Children's Home run by Plus One South West Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 1 SC467115 Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company which is based in the South West of England. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children and young people with EBD (social and emotional difficulties)

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since May 2020 and registered in October 2020.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/10/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2018 Full Good 29/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 3

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improvement to be good

Not all children sustain good progress while living in this children’s home. There are two children living in the home and their experiences and progress differ enormously. One child is in full-time education and doing well. Measurable progress is being made because this child is engaging in learning and meaningful activities and having fun with the staff.

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improvement to be good

However, one child, who has lived in the home for more than two years, is no longer making progress. Despite attempts by all professionals, for example weekly multi- professional meetings and regular access to therapeutic services, the outcomes for the child are compromised. This is because the professionals involved have been unable to prevent the child from placing themselves at risk by going missing, forming unsafe and inappropriate relationships, misusing alcohol and illegal substances and engaging in antisocial behaviour. These patterns of behaviour have ultimately led to the child not engaging with formal learning.

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improvement to be good

The staff know the children well and show them genuine warmth and care. The inspector observed staff engaging with them in a supportive, caring, and sensitive manner and the children speak fondly of the staff. They confirmed that they were happy living in the home. However, despite these positive relationships, the manager and staff have continued to be challenged by the behaviours of one child. One incident has resulted in an ongoing investigation by the police.

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improvement to be good

Since the children moved into the home, staff have made attempts to collect photos and memorabilia, for example from birthdays and days out. However, better attention needs to be given to ensure that they are captured and stored in a way that will help each child remember and make sense of their experience when living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The children live in a home that is safe and are cared for by staff who understand how to manage risk. The children told the inspector that they feel safe and both said that they would not wish to leave the home. Incidents of concern identified during this inspection relate to the needs of one of the two children living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have not been able to prevent one child from being at risk when in the community. Records confirm that sometimes this child has gone missing overnight and their location was not known. It is recorded that the child has returned home under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.

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improvement to be good

Staff are supported to look after children through training and a range of assessments and support plans that are reviewed regularly. However, the inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 4 noted that the most up-to-date risk assessment for child failed to include the extent to which the child is placing themselves and other children at risk by continuing to engage in unprotected sex. For this incident alone the manager failed to sufficiently assess the potential risks and refer to the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) for advice.

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improvement to be good

With the exception of one incident the manager and staff work collaboratively with the local authorities. One social worker spoke extremely positively of the lengths to which the home has gone to support one child whose behaviours have proved increasingly more challenging and concerning. As such, there remain two ongoing police investigations into the damage of property and a serious injury which the child inflicted on another child at school. A team of professionals meets regularly to review the safety and stability of this placement as the investigation continues.

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improvement to be good

There have been no complaints, restraints or referrals to the designated officer for child protection. Staff manage any incidents in the home by using their professional skills and do not resort to involving the police unnecessarily in the home.

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good

Overall, the registered manager has worked hard to ensure that there is effective partnership working during what has been a challenging period. External professionals speak well of the manager and staff and compliment them on the effective care and support that they provide. In addition, they say that there is good communication between external professionals and staff, and they are regularly kept informed and updated. That said, the inspector identified a few incidents that although shared with the local authorities, the manager had failed to consider serious enough to notify Ofsted.

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good

A strength of the manager is his ability to lead and support a staff team. Staff spoke positively of the dedication and commitment of the manager. The staff team, including the manager, remains stable and its members all benefit from regular supervision and opportunities to learn.

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good

Records and plans are in the main well kept, they are detailed and comprehensive, and chronologies are kept for all safeguarding incidents. The manager has several mechanisms to review practice and the progress of the young people. However, he has not all the concerns that were found at this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all information that is of concern is shared with the appropriate safeguarding agencies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)) 25 June 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—

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 25 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments are reviewed and make clear the strategies that staff will use to prevent harm and reduce risk. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (a)(b)(e)) 25 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(vi)(vii)) 25 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 7

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Recommendation

 The importance of understanding who we are and where we come from is recognised in good social work practice, for example through undertaking life- story work or other direct work. Staff in children’s homes should play a full role in work of this kind. In particular, the registered person should ensure that photos and memorabilia for each young person are captured and stored in a way that will help them remember their experience of living in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.4)

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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: SC467115 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Plus One (South West) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Mount, 21 High Street, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8QT

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Inspector

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC467115 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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