Children's home run by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Cornwall

Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 1 SC429523 Registered provider: Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is provided by an NHS foundation trust. It offers short-break care for up to four children at any one time. Children with significant health needs and learning disabilities are cared for by a team of nursing and care staff.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and has been registered with Ofsted since July 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2019 Full Good 25/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/07/2018 Full Good 23/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As a safety precaution, only one child at once is staying at the home rather than the usual four. The home is subject to a rigorous cleaning process and is deep cleaned before each child arrives. Children have adapted well to this change and some are enjoying the additional attention they receive from the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the high quality of individualised care. Staff are focused and purposeful in all of their interactions with children. The team understands that all their activities with children are opportunities to support children’s learning and for children to have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff. Staff are highly motivated to ensure that children get as much as they can out of their stay. They work hard to develop their communication skills with each child. Some staff have received training in story massage. This is a new approach which is being disseminated across the staff team and adopted by other homes in the area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality, consistent care. The staff team works closely with parents, carers and school to ensure that the same approach to care and communication is used by everyone.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to make decisions about all aspects of their stay. Staff work closely with each child and understand how best to help children to make decisions. For example, staff may use body language and facial expression as indicators for the choices children make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication systems have been developed since the last inspection. Some errors in the administration of medication have occurred. The team reacted rapidly and correctly once the errors were identified. Each incident was thoroughly reviewed and reflected on. The medication systems now include additional checks and are subject to external scrutiny to ensure that future errors are avoided. The system is to be improved and extended further by including a handover system for school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, children have benefited greatly from the work that has taken place to help them to prepare for moving on to adult services. Careful and sensitive work has been carried out to help older children to understand the process and to prepare them in good time and in a way that celebrates their time at the home. Some excellent work to develop relationships with adult services has taken place. This work has enabled smooth transitions to take place. Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The team is vigilant and seeks to identify any concerns at an early stage. There are good systems to support the early identification of potential safeguarding issues. The team meets regularly with an external safeguarding professional to discuss any concerns that may have arisen. This creates a forum for open discussion and has led to some effective early interventions. The registered manager has made good links with the new designated officer. No safeguarding concerns are identified by the inspector as a result this inspection.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The team undertakes a wide range of safeguarding training, including safeguarding and domestic abuse, child exploitation, and understanding sexual offences. However, the team would benefit from undertaking training in safeguarding for children with disabilities.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Restraint is not used at the home. Staff understand that they must be vigilant in their use of aids and equipment, as these could be restrictive for children. As it is, the team focuses on ensuring that children have choices and works hard to ensure that their views are accounted for.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risk is well managed and assessed on an ongoing basis for each child. The team uses handover and team meetings productively to ensure that new risks are identified, shared and recorded.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Parents, carers and professionals unanimously report that their child is happy and feels safe in the home. Observations made by the inspector during this inspection concur with these comments.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are protected by the home’s process for selecting staff. New staff are vetted and carefully recruited before they commence work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly efficient, committed and respected by her team and other professionals. She has created a culture of high aspiration for children and of continuous improvement. The staff team is highly motivated and happy. Staff are keen to learn and want to do their very best for children. Their enthusiasm and that of the registered manager is tangible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings are used to good effect, ensuring that each child’s progress and development strategies are discussed. Staff receive monthly supervision from the registered manager. Nurses additionally receive clinical supervision from an external practitioner. Supervision is used productively. Areas for staff development are identified and addressed effectively. Staff receive a very good range of training opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager ensures that she works in conjunction with other professionals. The team attends all children’s review meetings and links closely with Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 5 schools to ensure that they take a well-coordinated approach to each child’s care. Children receive the help that they need to work towards achieving the best possible outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has effective oversight of all aspects of the operation of the home. She understands every detail of each child’s needs, as well as the bigger picture. The home is routinely monitored by the registered manager to ensure quality. A new independent visitor has recently commenced visiting the home. His reports are of a high standard, very informative and demonstrate good links with children and their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager and the team have worked to maintain supportive links with children and their families. Activity packs were sent out to families, and the team made sure to keep in touch during the lockdown periods.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No complaints have been received about the home. However, the registered manager constantly seeks feedback from others with a view to improving what can be offered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The property is purpose built and some of the equipment that children need could detract from an otherwise homely environment. However, each room is personalised to each child for their overnight stay. This includes items such as wall hangings and pictures, duvet covers, toys and games that each child enjoys.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Feedback from families, carers, social workers and other professionals is highly complimentary. This recognises and values the high-quality service provided by the staff and the registered manager. Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. In particular, this involves expanding safeguarding training to include training for staff in safeguarding for children with disabilities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trust Head Office, Carew House, Beacon Technology Park, Dunmere Road, Bodmin PL31 2QN

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Inspector

Michelle Oxley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC429523 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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