Setting run by Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 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

This home is operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children. The home specialises in caring for children who may have been, or who are, experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home opened in August 2020. The registered manager submitted a successful application as part of the registration process.

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Information about this children’s home

The home had not had any previous inspection activity. This monitoring visit was carried out using a combination of on-site and off-site activity.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit on 27 January 2021, following escalating safeguarding concerns received via notifications. Inspectors identified that leaders, the manager and staff do not respond appropriately to safeguarding incidents that occur, or ensure that there are effective strategies in place to safeguard the children living in the home. Therefore, the children living at the home have been placed at risk of significant harm.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that the registered manager and staff do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Some staff do not know what the children’s current risks are, therefore, they are unable to safeguard children. Furthermore, staff report inconsistencies in how they manage children’s behaviours. This has led to an escalation of significant incidents in the home and children being placed at risk.

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This monitoring visit

Staff reported to the inspectors that a child in the home was only allowed restricted access to the internet. This is due to a known history of inappropriate sexualised behaviour. The risk management plan stated that all internet use should be fully Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 2 supervised by staff. Despite this known risk factor, not all staff followed the risk management strategies and the child was allowed to have unrestricted access to the internet. Due to the lack of appropriate action being taken to minimise the risks, an incident occurred and the child sent inappropriate messages to an 11-year-old child via an internet-enabled device. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There have been numerous incidents of bullying between the children living in the home. The manager and staff reported that all children had 1:1 staffing to minimise the risks, and that bedroom door alarms are used throughout the night to protect all children. Despite these strategies, an incident is reported to have occurred in the early hours of the morning when children were in each other’s bedrooms. Following this incident, a child raised concerns about his safety and well-being. This was not reported to the registered manager or the local authority in a timely manner and no further strategies were put in place to minimise the risk.

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This monitoring visit

In a further example, children had attempted to set fire to another child’s bedroom door handle after making threats to harm him. This then escalated to a further incident outside of the home, when children set fire to a pile of rubbish. An identified strategy, to manage this risk, is that children should not have access to lighters. During the visit, children’s bedrooms were found to be in a poor state. In one child’s bedroom, which smelt strongly of cigarette smoke, there was evidence of an empty cigarette packet and lighters. Although staff observed these with inspectors, they were not removed.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, the manager reported that, following the fire incident, a decision had been made to move one child to a holiday placement. The registered manager and social worker confirmed that the child had 2:1 staffing in place. This was due to his high levels of aggression, and for safeguarding reasons due to previous allegations the child had made against professionals. However, when the inspector spoke to the child and the member of staff at the holiday placement, it was confirmed that the child was only being looked after by one member of staff. When this was brought to the attention of the registered manager and responsible individual, they reported that they were unaware that there was insufficient staffing at the setting. This situation meant that the child and the member of staff were at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

During the visit, staff were observed taking children out on a cycle ride. Staff did not have bicycles; only the children rode. Children have a history of going missing from home and there was an incident, earlier on in the same week, when a child had been reported as missing from care when he had ridden off on his bicycle. This activity was discussed with the manager and staff to understand how it had been risk assessed considering the known risks and recent occurrences. The registered manager reported that it was planned that staff would get bicycles, but he acknowledged the safeguarding concerns raised. However, a further significant incident occurred the next day when a staff member left the home on foot with a child who was on his bicycle. The child rode away from the staff member and was Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 3 observed riding on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway. This is significantly

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This monitoring visit

concerning due to the risks to the child. Of further concern is that this incident occurred following concerns having been raised previously with the manager about the safety of this type of activity.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that there is a lack of structure and routine in the home, and this does not support children to make progress. For example, during the visit at 11am, inspectors identified that children were still in their bedrooms and had not been supported to engage in education. Staff were unclear about the reasons for this. The registered manager could not provide a clear account of why children were not attending their education provisions. When the inspector spoke to a child, he reported that he was not in school as there were no competent drivers on shift and so he had not been taken.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager failed to demonstrate that care practice is safe. Recording in the home is variable. The registered manager is not consistently reviewing records to support effective oversight and challenge of practice. The inspectors found that some risk assessments, complaints, physical intervention records and medication records omitted vital information or provided conflicting information without challenge. This reduces accountability and fails to safeguard all involved. In addition, when strategies have been identified in risk management plans, such as removal of lighters and fully supervised internet access, staff have failed to follow them which has meant that children have been left at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not receive a full induction, although the organisations’ policies and procedures indicate they should, and they do not have access to regular supervision or sufficient training. This does not demonstrate that staff are given an opportunity to discuss or reflect on their practice and develop the knowledge and skills required in care practices. Staff duty rosters fail to accurately detail the actual staff on duty, or the actual hours that staff, including the registered manager, work at the home. In addition, when there are shortfalls in the rota, records do not include the full name of the staff member or any other information to indicate whether the shift was covered and by whom. This prevents a clear audit trail of who is working in the setting. Internal and external monitoring systems are not effective and failed to identify the safeguarding concerns and breaches in regulation identified at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, the registered manager has failed to provide a statement of purpose to Ofsted as required by regulation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their education potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use reasonable endeavours to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(viii)(ix)) 28 February 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.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 5 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 6 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children — receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)) 28 February 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.

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

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b) ) 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 7 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 8 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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the records include a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, a record of the actual rotas worked and a record of any person who works at any time at the home, including the registered manager. 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2597754 9

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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

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2597754 10 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

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