Setting run by Worcestershire Children First

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2549709 1

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Worcestershire Children First

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was previously owned by the local authority. It re-registered in October 2019 when the local authority moved to be a holding company. It is registered for up to four children and young people who have suffered adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. There is no registered manager at this home.

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This monitoring visit

This is the home’s first inspection since registration in October 2019. The provider applied for a variation to the home’s conditions of registration in January 2020. This was approved by Ofsted on 31 January 2020. This variation means that the provider must give Ofsted three months’ notice of their intention to move children and young people into the home. Despite this condition being in place, the provider moved a young person into the home in an emergency and notified Ofsted after this had happened. Consequently, at the time of this monitoring inspection the provider is operating the home outside of its conditions of registration.

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This monitoring visit

The young person moved into the home on 6 January 2021. The provider made the decision to use an external agency to provide the care to the young person and to manage the day-to-day running of the home. This changed the day before the inspection, when the provider identified a manager from the organisation to oversee what was happening at the home.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection has identified serious concerns about the quality of care which compromised the young person’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

The young person does not receive care in line with his complex needs. For example, the young person’s needs and vulnerabilities are such that he is subject to a deprivation of liberty safeguards order, issued by the court of protection. This Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2549709 2 order sets out that windows and doors at the home must remain locked to keep the young person safe. However, the window locks are broken and the front door does not have an appropriate locking mechanism. This places the young person at risk of harm. For example, he has attempted to climb out of a first-floor window and on other occasions has gone missing from the home.

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This monitoring visit

Untrained staff are unable to take appropriate action to protect the young person. The deprivation of liberty safeguards order sets out the action that staff must take to help prevent the young person going missing from the home. This includes using physical intervention. However, the staff caring for the young person on the day of the inspection either had not been trained in physical intervention, or their training had expired. This placed the young person at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not provide basic care and show professional curiosity to promote the young person’s welfare. For example, the young person is known to self-harm. Despite this known risk, staff have left him alone for long periods without any welfare checks being carried out. The young person is left to sleep during the day and then at night is on his mobile phone contacting unknown people. This is allowed to happen despite the court order stipulating that he cannot access his mobile phone at night.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that the agency providing staff to care for the young person have carried out all the necessary recruitment checks. For example, records do not show that staff have full employment histories. When checks have been undertaken, the provider has not ensured that information contained in these checks has been fully explored. Staff have not been safely recruited and unsafe recruitment practice leaves the young person at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff members are not good role models for the young person. For example, they smoke outside the home and leave their cigarette ends on the home’s doorstep. Furthermore, one member of staff has been able to use a vaping cigarette device in the home, largely unchallenged.

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This monitoring visit

Significant shortfalls in practice, care and safety have placed the young person at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers took prompt action to move the young person on the same day of this inspection. The provider has assured Ofsted that they will not place any other children at the home without first giving adequate notice to the regulator.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection under the new registration. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2549709 3

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must encourage young people to maintain a good routine and ensure that the building is well maintained and able to meet the needs of each young person residing in the home. 05 March 2021

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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. 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; 05 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2549709 4 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding their role in keeping young people safe, and then acting in a way that keeps young people safe. 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 promotes their welfare.

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff having up-to-date training to meet young people’s individual needs. 05 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. 05 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2549709 5 Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with— any other provision of these Regulations; or

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Requirement Due date

any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b) (5) (6)(a)(b)

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Requirement Due date

The provider must operate the home in line with its conditions of registration and prior to opening review and revise the home’s statement of purpose, and provide a copy to Ofsted. The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 05 March 2021

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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: Worcestershire Children First

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Worcestershire Children First, County Hall Campus, Spetchley Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR5 2NP

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2549709 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: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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