Children's home run by Care Perspectives Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 1 Registered provider: Care Perspectives Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 1 April 2021. There is an acting manager in post who is overseeing the day-to-day operations of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 2 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: Not yet inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit on 4 February 2021 which raised serious concerns in respect of the safeguarding of children living at the home. As a result, Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation notice on 5 February 2021. The home was also subject to two compliance notices, issued under regulations 12 and 13. Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 2 A further monitoring visit was conducted on 2 March 2021. This found that, although some progress had been made, there were still shortfalls in the provision of care. As a result, Ofsted issued further compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The restriction of accommodation notice and the two compliance notices were reviewed as part of this inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not yet inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently one child living in the home. One child left the home in a planned move in March 2021. Managers have abided by the restriction of accommodation notice. As a result, no children have moved into the home since the last monitoring visit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have worked hard to improve the quality of care. Staff are proud of what they have achieved and are committed to ensuring that this is maintained. As a result, the child who lives in the home is now receiving individualised care that is responsive to his complex needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have made significant changes to the home environment. This includes making the environment a more sensory experience for the child. Staff have included sensitive touches, such as including the voices of the child’s parents on interactive boards. This ensures that the child has access to a range of experiences that meet his needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has suffered a period of ill health in recent months. Managers have been quick to respond and to escalate concerns to the right health professionals. This included seeking private medical care to ensure the child’s well-being. This positive response has prioritised the child’s health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise how important the child’s family is to the child. Staff make sure that there is regular communication between the staff and family and that regular family visits occur in line with COVID-19 restrictions. This inclusive approach ensures that the child’s parents feel involved in his care.

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

Managers and staff have worked with the organisation’s psychologist to review and update children’s risk assessments. This work has also included the introduction of a behaviour support plan for the child. These developments ensure that staff have clear guidance on how to manage the child’s risks. As a result of this positive change, the number of incidents in the home has reduced.

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

Managers have implemented a training programme for staff. This means that staff have the knowledge and skills required to provide safe, individualised care.

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

Managers have made changes to ensure that the home is a safe place for the child to live. For example, staff have removed identified hazards from the garden. This means the child can now safely enjoy time playing outside in the fresh air.

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

Managers have introduced an electronic recording system for medication. This improvement provides staff with clear oversight of the administration of medication. Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 4 Managers have not always advocated if a child’s local authority do not provide the child with an independent return interview if a child goes missing from the home. This is a missed opportunity to learn from the information that arises from these interviews. Managers are aware of this omission and have a plan to address this. The impact on the child who currently lives in the home is low.

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

Managers do not pay sufficient attention to the safe recruitment of staff. This places the child at risk of unsuitable people coming to work in the home. Managers have already identified this shortfall and are carrying out an audit of staff recruitment records to rectify the situation.

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good

Managers have responded strongly to the enforcement action. The changes to the home and the quality of care are significant. Both of the compliance notices have been met. As a result of the findings of this inspection, the restriction of accommodation notice has not been renewed.

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good

Senior managers are aware that the changes are new and that they still have work to do to embed them fully. In particular, managers have not yet recruited all of the permanent staff that they require for the home to be fully operational. To support the improvement process, the responsible individual has given a commitment to operate the home as a solo setting until such time as she is confident that there are sufficient skilled staff to support the care of more children.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. This is an opportunity for them to reflect on their practice. However, when concerns arise regarding staff practice, supervision records do not document these concerns. As a result, it is not clear that staff have access to the support that they need to make changes to their practice.

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good

Managers do not ensure that staff complete the level 3 diploma in residential childcare within the regulatory timescale. A lack of oversight has resulted in one member of staff going over the required timescale in completing their qualification.

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good

There are continued shortfalls in the arrangements for managers to review the quality of care. In particular, one child’s views are still not being sought. This demonstrates a lack of inclusivity in how the service consults with children about the care that they receive. Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 5

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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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) This particularly refers to ensuring that full employment checks are carried out on any staff who come to work at the home. 30 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— 30 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 6 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-

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Requirement Due date

time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) This particularly refers to ensuring that staff are supported to attain the appropriate qualification within the stated timescale. The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) This particularly refers to ensuring that any review of the quality of care includes consultation with children in their

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Requirement Due date

preferred method of communication. 30 June 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the home’s manager requests that the responsible local authority fulfil their responsibility to offer the child an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. This includes ensuring that records of supervision clearly show where Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 7 areas of improvement are required and the actions taken to address these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2547918 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Perspectives Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 36 Frederick Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3BJ

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2547918 9 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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