabilities with clear guidance on how to mitigate those risks. In addition, ensure that the staff receive relevant training to enable them to meet the children’s identified needs. 29 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 30 April 2021 Assurance visit report: SC037281 7 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. This may include the use of and support to use communication aids, equipment and/or any necessary language support. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)  The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained is given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. (‘Guide to Assurance visit report: SC037281 8 the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50,

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Recommendations

paragraph 13.2)  The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person must ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording of information on individual children in a way that will be helpful to the child. Specifically, ensure that placement plans are up to date and records are dated. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for

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Recommendations

continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider : Suffolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address : Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX

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Inspectors

Leemya McKeown, Social Care Inspector Tom Anthony, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC037281 9 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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