Children's home run by Tressell Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 1

p.1

Tressell Homes Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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 social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned on the 9 December 2020. There is no interim manager in place.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the inspection visit on 17 March 2020. Following the inspection, the responsible individual made the decision to close the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

After the responsible individual informed Ofsted of the intention to accommodate children again, a monitoring visit took place on 12 August 2020. The outcome of the monitoring visit was that the responsible individual and manager were in a position to provide care and accommodation to children.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At an assurance visit on 02 December 2020, the inspector found serious and widespread concerns about the care and protection of children. Four compliance notices were issued under the following regulations: regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; regulation 14, the care planning standard; and regulation 40, notification of a serious event.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was to review the progress in meeting the compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 2 No children have lived at the home since 3 December 2020 and at the time of the visit, there is no manager in charge of the home. Consequently, the provider has not been able to demonstrate that they have met the compliance notices.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has plans to recruit a new manager. However, there is no timescale for this.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has taken some steps to review the risk assessments in place and consider the arrangements for children moving in and out of the home. However, further work is required to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is working with the staff to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Staff have received training in behaviour management, but they still need training in the use of physical intervention.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual made the decision to close the home for a period of time. This is to provide them with the opportunity to appoint a new manager, develop the skills and knowledge of the staff team and make the necessary improvements that were identified at the assurance visit on 02 December 2020.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/03/2020 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.3

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.3

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

p.3

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 4 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.3

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.4

Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.4

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.4

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

p.4

Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 5 that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(x)(xi)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(b)(e)) 31 March 2021

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 6 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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 7 that arrangements are in place to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.7

Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

p.7

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d))

p.7

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the actions identified in the fire risk assessment are completed. 31 March 2021

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.7

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 8 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.7

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.8

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.8

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.8

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

p.8

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a record of the outcome enquiries made to verify written references and to follow up concerns identified in the recruitment process that may affect an applicant’s suitability. When concerns have been identified, a risk assessment is completed of the applicant’s suitability, including the reasons for the decision made about their suitability.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 9 the name of the child;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.9

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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’)—

p.9

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.9

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.

p.9

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i) (ii)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

p.9

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 10 are kept up to date; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.10

Requirement Due date

and ensure that the records are kept up to date.

p.10

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 persons who work at any time at the home. 31 March 2021

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.10

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.10

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.10

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.10

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.10

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.10

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.10

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 11

p.10

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.

p.11

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 41, Price Street Business Centre, Price Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire CH41 4JQ

p.11

Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2540658 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12