Children's Home run by Clouds Children’s Care Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 1 SC489610 Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to three children. Children have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a relatively new manager who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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 and 8 October 2020 to carry out an assurance 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 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: 27 November 2019

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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: SC489610 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/01/2019 Full Good 08/11/2017 Full Outstanding 21/02/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last monitoring visit, there have been considerable changes to the leadership, management and staffing. This has caused disruption to children’s experiences and progress. Staff have experienced a lack of management oversight and direction in their practice. This has meant, at times, that incidents have not been managed effectively. The new manager and responsible individual understand this and have now started to make the required improvements.

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improvement to be good

Children do not benefit from a comfortable and well-furnished home environment. Many areas of the building appear tired, worn and in need of repair. Leaders have agreed a programme of repairs and redecoration so children can be proud of their home.

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improvement to be good

At this inspection, there was one child living at the home. His move to the home was well planned. He has experienced considerable disruption in his life, both in terms of where he has lived and to his education. He has now started placing his faith in staff and management and he is developing strong bonds with them. He is now in a stronger position to move forward in his life.

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improvement to be good

The child has made very good progress with education, considering he had been without any education for a significant period. He has meaningfully engaged with a personal tutor. He has completed exams and now has a pathway to a college place. He has done exceptionally well; he now has increased confidence in what he can achieve.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s physical and emotional healthcare needs well. He is registered with the relevant key agencies and receives the support he needs. The child is further helped by a therapist who meets him regularly to talk about important and sensitive issues for him.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have a good understanding of the child’s risks and vulnerabilities. However, incidents have not always been managed well. Staff have, at times, not understood what actions to take, or have not acted quickly enough to keep children safe. Staff and managers have lacked confidence in their safeguarding practice, and this has, in some instances, increased risk to children.

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improvement to be good

Management guidance and oversight of staff during safeguarding incidents have, until recently, been lacking. The instability of management arrangements has meant that staff have dealt with concerning incidents without adequate direction. This has Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 4 now started to improve. The permanent manager now directs and oversees all staff practice in relation to safeguarding incidents to ensure effective practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff devise good behaviour support plans and adjust these as required. Staff manage behaviour well and understand their responsibilities in keeping the child safe. The child is subject to a court order restricting his liberty, and staff have used physical intervention at times to keep him safe. They have undertaken these interventions in line with procedures. They carry out debriefs with the child to work through the reasons for the incident.

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improvement to be good

The manager assures herself that agency staff have the required checks to ensure that they are safe to work with children. Although a recruitment agency is commissioned to source temporary staffing, the manager makes sure that the agency checks are rigorous. This vigilance helps safeguard children.

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improvement to be good

Staff are well appraised of the risks to the child from the surrounding areas because the manager carried out a thorough location risk assessment. This helps staff to manage incidents of missing from care effectively and provides them with an increased awareness of the areas to avoid.

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good

The previous registered manager left her position following a period of absence. The staff and children experienced uncertainty because of temporary management arrangements. An experienced manager and new responsible individual have now been appointed. They understand the shortfalls and have set about making important changes. The new management team has the support of the directors of the organisation.

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good

Management oversight and monitoring are poor. Incidents have received no management review, and so no learning is derived from incidents. This hampers the manager from being confident that incidents have been managed to an acceptable standard. This also prevents important learning that might prevent further incidents. The new management team is rectifying this. They understand the importance of diligent oversight and learning from incidents.

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good

Staff spoke confidently about the new management arrangements. They stated that there is improved structure and internal systems. For example, improved recording and better oversight are now in place. Staff feel more supported, listened to and valued. Staff are now receiving regular individual supervision, and their training and development needs are properly appraised. The manager is not yet benefiting from a workforce development plan to help her plan the needs of the team going forwards.

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good

The home has been heavily reliant on agency staffing, and this has created uncertainty for the child and the permanent staff. The manager mitigates this by utilising the same agency workers, wherever possible, and she is actively recruiting Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 5 and inducting new permanent staff. The manager is prioritising the development of a consistent staff team to ensure that the child receives consistent and predictable care from the staff.

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good

The medication system has been overhauled by the manager, in line with a previous statutory requirement. There is now an improved and simplified system that staff are still getting to grips with. Recording errors continue to be made regarding the administration of medication, so the requirement remains.

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good

Effective multi-agency collaboration and individualised care planning are supporting the child to make progress. The manager arranges regular care-planning meetings with involved agencies. These are well attended and help to coordinate care planning. There is a commendable level of commitment and determination from the agencies involved to get things right for the child, to help him make and sustain progress for his future. Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 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 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— provide children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(vii)) This is made in relation to the physical condition of the property. 6 August 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— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 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)(a)(iii)(b)) This relates to the way in which some incidents of concerning behaviour from children have not been managed effectively. 6 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 7 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

registered person to— ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)(h)) This requirement is made in response to inconsistency of staffing, and the manager using monitoring and review systems to learn lesson from incidents. 6 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 6 August 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce development plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC489610 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clouds Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 73 Francis Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, Warwickshire B16 8SP

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Inspector

Phillip Morris, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489610 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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