Children's Home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC392712 1 SC392712

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Capstone Care Provider Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home offers care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in December 2020. An acting manager is in post and has applied to be registered.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we regulate. During the visit, the inspector took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This monitoring activity was completed remotely. Children, staff and other agencies were spoken to.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out because of concerns about a recent escalation in safeguarding incidents. The way that the home had responded to a child who had been subject to risks associated with sexual exploitation was reviewed in detail.

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This monitoring visit

Staff were aware that a child was likely to be the victim of exploitation, particularly when missing from the home. Despite this, when the child returned following an overnight missing from home incident, the manager and staff did not provide care and support appropriate to a potential victim. Instead, they issued a financial sanction and told the child to make better choices. This demonstrates a significant failure to provide nurturing care. Staff demonstrated a lack of understanding of how to support children who might be subject to abuse or exploitation.

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This monitoring visit

Following another incident in which the child was missing from the home and was at significant risk of exploitation, a ‘warning letter’ was placed in the child’s bedroom for her to read on her return. This punitive approach is an unacceptable response to concerns that a child has been abused. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC392712 2 Risk management strategies have not been effective. For example, one child who was vulnerable and known to be at high risk of exploitation was allowed to keep a mobile phone that had been sent to the child from an unknown source. Potential risks associated with this phone were not properly assessed. There was a lack of professional curiosity. Staff did not work effectively with partner agencies to reduce risks associated with the phone. The child was contacted by inappropriate adults on the phone and was placed at risk. It is Ofsted’s view that the home has failed to

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This monitoring visit

Changes in the child’s risk profile were not effectively responded to by staff and managers. Despite an increase in incidents during which the child was vulnerable to abuse, the risk assessments were not amended or reviewed as necessary.

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This monitoring visit

Local authority escalation processes were not used successfully. Although the manager communicated regularly with agencies, and shared concerns, this did not result in the development of appropriate strategies to improve the child’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Some identified risk has been reduced because this particularly vulnerable child is no longer resident in the home. Another child living at the home is making some progress. He has positive relationships with staff. The child is beginning to engage in education and attend health appointments.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement and recommendation in relation to Regulation 44 and 45 reports from the last inspection were met.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/02/2020 Full Good 20/11/2019 Full Inadequate 30/08/2018 Full Good 06/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC392712 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 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— that staff— 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12

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Requirement Due date

(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) In particular, staff should receive up-to-date training on supporting children who are at risk of, or subject to, exploitation and abuse. Ensure that risk assessments and risk management plans are regularly reviewed and updated in line with new or emerging risks. 16 April 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— 16 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC392712 4 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) In particular, develop strategies to ensure that safeguarding concerns are shared and escalated appropriately with other safeguarding agencies, particularly local authorities. Ensure

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Requirement Due date

that risk assessments and risk management plans are regularly reviewed and updated in line with new or emerging risks. Ensure that managers use monitoring systems effectively to ensure that day-to-day care arrangements are safe and nurturing. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to

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Requirement Due date

the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(c)(d)) In particular, managers should develop strategies to ensure that safeguarding concerns are shared and escalated appropriately with other safeguarding agencies, particularly local authorities. 16 April 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. 16 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC392712 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d)) In particular, managers should ensure that children’s bedrooms are maintained to a standard that is safe and offers them a nurturing care experience.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 Many children placed in homes may undergo a difficult transition and what should be simple aspects of their care take on a substantial significance in this context. Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in relation to their behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual.(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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 its last Ofsted inspection.

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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: SC392712 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham NG3 2EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Trevor Edinborough

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC392712 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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