Children's Home, Residential special school run by Amberleigh Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 1 SC448209

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Amberleigh Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides long-term specialist therapeutic care and education for up to 12 boys who have displayed inappropriate or harmful sexualised behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for monitoring visits.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection has been undertaken to monitor children’s welfare at the home in response to notifications received by Ofsted about serious incidents that have occurred at the home. Two inspectors went to the home for this visit.

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This monitoring visit

At an assurance visit in October 2020, inspectors found shortfalls in the protection of children. Managers have acted to address some of these risks. Staff have received training to improve their understanding of how to reduce risks associated with self- harm by ligature. Emergency equipment has been purchased and is suitably located for ease of access by staff should it be needed.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received some training to meet other specific needs of children, for example, staff have received introductory training about harmful sexual behaviours and further training about this is planned. However, shortfalls in training remain. Not all staff have been trained in recording skills and this means that they are not able to effectively record information in children’s documents. A requirement raised at the assurance visit in October 2020 is repeated.

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This monitoring visit

The manager takes appropriate action in response to safeguarding concerns and shares information appropriately with relevant people. For example, in consultation Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 2 with external professionals and staff, the manager has reviewed the safety plans for two children. This was in response to a child raising a concern about his relationship with a peer. Staff understand the safety plans and the reasons for them, as do the children involved. This demonstrates that the manager’s and staff’s overall understanding of assessing and addressing risk has improved.

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This monitoring visit

One child in the home has been displaying behaviour which places him at significant risk of harm, for example, running off from the home and putting himself in danger near a busy main road. A review of the child’s day-to-day plans has resulted in a reduction in frequency of incidents. This is because staff are clearer about their roles and responsibilities in supporting this child and reducing risk. Clear planning and effective partnership working with the child’s social worker and the police have contributed to the staff being able to continue to provide care and support to meet this child’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is used in communal areas of the home to retrospectively check on the whereabouts of children when concerns are raised. This is unnecessarily intrusive. Furthermore, the reasons for this electronic surveillance do not support the immediate safety and welfare of children.

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This monitoring visit

There is now clear guidance for staff on the use of door alarms on children’s bedrooms and staff were confident in sharing with inspectors how these alarms are used to promote children’s safety and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors observed positive relationships between the children and staff. Children told inspectors that they feel safe and happy in the home. Children spoke confidently about the model of care and how they are helped to gain skills for independence. One child said, ‘I’m well supported by staff. I’ve been going through some stuff recently as to why I’m here. It has been hard. All staff check how I am and follow up with me.’

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This monitoring visit

When children display aggressive behaviours or other behaviours that put themselves and others at risk of harm, staff physically intervene to keep them and others safe. However, records of physical intervention are not thorough. One incident record was not signed by staff involved in the incident. In addition, it is not clear that children are given the opportunity to talk to someone independent after an incident of physical intervention to understand their views about what happened. A lack of effective debriefs and unsigned documents means that it is not always clear that restraint practice is safe and proportionate and has been subject to a careful review by managers.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose details the home’s model of care and staffing structure. However, the explanation about levels of staffing across the home could be misleading. For example, it is not made clear that children who are more independent do not receive the levels of staffing indicated in the statement of Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 3 purpose. This could mislead people who read this document about the level of support and supervision some children receive while living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that staff rosters provide a clear record of which staff work in the home and when. For example, it is not clear what time staff start working in the home and what time they finish. This means that information about staffing may not be reliable should it need to be referred to in the future

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This monitoring visit

The provider continues to develop the outside space at the home. A large patch of land to the rear has been cleared, making a welcome large lawned area for children to use. Plans are in place for further development to the side of the home. However, a raised decked area to the rear of the home is hazardous due to broken boards. It would benefit children for this space to be cleared and either made useable or made safe.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/09/2018 Full Good 15/05/2018 Full Inadequate 17/01/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 29 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the use of CCTV in communal areas. 15 May 2021

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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 any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 29 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 5 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 (3)(a)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that following a measure of control an accurate, signed record is completed and debriefs with staff and children are undertaken.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should recognise that the information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. This relates to ensuring the statement of purpose clearly and accurately explains the ratio of staff to children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The registered person should ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation. This specifically relates to the outdoor space and the decking area to the rear of the building. (‘Guide to the children’s

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Recommendations

homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that records kept in the children’s home meet regulations 35-39. This relates to ensuring that a legible and suitably detailed copy of the staff roster is kept in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.3)

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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. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 6 This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amberleigh Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Amberleigh Care Ltd, Golfa Hall, Golfa, Welshpool, Powys SY21 9AF

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Inspectors

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Alison Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC448209 7 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 .

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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