Children's home run by HAVEN CARE GROUP LIMITED

Inspection report children's home: 1244350 1 Registered provider: Haven Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children whose adverse childhood experiences can lead to them exhibiting complex behaviours.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has resigned and is due to leave his role on 27 July 2021. A new manager has been appointed and he is already working in the home. He has yet to apply to register with Ofsted. He does not hold a recognised qualification in children’s residential care.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 22 and 23 September 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2020

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1244350 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2019 Full Inadequate 13/08/2018 Full Good 16/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children's home: 1244350 3

p.2

inadequate

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home. She has lived in the home for over two years. Since the assurance visit in September 2020, one child has moved out of the home, and another has moved in and then quickly out of the home again. Neither of the moves out of the home were planned.

p.3

inadequate

Widespread failings in the leadership and management of this home have had a significant impact on the quality of care that the child receives. As a result, it is not clear how staff are providing care that reflects the child’s individual needs or supports the objectives of her plans.

p.3

inadequate

Staff do not do enough to promote the child’s learning. The child has not consistently attended education, employment or training for over a year. Managers are not addressing the barriers that are having an impact on the child engaging in any form of learning or employment. For example, staff failed to purchase study materials that the child needed to enable her to fully participate in a college course. Shortfalls in promoting children’s education have been raised at previous inspections.

p.3

inadequate

Staff are struggling to meet the child’s health needs. For example, staff failed to escalate the child’s need for a dental appointment for over a month. In addition, staff have not carried out any individual work to support the child’s understanding of healthy eating, despite this being an objective of her health plan. This failure to act has compromised the child’s physical health and emotional well-being.

p.3

inadequate

There are omissions in the support provided to the child to prepare her for a move into independence, despite this move being imminent. Plans in place to support the child to learn the skills required for independence are ineffective. Staff have failed to identify alternative strategies. This failure to act leaves the child ill prepared for adult life.

p.3

inadequate

The registered manager has updated the children’s guide. However, he has failed to consult with children during this process, and the updated guide remains inaccurate. As a result, children who move into the home are ill informed about what they can expect from the staff and the home.

p.3

inadequate

The registered manager has failed to ensure that children’s complaints are responded to in line with the organisation’s complaints process. In particular, when one child was unhappy with the initial response to a complaint, she was not given information to enable her to take the matter further. This poor practice leaves the child feeling that she is not listened to. Inspection report children's home: 1244350 4 Despite the shortfalls in the care provided, the child has established positive relationships with the staff. This means that she has trusted people who she can share her worries or concerns with.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The home has experienced a particularly unsettled period. During this period, there has been an increased need for staff to physically intervene to protect children and staff.. These incidents have not consistently been well managed. Staff have not always had the necessary training to enable them to physically intervene effectively.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

In addition, children have called the police to attend the children’s home because they felt unsafe. The manager has been too slow to review this emerging pattern. Consequently, significant opportunities to adopt new strategies to support children’s positive behaviour or to identify essential support and training for staff have been missed.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The registered manager has not ensured that he has spoken to staff within the required timeframe after an incident of physical intervention. This prevents the manager from reviewing and learning from these incidents.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff ensure that children’s risk assessments are detailed and are regularly updated to reflect new and emerging risks. However, staff are not always effective in their use of this information to respond to children’s risk-taking behaviour. For example, despite children repeatedly complaining to staff that a peer was using illegal drugs in the home, this behaviour continued without consequence.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The registered manager does not have oversight of the safe recruitment of staff. For example, recruitment records are incomplete and inconsistencies in information have not been explored. As a result, the manager is unable to demonstrate that he knows that the people who work in the home are safe to do so.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management oversight of the home is inadequate. As a result of this inspection, Ofsted has issued a restriction of accommodation notice that prevents any new admissions to the home. This came into effect from 30 June 2021 and will remain in place for up to 12 weeks. In addition, four compliance notices have been issued, under regulation 8, regulation 10, regulation 13 and regulation 14.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not understand the home’s statement of purpose. Because of this, managers do not plan effectively to ensure that staff are able to meet the home’s objectives.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are omissions in the training that staff receive. For example, half of the staff team have not received basic training regarding health and safety, management of COVID-19 or recording and reporting. Furthermore, managers have failed to ensure that staff have undertaken training that reflects the needs of the child who is Inspection report children's home: 1244350 5 currently living in the home. Only half of the staff have received training to enable them to support children who self-harm or who have mental health needs. No staff have received training to enable them to care for children with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These significant failings leave staff ill equipped for their roles.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have made improvements to the supervision arrangements for staff. As a result, these meetings are now well documented. However, this is not extended to records of staff annual performance review. This leaves staff without a clear understanding of their performance objectives or how they can develop their practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not ensure that records in the home are accurate. For example, the staff duty roster does not reflect the hours that the manager is at the home. This means that the records cannot be relied upon in the case of an investigation.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has failed to ensure that systems aimed at reviewing and developing the quality of care are effective. For example, he has failed to escalate his concerns that the independent visitor to the home lacked professional curiosity in their review of the home. In addition, the manager’s review of the quality-of-care lacks detail. These shortfalls have prevented the manager from seeing the early warning signs of the widespread failings identified during this inspection.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The children’s home has been operating as a home for two children in recent years. Senior managers have reviewed the structure of the accommodation with a view to the service returning to offering care to three children. This has resulted in changes to the facilities for staff who are required to sleep in. The new arrangements are uncomfortable and do not promote the welfare of the staff. Inspection report children's home: 1244350 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to managers understanding the home’s statement of purpose in relation to the children the home can provide care for.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Also, to staff providing care that reflects children’s individual needs and plans. 12 September

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. 12 September Inspection report children's home: 1244350 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) 2(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to managers ensuring that the children’s guide is updated, in consultation with children living in the home, so that it reflects current and accurate information.

p.7

Requirement Due date

*The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

p.7

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; 1 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1244350 8 help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff developing clear plans of work that support children who are out of education to be involved in structured activity and informal learning opportunities.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Also, that staff working with children help them to understand the importance of learning.

p.8

Requirement Due date

And that staff ensure that children have access to all resources, equipment and support necessary to enable them to undertake their education.

p.8

Requirement Due date

*The health and well-being standard is that—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.8

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(c)

p.8

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff ensuring that children’s care reflects the stated objectives of their health plans. 1 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1244350 9 Also, that staff escalate any delay in required medical appointments for children.

p.8

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.9

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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)(c)(h))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that all staff have the basic training that would be expected for a member of staff in a children’s home, that staff are given training that reflects the home’s statement of purpose, and that staff have the necessary training to meet the individual needs of any child that lives in the home.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Also, to ensuring that managers implement systems that enable them to monitor and review staff practice within the home, to ensure that children receive safe care that reflects their needs and plans. 1 August 2021

p.9

Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 1 August 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1244350 10 that arrangements are in place to—

p.9

Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that managers understand the home’s statement of purpose and ensuring that the care provided, and the children who are admitted to the home, reflect this profile.

p.10

Requirement Due date

Also, that staff undertake clear plans of work that prepare children for independence and that these are regularly reviewed and amended in line with the child’s needs and progress.

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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,

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that they are satisfied that full safe recruitment checks have been undertaken before an individual starts work in the home. 12 September

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.10

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 12 September Inspection report children's home: 1244350 11 This particularly refers to managers ensuring that staff appraisals are supported with specific, measurable plans to support their development.

p.10

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.11

Requirement Due date

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

p.11

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.11

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.11

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.11

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.11

Requirement Due date

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

p.11

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.11

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.11

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.11

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)) 12 September Inspection report children's home: 1244350 12 This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that all staff involved in an incident of physical intervention are spoken to within 48 hours. Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.11

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

p.12

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to maintaining a record of actual hours worked that include everyone who is employed in the home, including the registered manager. 12 September

p.12

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

p.12

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3))

p.12

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that complaints are progressed in line with the organisation’s complaints procedure.

p.12

Requirement Due date

Also, to ensuring that, where a child is not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint, the child is supported to escalate this matter through the complaints process to ensure a resolution. 12 September

p.12

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (Regulation 44 (1))

p.12

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that, where they are not satisfied with the quality of the independent person’s scrutiny of the home, they escalate this matter to senior managers. 12 September

p.12

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months. 28 October 2021 Inspection report children's home: 1244350 13 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.12

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.13

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

p.13

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

p.13

Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality-of-care review report").

p.13

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

p.13

Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

p.13

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

p.13

Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that the quality of care and associated report considers all aspects of children’s care over the reporting period and is used to inform measurable service development.

p.13

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.13

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is arranged in such a way as to provide comfortable and appropriate overnight accommodation for staff who Inspection report children's home: 1244350 14 are required to sleep in the home. The location of the staff overnight accommodation should be designed so as to avoid unnecessary monitoring and surveillance methods being used. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.26)

p.13

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: 1244350 15

p.14

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Haven Care Group Limited

p.15

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 6 Barberry Court, Parkway, Centrum One Hundred, Burton-on-Trent DE14 2UE

p.15

Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1244350 16 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.15

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.16

Inspector

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

p.16

Inspector

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

p.16