Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020545 1 SC020545

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Castle Homes Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a large private organisation. It offers care for up to five children or young people.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager of this home has been registered with Ofsted since July 2020. She has completed the Level 5 diploma in leadership and management for health and social care children and young people’s services (residential management pathway).

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out following an increase in safeguarding notifications to Ofsted. There were concerns identified around physical restraint practice used by staff during incidents with children. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic Ofsted completed a risk assessment and made the decision to complete the inspection remotely.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last inspected the home in November 2019, when the inspector judged the service to have been good in all areas of practice.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently three children living in the home. Since the last inspection, two children have left and one child has moved into the home. Two moves have been planned and the other was unplanned. Overall, the home is settled, and children enjoy positive relationships with each other.

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This monitoring visit

There is an established staff team which provides consistent care for children. Staff work hard to develop and maintain strong and supportive relationships with children. One child told their social worker that they loved living in the home and felt safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand how to manage risk and work hard to keep children safe. Where there are identified risks in relation to physical aggression for one child, staff were able to explain to the inspector how they managed these. The behaviour Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020545 2 management strategies are clearly recorded in the child’s risk assessments and provide clarity to staff. As a result, this keeps children safe in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff only use physical intervention with children as a last resort to keep children and staff safe. There have been a number of significant incidents requiring physical restraint with one child. These incidents sometimes lead to staff receiving injuries and there has been extensive damage to the physical environment. When managing this behaviour, staff do not always use physical intervention techniques identified in the training they receive. However, the registered manager has a good oversight of the records and ensures that these incidents are reviewed by the responsible individual, an independent manager and the local authority designated officer. The review process confirms that carers act appropriately and proportionately in response to the level of risk presented. The registered manager ensures that debriefs take place with staff and children to reflect on incidents. This reflection provides children with the opportunity to express their wishes and feelings after a

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This monitoring visit

Staff complete a range of training to enable them to support and safeguard children. In response to one child’s specific needs, staff completed an additional physical intervention training session with the Team Teach trainer. However, following further incidents, there have been delays in staff accessing more advanced physical intervention training, as identified by the trainer. This means that opportunities to develop the staff team’s confidence and learning when dealing with challenging behaviour have been missed.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager provides reassurance and support to the staff team. Staff describe her as approachable and feel that she helps them to develop their practice. This impacts positively on the care that children receive in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The number of sanctions and consequences given to children by staff are low. However, on two occasions staff have given a sanction which was not proportionate to the behaviour displayed. This means that children miss out on learning opportunities and reflection to improve their behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The home uses bedroom door alarms to safeguard children where there are risks. The registered manager regularly reviews the need for this type of surveillance in the home. However, following a recent review, there remains a door alarm in place for one child despite there being no current concerns. This intrudes on the child’s privacy.

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This monitoring visit

Staff work effectively with professionals when supporting children. Feedback from external professionals is positive about the care provided by staff. In relation to one child, a professional commented ‘the home did everything in their power to support and keep [name of child] at the home and I cannot fault them’. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020545 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/11/2019 Full Good 19/11/2018 Full Good 23/11/2017 Full Outstanding 31/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020545 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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to a delay in removing the bedroom door alarm for one child, which was assessed to be no longer required following a review of the risk assessment by the registered manager. 19 February 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint. Furthermore, the registered person should ensure that any restraint techniques applied are appropriate to the needs of the children in the home as defined in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)  The registered person must ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. The registered person must review all sanctions and recognise it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour. The staff in the home should be skilled to support children to understand this principle and carry it out in the

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Recommendations

home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020545 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: Castle Homes Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Dean Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC020545 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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