Children's home run by D & J Care Services-Residential Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 1 Registered provider: D & J Care Services-Residential Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were registered in July 2020. The registered manager completed the national management qualification in May 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was conducted on site and involved meetings with children and staff. Written and telephone discussions were held with one parent, placing authority social workers and other professionals, including a teacher involved in the care of the children. A staff questionnaire was also shared for those staff who were not working but wished to contribute their views.

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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 8 December 2020, to carry out an assurance visit.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good. Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 2 Date of last inspection: not applicable

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 3

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Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection since registration. Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children form close relationships with staff and build trust. One child has settled down in the home after 29 previously unsuccessful placements. She is rightly proud of this and said, ‘I have finally found a home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the value of children maintaining relationships with family and friends. One child spoke fondly of the support staff had offered to help her re- establish contact with a parent. This emphasises the benefits of positive engagement with staff for the child concerned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational attainment is improved. Staff now turn off the home’s internet router during the school day to promote attendance. In addition, the home recently committed to providing a taxi to facilitate one child’s school attendance. The improvement in attendance is valued by the school. A teacher commented, ‘We are really happy with the progress she has achieved.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This inspection found one occasion when staff requested that the police attend the home unnecessarily. Although this could have resulted in the potential criminalisation of the child concerned, it was an isolated incident with limited impact on the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children work in partnership with staff to learn how to manage their own behaviour. Effective keywork sessions allow children to reflect on why they become angry and to consider more appropriate responses, for example, taking a short walk away from the home. The inspector observed a child modelling positive behaviour to a younger peer who was struggling.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn valuable independence skills in their home. Staff prioritise the importance of developing cooking skills and learning to manage a budget. Children are proud of cooking for themselves and others and recognise the importance of learning these skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children understand their care plans and where appropriate have read through them with staff support. This encourages a sense of shared ownership of the plan between staff and children.

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

Children reduce risk-taking behaviour such as criminality and running away from the home. One child has not been missing from the home overnight since the last assurance visit. This is despite a previous history of going missing from home. Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 5 The home’s response to children who go missing from the home is improved. The manager has liaised with placing authorities to agree a protocol for the offer of providing independent interviews to children when they return home after being missing. This ensures that children are supported appropriately at a vulnerable time.

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

The home’s COVID-19 procedures are effective. Staff and children adhere to clear guidance, which stresses the importance of regular hand washing and temperature checking. The home is cleaned on a regular basis throughout the day. These procedures are effective, and there have been no positive COVID-19 tests for staff or children at the home.

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

The staff team is supported to offer good levels of care by a bespoke training package. One staff member was able to link the learning from recent training on childhood trauma to her direct work with a child. The staff member described her increased understanding of and insight into the child’s presenting behaviours.

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

Multi-agency work is positive, and the home has clear channels of communication with external professionals. This ensures the swift exchange of sensitive information such as a child’s increased risk of child sexual exploitation. This promotes a strong safeguarding culture in the home.

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

Care plans and risk assessments are improved. Documents now evidence the wishes and feelings of children, are more structured and include key review dates and specific targets. This helps staff to monitor the progress of children more effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a committed and dedicated registered manager. The home recently recruited a deputy manager who began working in the home in April 2021. The responsible individual is an experienced practitioner who adds additional and effective expertise.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are eager and ambitious to develop the home. The home has addressed the requirement and recommendations from the previous inspection. This has resulted in children’s improved access to independent advocacy, better educational attainment, clear responses when children go missing from the home and improved quality of care plans and risk assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During the inspection, the inspector found an inexperienced member of staff in charge of the home for a brief period. The registered manager understands this shortfall and has recently recruited two further experienced ‘senior’ members of staff to support the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff engage well with children and are passionate about their work. They are excited by the progress that the home and the children are making since registration. One staff member commented, ‘She is our little star. We are so proud of Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 6 her.’ A strong staff morale is in evidence and no staff have left their employment since the last assurance visit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At present, the quality of staff performance appraisals are limited by the omission of feedback from young people and colleagues in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Practice surrounding children’s admissions to the home is effective and individualised. One child was given a video of the home prior to her arrival. This helped to address any anxieties she had, and she is now settled in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers did not follow correct processes after a recent allegation was made against a staff member. Despite accepting and amending this error during the inspection, the delay limited a prompt independent investigation into the concerns by the designated professional in the host local authority. Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 7

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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

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 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home adheres to the host local authority’s guidance on the investigation of allegations and concerns. 1 July 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that performance appraisals consider the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and the views of the young people in the home. In particular, this allows for a full and useful account of conduct and behaviours which may be impacting on relationships with the child, families, and professionals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that any staff member placed in a supervisory role such as ‘shift leader’ should have substantial relevant experience Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 8 of working in a children’s home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.21)  The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is always understood and applied by staff and must be kept under review and

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Recommendations

revised where appropriate. In particular, staff should be clear as to when police are contacted to attend the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.34)

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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: 2557141 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: D & J Care Services-Residential Ltd

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2557141 10 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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