Children's Home run by Broadlands Hall Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 1 SC060936 Registered provider: Broadlands Hall 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 and education for up to eight children with moderate to severe learning difficulties and/or autism spectrum disorder. There is an education provision in the grounds of the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 7 September 2020 to carry out an assurance 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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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

Date of last inspection: 9 September 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 2 Ofsted served two compliance notices on 18 May 2020 in relation to the safety of the children and leadership and management of the home. A further restriction notice was served on 10 August 2020. This restriction was lifted at the assurance visit on 7 September 2020.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/06/2019 Full Inadequate 07/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 3

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improvement to be good

There are currently five children living at the home. Two children have moved into the home and two have moved out since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

The staff provide high levels of supervision to meet the children’s complex needs. They are sensitive to the children’s wishes and feelings. The staff offer regular opportunities for the children to participate in decisions about activities and the running of the home. However, some of the staff have differing views on how best to meet the children’s needs. This has, at times, led to confusion and the children experiencing inconsistent care.

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improvement to be good

The staff do not have a good understanding of how to develop children’s independence and life skills. Independence plans are incomplete, with targets that are not measurable. As a result, staff and records lack clarity on children’s skills and knowledge. This means that staff and managers cannot fully support social workers to make critical planning decisions concerning the extent to which children can manage independently.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection, maintenance works were underway. The quality of accommodation continues to require improvement. There are areas of damp, flaking plaster and paintwork, and worn flooring. In addition, some parts of the home were unclean. The lack of upkeep and care of the environment does not support the children to feel valued.

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improvement to be good

The staff actively promote the children’s education. They have created home study routines that enable the children to practise skills learned at school. Consequently, children are making good progress in their learning.

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improvement to be good

The manager recognises the importance of maintaining family contact for the children. She has worked hard to build positive relationships with the children’s families. The staff regularly travel with the children and plan creative activities that the children can do with their families. This enables the children to create positive family memories and a strong sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

Not all staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Following a recent safeguarding incident at the home, some staff did not raise concerns with the manager. Although the manager acted promptly and effectively when notified, the staff’s delayed actions put children at increased risk of harm. Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 4 Staff use a range of de-escalation techniques that have led to a significant reduction in the use of physical interventions. However, staff are not consistently recording all the required information. They are failing to record if they are providing the children with a debrief following an incident. It is, therefore, not clear whether the children are given the opportunity to reflect on their actions and consider how they could have behaved differently. In addition, the staff do not consistently sign and date the incident records. This makes it difficult for the manager to confirm the accuracy and

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improvement to be good

The staff do not always work as a team. One member of staff had questioned another staff member’s choice of sanction and has shared with the child her disapproving view. This does not model positive relationships and is confusing for the child.

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improvement to be good

The management team has not always diligently complied with safer recruitment policies. For one employee, only one suitability reference was on file. This fails to evidence that all possible safety checks have been made.

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improvement to be good

The manager has updated the children’s risk management and support plans. These now include detailed overviews of the children’s behaviours, descriptions of children’s individual risks and clear guidance on harm reduction strategies.

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good

Historically, there has been poor management of the home, resulting in a lack of organisation. Since the manager and responsible individual have been in post, they have audited all aspects of the service to ensure that processes are in place.

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good

The manager works alongside the staff to develop their confidence and model good practice. Staff morale has significantly improved. However, there remains some staff conflict causing poor communication and a lack of cooperation. This has, at times, led to errors in practice.

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good

There are two members of staff who have yet to achieve a suitable level 3 qualification, despite working for the provider for over two years. Consequently, these staff may not benefit from the specialist knowledge that this qualification provides.

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good

The external and internal monitoring systems require improvement. The independent person’s visits have taken place virtually despite the easing of COVID- 19 restrictions. In addition, children’s views have not featured in the independent visitor’s reports, reducing the intended safeguarding value of external monitoring.

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good

The manager failed to provide an action plan following her internal review of the home. This shortfall limits the report’s usefulness as a performance management tool. Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 5 The manager and the responsible individual have provided timely responses to complaints. However, they have failed to provide a full summary of their actions and outcomes. This limits the learning opportunity for understanding how the outcomes can inform future practice.

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good

Both the manager and the responsible individual recognise the shortfalls that were raised at the inspection and are committed to continue to make improvements to the home. They are child focused and are strong advocates for the children. They worked hard to develop good relationships with the children’s network of professionals. As a result, the feedback from the children’s parents and social workers is positive. They can see the difference that the manager and responsible individual are making to improving the standards of care. Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff— help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vi)) In particular, ensure that staff have a clear understanding of, and plan for, developing children’s independence skills. 24 June 2021

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)) In particular, ensure that staff understand the different situations in which they should intervene to protect the children from harm and when to use the whistle-blowing policy. 24 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— 24 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(g)(ii)) In particular ensure that: staff understand their role in working together to promote the children’s well-being; that actions taken following complaints inform practice improvements and are appropriately shared with children and the staff. The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment

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Requirement Due date

procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 24 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— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 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 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 24 June 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure discipline or

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Requirement Due date

restraint, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 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)(b)(ii)(c)) 24 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)(b)) 24 June 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. Specifically, make good the paintwork, address problems of damp in the home and ensure that the cleaning regime is effective. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Specifically, ensure that all staff detail the reasons for the type of sanction given and sign and date all records. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care and captured in their written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery at the home and

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Recommendations

how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 9

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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: SC060936 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Broadlands Hall Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Greenwood House, Greenwood Court, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7GY

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Inspector

Leemya McKeown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC060936 11 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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