Children's Home run by Discovered Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 1 Registered provider: Discovered Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home offers care for two children with social and emotional difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home was registered in September 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

To meet the needs of the two children living at the home, the building is currently split into two separate accommodation areas.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 11 May 2021 to carry out a full inspection. Significant shortfalls were identified and the home was judged as inadequate. 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: A compliance notice was issued following the last inspection to improve safeguarding practice. The home’s compliance with this notice was reviewed during this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/05/2021 Full Inadequate 30/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, improvements have been made. However, progress for children continues to be mixed, with children doing well in some areas and not progressing as well in others. Similarly, children’s experiences are varied. One child has positive and trusting relationships with staff. These relationships have helped her to make progress. The child said: ‘I have come so far, and it is because of the help from my team.’

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improvement to be good

The second child’s needs are not so well understood and risks have recently increased. Staff do not fully address her emotional health and well-being needs. This can lead to incidents where the child does not feel safe. Police and health professionals are regularly called upon to assist with crisis situations. The child said: ‘The biggest issue here is communication. Staff do not communicate well with each other or me. I feel like I am not kept as safe as I could be.’

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improvement to be good

A cohesive team around the child approach has helped one child to increase her engagement in education, reduce restrictions on her liberty and ensure that her health needs are well met. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs and ensure that those needs are met.

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improvement to be good

One child, who had not previously been receiving education, has now begun to engage better in education. Staff have successfully challenged the child’s local authority so that a better education plan could be created. The child is now more engaged in education and feels that her wishes have been listened to.

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improvement to be good

The response to children’s emotional health and well-being needs is mixed. Staff have a good understanding of one child’s emotional health and well-being needs. Positive relationships with staff have helped to improve the child’s well-being and reduced the number of incidents of self-harm.

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improvement to be good

One child has been supported to develop her social skills and to have more opportunities to access the local community. This has included enjoying meals out and being independent when shopping. These are skills and experiences, something that she was unable to do before.

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improvement to be good

Professional boundaries have not always been maintained. Children have been able to overhear private conversations between staff, resulting in inappropriate information being shared with children. This has included information about staff feelings and concerns, as well as information about other children. At times, this has resulted in children becoming anxious. Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 5

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improvement to be good

Managers have addressed the shortfalls that were set out in the compliance notice that was issued after the last inspection. Children are safer because staff practice has improved. However, safeguarding practice is still not of a consistently good standard.

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improvement to be good

Staff now have a clearer understanding of children’s risk management plans. Team meetings now include discussion about children’s risks and behaviour management strategies. However, improvement is still needed in the quality of risk assessment. For, example, a risk assessment was not updated quickly enough when a new risk emerged for a child. Other agencies are now more involved in the development of risk management strategies, but they are still not routinely taking part in risk management decision-making.

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improvement to be good

Recording of incidents is better. This means that managers can review and evaluate incidents more effectively. All information is now shared with social workers. Social workers confirm that communication with the home has improved. The home now also shares information promptly with Ofsted.

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improvement to be good

For one child, there has continued to be a reduction in self-harming behaviours. For another child, self-harm incidents continue and are becoming more regular. Medical attention is sought following self-harm incidents. The manager and staff are now clear about the expectations in relation to seeking appropriate medical care.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are not always subject to management review. When managers do review physical intervention, they do not always comment on whether restrictive practices are safe and proportionate. There was no evidence of performance management discussions with staff when shortfalls are identified.

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good

The service that is being offered does not match the specialist provision that is described in the home’s statement of purpose. The range of specialist services set out in the home’s statement of purpose, including bespoke therapeutic packages, is not fully delivered in practice.

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good

Staffing arrangements have stabilised and there has been a lower turnover of staff. However, there is still pressure on staffing due to high staffing ratios and high absence levels. The organisation is in the process of recruiting new staff. Managers are now making efforts to recruit a higher proportion of qualified, experienced staff. However, the home still only has two staff members who hold the relevant qualification.

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good

Since the last inspection, managers have worked hard on training and ensured that Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 6 staff have now been provided with all core training. However, this training is not yet fully embedded into practice. The more specialist training that would be suitable for experienced staff is yet to be delivered.

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good

Since the last inspection, managers have made sure that staff receive regular supervision. However, the quality of supervision is poor and does not reflect the developmental needs of staff. Supervision records do not evidence that staff are receiving help to improve practice or are given guidance on how to meet children’s needs well. Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 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

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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is reset from the last inadequate inspection. This specifically relates to the good leadership and management, systems in place to support this and an appropriate ethos for the service that reflects the statement of purpose. In addition, ensure that the staff team is sufficient and has the relevant qualifications and experience. 29 September

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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. 29 July 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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)(b))

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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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk management plans and responses to risks are shared with relevant agencies. 29 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive practice-related supervision that offers advice and guidance and promotes their development. Additionally, ensure that supervisors have relevant supervision training. 29 September

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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: 2545027 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4–4a Blackburn Road, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 1HD

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2545027 10 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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