Children's Home run by Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report children's home: 2616670 1 Registered provider: Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by the local authority, but a children’s trust has recently taken over the management of children’s residential services. Therefore, the home has been reregistered. This is the home’s first full inspection since the reregistration in November 2020. It is a residential home for children with autistic spectrum disorders and moderate to severe learning disabilities.

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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 26 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is not currently working at the home. The deputy manager is covering in the manager’s absence.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations have been investigated by the police. Although these investigations have been concluded, disciplinary and legal processes are ongoing. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements. The staff involved are not currently working at the home.

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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 Inspection report children's home: 2616670 2 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: 2616670 3

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has not provided good leadership or support to staff. This has contributed to the fact that many staff have left. The home is heavily reliant on agency workers and new staff with little experience. In one case, the quality of care provided to a child was not good because a new member of staff did not recognise a child’s non-verbal communication. However, a core group of resilient and experienced staff has limited the direct impact of staff shortages on children. The day-to-day care experience of children is generally positive, because the core staff group is warm, affectionate, skilled and nurturing.

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improvement to be good

The home environment presents several challenges:

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improvement to be good

 The building is sparsely decorated. It is not homely.  Because damage is not repaired quickly enough, parts of the home are in a poor condition. This is particularly the case in the sensory room.  Each member of staff carries an electronic device that acts as an emergency alarm. This device also alerts them to other issues such as the doorbell ringing or a bedroom door being opened. It constantly bleeps when the children are in the building. This is often unnecessary and is not suitable for a service that cares for children who are sensitive to noise.  One child, who is very tall, sleeps in a bed smaller than a single bed. This has the potential to cause him discomfort.

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improvement to be good

Children do not have advocacy support. When children might benefit from advocacy, this has not been explored.

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improvement to be good

Children generally present as happy. Staff recognise quickly if children are uncomfortable, unhappy or becoming distressed. They are able to understand children’s basic requests and respond to these promptly. Staff know the activities that children enjoy and make sure that these are offered. They also try to introduce children to new activities that promote their learning and development. Children have consistent routines. Communication systems, such as ‘now and next boards’, are used appropriately so that children understand their routines and are able to express their views.

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improvement to be good

Children are making progress from their starting points. They have improved social skills and are better able to communicate their needs. One child recently helped to make supper for everyone. This is something he has been unable to do previously.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy attending school and have good attendance. Schools say that staff continue to work closely with them and communicate effectively. They confirm that children are generally well prepared for the transition from home to school. Inspection report children's home: 2616670 4

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improvement to be good

A police investigation into allegations against staff has been concluded and a legal process is ongoing. The parents of children directly involved are aware of the current status of the proceedings. However, managers have not provided the parents of other children with enough information about current safeguards to reassure them about their own children’s safety. These parents have received much of their information from media reports rather than from the home. Some do not feel confident to ask questions of senior managers within the trust. This lack of transparency increases the anxieties of some parents.

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improvement to be good

No staff have completed training in the home’s approved physical intervention technique. Although the home generally has a policy of not carrying out restraints, there are occasions when this is likely to be necessary to protect children or to prevent significant property damage. The lack of training meant that staff were unable to prevent the sensory room being damaged beyond repair. Training has now been arranged for all staff.

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improvement to be good

It is not known whether restrictive devices, such as a child’s harness and a grab belt, are approved by an occupational therapist or whether their use has been reviewed. Managers have not sought to find out this information to ensure the restrictive practices still meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Despite these shortfalls, there are areas of strength in the home’s safeguarding practice. All staff complete safeguarding children training and have a good understanding of child protection procedures. They are alert to signs of potential abuse, taking appropriate action in the event of any unexplained marks, bruising or injury. Staff fully understand and implement children’s risk management plans.

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improvement to be good

Staff generally manage children’s behaviours well. When children become heightened or distressed, staff are patient and empathetic. In most cases, staff confidently de-escalate situations and help children to self-regulate. Staff generally communicate clearly with children and provide consistent routines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not felt supported by the registered manager. This has contributed to low morale and a high staff turnover. High staff turnover lowers the quality of care provided to children. A parent, who is generally positive about the day-to-day care provided to their child, has noted with concern the increased number of new staff working at the home. These concerns are heightened because information about new staff is not routinely shared with parents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Night shifts are often staffed by agency workers. To provide some continuity for children, a permanent member of staff sleeps in the home when the waking staff are both agency workers. Managers have struggled to recruit enough permanent staff to cover all the night shifts. This means that children may wake up to a less Inspection report children's home: 2616670 5 familiar face. This has the potential to result in a child becoming distressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The supervision and support provided to new staff during their induction is not consistently good. On one occasion, a new member of staff who should have been observing and shadowing was left alone with a child and was unable to respond to their needs. The acting manager has not carried out an investigation into how this happened.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all parents feel that the home is promoting contact effectively between them and their child. One parent’s contact is currently limited. This is not in the best interests of the child. However, other parents report that the staff welcome their involvement, communicate openly, and do all they can to facilitate good-quality family time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Maintenance work is slow to be carried out. This has impacted on children. Examples are:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

 It took approximately four days for someone from the maintenance team to come to the home to change a lightbulb in a child’s bedroom. This left the child in a dimly lit room, with only the emergency lighting on.  Most of the lights in the lounge and dining room are not working. Some lights have not been working for over six months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Visits by the home’s independent visitor lack the rigour needed to provide reassurance that the children are being well cared for. For example, three of the last four visits have taken place when the children have been at school. Therefore, the direct care experience of children has not been observed. This shortfall has not been identified by the senior managers who commission the visits.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of incident records has improved since Ofsted’s last visit. However, debriefs with staff are still not reflective. As a result, there is little opportunity for staff and managers to learn from incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Formal, structured observation of staff practice, introduced when allegations against staff practice emerged, is currently completed by senior staff rather than the manager. Although these observations take place regularly and are well recorded, senior managers in the trust do not review them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Pre-recruitment vetting procedures have not been adhered to fully. Although the errors are relatively minor, they increase the risk that unsuitable staff might be recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management arrangements have improved since the deputy manager took over the day-to-day management of the home. However, this is a recent change and it is likely to take some time to stabilise the staff team. Recruitment of new staff is hindered by overly bureaucratic HR processes. Nevertheless, six staff have been recruited recently. Inspection report children's home: 2616670 6 Inspection report children's home: 2616670 7

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to finding out about the approval and the regular review of restrictive equipment, such as a Houdini harness and a grab belt. 25 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to the slow response to maintaining the home; the sensory room that is no longer available because of significant damage; the constant bleep from staff alarms; 25 July 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2616670 8 the bed that is too small for a tall child and the institutional look of the home.

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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. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to a new member of staff not being appropriately supported. This led to a child becoming distressed. 25 July 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to the high staff turnover creating a lack of continuity for children and a lack of leadership, support and direction from the registered manager. 25 July 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— 25 July 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2616670 9 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

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;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to management oversight of staff and ensuring that staff debriefs are reflective and used as learning tools.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that suitable facilities are provided within the children’s home for any child accommodated there to meet privately at any reasonable time with the child’s parents, friends or relatives. (Regulation 22 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to currently restricting a child’s communication with her parent. 25 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 25 July 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2616670 10 This is in relation to ensuring all employment checks, as specified in Schedule 2, have been obtained prior to an individual starting employment.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night, at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Children looked after are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children

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Recommendations

in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: 2616670 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN1 1ED

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Inspectors

Joanne Vyas, Social Care Inspector Philip Cass, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2616670 12 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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