Children's home run by The Percy Hedley Foundation

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 1

p.1

The Percy Hedley Foundation

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by the Percy Hedley Foundation. It offers care and accommodation for up to 14 children who may have physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. The accommodation consists of a residential unit and a three-bedroom cottage.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager at this home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The Percy Hedley Foundation is planning the closure of this children’s home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A full inspection was carried out on 4 and 5 May 2021 which identified a number of failures in respect to the quality of leadership and management. Where progress has previously been achieved, this has not been sustained. In response, two compliance notices were issued under regulation 13 and regulation 33.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The compliance notices required the provider to address the failures identified, with a focus on staff supervision, staff training and the quality of management oversight in the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the action taken by the provider in response to the compliance notices. The visit included a review of documents, a tour of the building, observations of children and discussions with staff. There were seven children residing in the home during the visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The provider has addressed some of the issues identified in the previous inspection, and one of the compliance notices has been met. However, the action to address the shortfalls in leadership and management has not been effective. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 2 There have been changes to the management in the home. The registered manager has left the role, and an interim manager is now in post. She is suitably qualified and experienced in residential care of children. The interim manager and senior leaders have worked together to address the failures. However, they accept that progress is slow and that they have not sustained this.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staffing pressures continue to be a challenge. This has led to a large increase in the use of agency staff. The manager recognises that relying on agency staff leads to inconsistent care for the children. However, the manager is focused on ensuring there is sufficient staff to cover the rota during the weeks leading to the closure of the home and, therefore, expects this will continue.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The inspector found that some staff allocated to care for children with complex medical needs are not adequately trained. The manager had not carried out thorough checks of the rota to ensure that staff were appropriately allocated to children. This is despite the same failure being identified in the previous inspection. Before this visit ended, the manager made urgent changes to the staff rota to address this concern.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Children’s records are not thorough, and some information is missing. For example, when a child was involved in a serious fire incident, this was not detailed in their record. File audits, carried out by the manager, focus on documents being present on the file rather than the quality of information contained within them. This means the information that staff have available to help them care for children is inaccurate.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff supervision is up to date. A record is completed of every supervision, providing details of the discussion and reflection. The interim manager has implemented a system to track supervision and identify when sessions are due.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Following this visit, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 13. The previously issued requirements under regulations 14, 35 and 36 were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are reissued.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/06/2019 Full Inadequate 01/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 3

p.2

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the 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.

p.3

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—

p.3

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;

p.3

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)(a)(i)(b))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments are detailed and include the strategies to reduce risks. 22 August 2021

p.3

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—

p.3

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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

p.3

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 22 August 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 4 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(c))

p.4

Requirement Due date

This was not considered as part of this inspection. 5 November 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.4

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.4

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

p.4

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 5 November 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 5 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.4

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.5

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

p.5

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This was not considered as part of this inspection. 5 November 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should review the location of the home to ensure that children are effectively safeguarded. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

p.6

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.6

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Percy Hedley Foundation

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Percy Hedley School, Forest Hall, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE12 8YY

p.6

Inspector

Catherine Heron, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1234990 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7