Children's Home run by Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581237 1

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Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

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 company. It provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has managed the home since 27 October 2020, being registered by Ofsted on 1 December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted an assurance visit to this home on 22 October 2020. Serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children were identified at this assurance visit. Following this, Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice, prohibiting the placement of additional young people at the home for a period of 12 weeks. This was to allow time for steps to be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm to young people, and to make the improvements required to ensure that young people receive safe, effective care that meets their needs and helps them to progress. In addition, nine breaches of regulation were identified, with Ofsted issuing compliance notices in relation to four of these.

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This monitoring visit

Two further monitoring visits to the home were conducted in November and December 2020, with three of the compliance notices being reissued in December 2020 as the relevant concerns remained evident.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor the actions taken by the provider to meet the three compliance notices and for Ofsted to be satisfied that a notice restricting the accommodation of further young people to the home was no longer required.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, a further young person has moved out of the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581237 2 Just one young person is currently resident. The provider has complied with the requirements of the restriction of accommodation notice as no further admissions have been made.

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This monitoring visit

There have been some incidents of challenging behaviour but with only one young person in the home these incidents have reduced. Improvements are also evident in relation to the ability of staff to successfully de-escalate the young person’s behaviour when it is heightened. The young person’s placement plan, risk assessments and behaviour support plan are up to date and support staff to understand and manage the young person’s care effectively. The young person is enjoying having the undivided attention of staff and is generally engaging well. Similarly, there have been improvements in the young person’s willingness to engage in education. Staff have introduced an incentive plan to help motivate the young person. However, this does need further development as currently the incentives are based on monetary reward and the purchase of unhealthy food. Nonetheless, the young person is engaging with the plan and improvements are evident.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, staff have now completed refresher training in topics such as recording and reporting, risk management and anti-bullying. They were also completing refresher training in behaviour management and physical intervention on the day of this monitoring visit. Managers believe that this training will help to ensure that staff respond consistently, and it will improve the quality of their practice. Any shortfalls identified following this training will be addressed individually with the staff member concerned. It was not possible to monitor the effectiveness of this at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

The young person is now benefiting from regular and meaningful key-worker sessions. Records of discussion are of good quality and include oversight and direction for future work from the home’s therapist. This helps to ensure that individual work completed with the young person is effective. However, some pertinent issues, such as personal hygiene and drug misuse, have not been discussed. These omissions had not been identified by the manager, as part of his routine monitoring, which is of some concern given there is only one young person living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors identified ongoing and additional shortfalls in management oversight. While the manager is now reviewing incident logs, it is not always clear that he has identified all the pertinent issues. During a recent incident in the home, the young person set off a fire extinguisher, causing damage to the electrics in the home, as she was unhappy about staff’s response to a request that she had made. The response to the young person was an appropriate one and staff stood by their decision-making. However, the manager’s review of the incident fails to address how the young person was able to access a fire extinguisher. This was despite previous incidents at the home where fire extinguishers were used against staff, and a risk assessment that stated fire extinguishers were to be kept in locked areas of the home. Inspectors were informed that the young person was able to access the fire Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581237 3

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This monitoring visit

extinguisher from a staff bedroom, which staff had failed to lock. The manager’s review fails to identify this practice issue and his follow-up actions are unclear. Furthermore, this is an example of inconsistent staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Similarly, little investigation has taken place to find a missing office key, despite previous concerns about young people taking keys and accessing the staff office. Inspectors tried to identify the date the key went missing by exploring staff handover records. However, these remain of variable quality, so did not provide the level of detail required to do this. While the manager has taken action to replace the lock, it remains a concern that the key has not been located and insufficient emphasis appears to have been placed on the matter when discussed in a recent staff meeting. This does not help staff understand the significance of this matter, and their role and responsibility in maintaining the security of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, a deputy manager has identified that she may be a trigger for the young person, as incidents take place on her shifts. In fact, she raised her concerns with managers, requesting some mediation work. When the manager reviewed the latest incident, he agreed that further mediation work was required. However, at the time of this monitoring visit, two weeks later, no action had been taken to address this, potentially increasing the likelihood of further incidents and leaving those involved feeling vulnerable. The manager informed inspectors that he no longer felt the mediation work was necessary. However, there is no clear audit trail to support this change of decision.

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This monitoring visit

Concerningly, Ofsted believes that shortfalls remain regarding management monitoring and oversight, despite only one young person being resident in the home. This has the potential to negatively impact on young people’s experience and progress while living in the home. Consequently, the regulation 13 compliance notice is to be reissued for the third time. However, the compliance notices relating to regulation 11, positive relationships, and regulation 12, the protection of children, are assessed to have been met, as progress is evident in these areas. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581237 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 leadership and management standard *The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581237 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Stephanie Hewitt

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Inspectors

Mandy Williams, social care inspector Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2581237 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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