Children's Home run by 247 Bluebell Care Limited in Luton

Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 1 Registered provider: 247 Bluebell Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to two children who may have complex social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left on 1 May 2021.

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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 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our 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 inadequate

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 2

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improvement to be good

This is the first full inspection since the home registered in January 2021. Two children have moved in during this period. One child lived at the home for eight weeks and the other child for two weeks. Both children experienced unplanned moves from the home due to the staff being unable to manage their behaviour and keep the children safe. There are currently no children living at the home. Therefore, there are no current risks to children. The provider has made an undertaking to recruit sufficient staff and ensure suitable management oversight before admitting children.

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improvement to be good

The management oversight has not been effective. The manager and deputy manager had to self-isolate due to COVID-19. A shortage of experienced staff and lack of managerial guidance have contributed to the breakdown of one child’s placement.

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improvement to be good

The children had no education placements. One child’s placing authority provided schoolwork for the child to do virtually. The staff compiled weekly planners for the children. The planners were sparse, repetitive and without structure. The staff failed to provide purposeful educational activities for children.

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improvement to be good

The staff completed shift plans. However, the plans did not say which members of staff were working with the children or provide anything specific about each child’s day. This makes it difficult to see how the children spent their time.

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improvement to be good

The staff undertook key-work sessions. The records of these meetings show the involvement of the children. The children were able to talk through incidents of going missing from the home and to reflect on their unsafe behaviours. These discussions gave children the opportunity to look at how they could act differently in the future.

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improvement to be good

The staff’s responses to safeguarding incidents have not been effective or proactive. The actions taken by staff failed to safeguard the children. There have been several safeguarding incidents that have not been reported to Ofsted or to the designated officer.

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improvement to be good

The staff have called the police to manage children’s behaviour on occasions. Consequently, the police held a meeting with senior managers to look at a way forward due to concerns that the staff did not have the experience and skills to manage the children’s behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 3 When children have gone missing from the home, the staff have actively searched for them in the local area and tried to contact them. The staff spoke to children on their return and checked their welfare and whether they needed medical attention. However, the children did not receive return home interviews from an independent person. Consequently, the reasons that children left the home have not been explored and understood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager resigned and left in May 2021 after a short period of managing the home. The deputy is working her notice period, and there are currently no staff working at the home. The responsible individual is in the process or recruiting a new manager and staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Important records lack necessary detail. The staff roster does not always show the names of the staff working at the home. It is therefore difficult to see whether the staff numbers and experience were suitable to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been a high turnover of staff. Several staff who have left the home did not have appropriate qualifications and experience to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been two anonymous complaints sent to Ofsted. A complaint was also sent to the manager but, after not receiving any feedback, it was escalated to the responsible individual who completed a full investigation. The complaint was addressed satisfactorily.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff have not received fortnightly supervision in the probation period as set out in the organisation’s supervision agreement. Some of the supervision records lack information on the decisions made or the actions for the staff to take. This does not ensure that staff are encouraged to reflect on and improve their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff have not benefited from regular team meetings in which to discuss incidents and develop their relationships and practice as a team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Internal monitoring is poor. This does not support the senior managers to understand the safeguarding concerns and fails to identify patterns and trends. The independent visitor has not spoken with staff and social workers. Consequently, some safeguarding concerns have not been identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose is inaccurate. It states that the staff use a specific model of working with children. This is not the case. It does not have up-to-date information about the staff currently working at the home and their experience and qualifications. Consequently, this could mislead placing authorities and other interested parties. Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 4

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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

children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study. (Regulation 8 (a)(ii))

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In particular, provide a structured plan for children who are not in education. 1 July 2021

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The protection of children standard is that —

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children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(iv)(vii)(b)) 1 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 5 In particular, inform the designated officer of any concerns regarding staff working at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(h)) 18 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that—

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the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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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;

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understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 11 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 6 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(b)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 1 July 2021

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keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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notify HMCI of any revisions and send a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 11 July 2021

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The registered person must ensure that all employees ─

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receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 1 July 2021

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Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(b))

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In particular, maintain accurate staff rosters. 11 July 2021

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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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an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)) 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must use reasonable endeavours to ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once a month. 11 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 7 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives; and

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Requirement Due date

persons working in the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the independent person seeks the views of staff and the children’s social workers.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should, when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, ensure that the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 2611991 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 247 Bluebell Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6–8 Stuart St, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 2SJ

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Inspectors

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2611991 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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