Children's home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 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 children’s home is run by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up to three children aged between eight and 17 years old, who have experienced early childhood instability that has led to trauma and/or associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a change to the home’s management arrangements. The previous registered manager left the home in October 2020. The current manager started work at the home in January 2021. The manager is suitably experienced and is working towards a qualification in leadership and management and has started the process to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This is the home’s first visit since registration in December 2019. This visit was carried out to enable the regulator to obtain an initial assessment of children’s lived experience at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Ofsted did not carry out a physical visit to the home. The inspector gathered evidence in several different ways, including talking to the managers, the responsible individual, professionals and the children. Managers were asked to provide electronic documents for the inspector to review.

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This monitoring visit

Three children have lived at the home. The first child moved out earlier than anticipated because staff were unable to meet his needs. Two new children moved into the home in April 2020 and are making good progress overall.

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This monitoring visit

Some members of staff develop positive relationships with the children and know them well. This group of staff have a good understanding of the children’s complex Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 2 behaviours and vulnerabilities. These members of staff show patience and resilience, and this helps children to develop trusting relationships. However, the home has experienced a high turnover of staff. This has left children struggling to build up the same level of positive relationships with new members of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Children who have experienced difficulties with education attainment have been supported by staff to re-engage in learning. As a result, children are beginning to make good progress in their education.

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This monitoring visit

Staff actively encourage children to attend medical appointments and when children are resisting, staff will offer additional help including rearranging the appointment.

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This monitoring visit

When children go missing from the home, the staff follow missing-from-care protocols. As a result, staff are well prepared to know what to do when incidents occur.

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This monitoring visit

Staff communicate well with the relevant professionals to ensure that recommendations raised at statutory reviews are acted on. As a result, children’s needs have been reviewed and staff continue to provide care and support in line with children’s plans.

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This monitoring visit

Staff support and encourage children to maintain positive relationships with those who are important to them in line with government guidance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the many restrictions imposed by COVID-19, children have still been able to develop appropriate independence and life skills in line with their age, ability and development. For example, children have developed skills such as self-care, learning how to budget their money, how to carry out household chores and how to prepare shopping lists and cook meals.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the positive features of care, children’s risk assessments are lengthy and lack focus on some key risks. Managers do not ensure that the risk levels faced by children are correctly assessed. For example, risk assessments are not always updated with relevant information to support staff in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff do not always show that they understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. For example, staff can show a lack of professional curiosity despite knowing risks associated with children’s behaviour. For instance, staff have known that one child is smoking illegal substances on the home’s grounds.

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This monitoring visit

On one occasion, staff failed to follow up a police investigation where safeguarding concerns regarding one child were raised. This created a missed opportunity for the staff to advocate for the child. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 3 The internal monitoring systems used by managers are not always effective. For example, managers and staff do not consistently review and update children’s impact risk assessments. As a result of poor care planning, staff are sometimes ill- prepared to provide support to help to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Most areas of the home are welcoming. However, ligature risk from window cords in children’s bedrooms and bathrooms has been overlooked. This oversight does not keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not always ensure that there is good monitoring of fire safety. Although on the day of the inspection repairs were being made to fire doors, there had been a delay in this work being carried out.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated to accurately reflect changes to the staff team and service delivery.

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This monitoring visit

Members of staff can be asked to work excessive hours. For example, one member of staff told the inspector they had worked 24 hours, including a waking night shift. Staff told the inspector that long shifts impact on their physical well-being. This practice of allowing staff to work excessive hours has the potential to compromise children’s safety and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to ensure that all new staff receive practice-related supervision every month as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. This is a missed opportunity to help new staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a) (2)(vii)(c)(i)) 26 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.

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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

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

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. 26 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 5 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii))

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 26 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and 26 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 6 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.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

Take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to carrying out work in regards to fire door risk in a timely manner. 5 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 26 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 7

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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 it was registered with 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

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2560648 8 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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