Children's Home run by Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Limited in Rotherham

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and provides care and accommodation for one child or young person who requires care and support to deal with their emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a newly registered children’s home. The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspection

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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: 2577014 2

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The care of children

The young person currently living in the home has a strong, positive and trusting relationships with the staff team. Consequently, the young person is making good progress in many aspects of their life, including better decision-making about their personal safety and improved confidence and self-esteem.

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The care of children

Every effort is made by staff to help prepare the young person for the next stage of their life. This includes developing age-appropriate life skills, such as cooking and being involved in household chores.

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The care of children

The staff have helped the young person to keep in regular contact with family members throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This has involved face-to-face visits, telephone and virtual calls.

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The care of children

The home is suitably maintained, decorated and furnished. The young person has been fully involved in the personalisation of the home. There are pictures, photographs and ornaments that reflect the young person’s choice. However, the inspector observed some minor wear and tear issues around the home. This detracts from the overall positive presentation of the home.

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The care of children

The young person attends an education placement one day a week and the staff have undertaken some additional educational work with the young person at home. However, delays have occurred in identifying a more appropriate educational placement for the young person. This delay has hindered the young person’s formal learning and opportunity to make social connections with peers.

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The safety of children

The staff demonstrate a good awareness of the young person’s vulnerability and presenting risks. Behaviour support plans and risk assessments provide staff with guidance on how to manage risks. These plans are adhered to by staff in their day- to-day practice. This helps to better protect the young person.

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The safety of children

The young person has not gone missing since living in this children’s home. That said, there are clear protocols in place that are well known and understood by the staff should an incident arise.

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The safety of children

Physical intervention has only been used on one occasion. This is because staff use de-escalation techniques to good effect. However, the records held in relation to this intervention does not capture all the necessary information as required by regulations. This means that the manager is not able to evidence that the measure used was appropriate and safe. Assurance visit report: 2577014 3

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Leaders and managers

Professionals confirm that the young person is settled and making progress. They report that the manager keeps them well informed about the progress and the care provided to the young person.

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Leaders and managers

The manager’s internal and external monitoring systems are detecting shortfalls, and these are being rectified promptly. However, the inspector found some deficits in records. For example, not all key-work sessions are taking place, and case records are not signed or dated. As a result, the manager is not able to evidence accurately all the work undertaken with the young person.

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Leaders and managers

The staff have received essential mandatory training, including first aid, medication, health and safety, and safeguarding. Some staff hold the level 3 qualification in caring for children and young people, and others are currently undertaking this qualification. However, the physical intervention training currently provided to staff is not recognised by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD). This falls short of best practice guidance.

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Leaders and managers

In the main, safer recruitment procedures are being implemented. This includes undertaking the appropriate background checks. However, there are shortfalls. For example, the manager did not seek a reference for one member of staff and the verification of some references are not robustly recorded. These omissions fall short of following robust safe recruitment practices.

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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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; 28 January 2021 Assurance visit report: 2577014 4 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. The registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s

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Requirement Due date

duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (7))(d) and (8)) In particular, to ensure robust recruitment procedures. The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision

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Requirement Due date

in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority; help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(vii)(x)(b)) In particular, ensure that suitable full-time educational placements are promptly identified and secured. 28 January 2021

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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— In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 28 January 2021 Assurance visit report: 2577014 5 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(2))(c)) In particular, ensure that all staff receive physical intervention training that is recognised by the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD). The registered person must ensure that— within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— the name of the child; details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— has spoken to the user about the measure; has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

28 January 2021 Assurance visit report: 2577014 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that 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

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Recommendations

doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. In particular, repair wear and tear. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Advanced Adolescent Care Solutions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Sherwood Road, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 1QW

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Inspector

Debbie Foster, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2577014 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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Inspector

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