Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 1

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First Blue Healthcare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for up to three children and young people, aged between eight and 18 years, with complex behaviours due to childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

This service and the current manager were registered with Ofsted in June 2020. The registered manager holds Level 5 in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place following a review of the safeguarding notifications sent to Ofsted by the provider. This setting has not been visited since it was registered in June 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector conducted the monitoring visit remotely, in line with national COVID- 19 (coronavirus) guidance to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home was registered, the registered manager and staff team have supported three children to move into the home. One child has moved out and there are currently two children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager’s planning for the first two children who moved into the home was well considered. As a result, they settled quickly. However, the registered manager’s planning for the third child was less successful. The registered manager did not recognise the need to amend staffing levels or for additional training to be given to staff.

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This monitoring visit

The complexity of the needs of the third child was known at the point of her moving into the home. However, the home’s staffing model only allowed for two staff to look after the three children. This placed pressure on the staff team and registered Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 2 manager. The registered manager has taken learning from this and is reviewing the staffing model required to allow another child to move into the home.

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This monitoring visit

Although staff undertake mandatory training when children move into the home with additional needs, training in relation to these needs is not always given to staff. This includes needs around learning disabilities, dyspraxia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This means that staff do not always have the specialist knowledge and skills to meet the needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

Recently, there was an incident in which two children left their bedrooms during the night and went downstairs. The sleep-in staff had gone to bed and were unaware of this. One of the children subsequently made a disclosure about a significant incident that had occurred when they had been downstairs. Children’s safety and well-being has been compromised because of the night-time supervision arrangements in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following the child’s disclosure, the concerns were promptly and thoroughly followed up by the registered manager, in line with child protection procedures. To minimise the potential risk of further harm, waking night staff were put in place. Staff support for the children was also increased. The decision was made for one of the children to be moved out of the home. The registered manager worked closely with the child’s placing authority to support the child’s planned move to a new placement.

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This monitoring visit

In response to this incident, the registered manager has debriefed the staff team to identify learning. The registered manager has worked with the remaining two children’s social workers to agree strategies to supervise children at night time. Temporary bedroom door alarms have been put in place. The provider is looking to fit permanent door alarms that can be used when it is risk assessed as necessary.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the identified shortfalls in care planning, children do make positive progress in many areas of their lives. For example, historical high-risk incidents, such as going missing, self-harm and being violent towards others, stop or reduce. This is because staff support children to understand new risks and make safe, informed decisions. Furthermore, staff are successful at managing children’s behaviours to avoid them escalating. For example, staff redirect behaviours such as throwing food into sensory messy-play sessions.

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This monitoring visit

Staff support and encourage children to engage with education. Staff transport one child, one hour each way, to the school she was attending prior to moving into the home. This has enabled her to maintain established, important relationships in a specialist educational service that knows her well. Another child attends an equine educational project and is proud to show off the range of rosettes she has been awarded. The registered manager advocated for the child to be able to continue to attend this resource to gain extra work experience. The registered manager’s and staff team’s positive partnership arrangements with educational services is enabling children to make progress with their learning. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 3 Staff support children with their hobbies and interests. One child expressed pleasure at caring for her fish, hamster and chicken. Staff have also supported children to

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This monitoring visit

become members of a local football club and boxing club, explore local castles and fix up bikes and scooters.

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This monitoring visit

The independent visitor visits the home every month and produces a report that comments on the service’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. However, the visitor is not interviewing children, their parents, relatives or the staff working in the home as part of this process. This stops these parties from being able to give feedback to inform the independent visitor’s assessment of the quality of care being provided to children. This means that the usefulness of these reports in improving the care given to children is reduced. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the arrangements for the supervision of children at night time to ensure that children are safe. 01 March 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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)) 01 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 5 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person–

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 01 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 6

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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 being registered by Ofsted.

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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: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

Dawn Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2591708 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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