Children's Home run by Ashwood Children‟s Care Home Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report children's home: 2558515 1 Registered provider: Ashwood Children’s Care Home Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation. It is registered with Ofsted to provide care for up to four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted for two homes within the same organisation.

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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 2 December 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. 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 inadequate

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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: this is the first inspection of this home

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: none

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2558515 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report children's home: 2558515 3

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improvement to be good

There are shortfalls with the leadership and management of this home. Leaders and managers have not always ensured the safety of children in situations where children are most vulnerable, specifically in relation to physical intervention. Additionally, managers have not advised staff on how to respond to allegations against those in more senior positions. As a result, this home is not yet providing good care in all areas of children’s lives.

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improvement to be good

Children are making progress, despite the shortfalls. Children attend school daily, and are transported to education by staff. Children’s confidence is growing due to the support and care they receive from staff. This is a real achievement because many children have missed a considerable amount of education before moving to the home. Staff attend key meetings with involved agencies. These meetings help to support the involved agencies coordinate their efforts to help children settle into school routines and make the required progress.

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improvement to be good

Children receive good supported from staff when they move to the home. They quickly start to enjoy a range of new experiences. They are supported to visit places of interest, activity centres and attend after-school clubs. One child has recently taken part in a youth engagement activity. This was celebrated by staff. This helps children to grow in confidence, learn new skills and develop bonds with staff.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to see family and friends. Some family members come to see their children at the home. The staff share information arising from family time with professionals to help with any changes that need to be made.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met. Children are supported to attend routine medical appointments. Some children have more additional physical and emotional health needs requiring liaison with specialist services. Staff ensure that these meetings take place to increase their awareness of each child’s particular needs.

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improvement to be good

The manager and leaders of the organisation have not had sufficient oversight in key areas of safeguarding practice. This has impacted on the overall judgement of the care provided in this home.

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improvement to be good

The director of the organisation has responsibility for delivering training to staff in the use of physical intervention. Additionally, she has oversight of the reports regarding any physical interventions that have occurred. However, she does not demonstrate sufficient knowledge to ensure that the physical interventions being Inspection report children's home: 2558515 4 used are appropriate to each situation. This could leave children at increased risk of harm because of staff undertaking physical interventions that are not authorised.

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improvement to be good

Some of the children’s individual risk assessments are of poor quality. While the risks are identified in these documents, there is a lack of detail about the strategies to mitigate the risks. Risk assessments are not always updated following incidents. This means that important information is not included in these crucial documents. The risk to children is increased because staff may be unaware of the additional risk factors.

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improvement to be good

Staff responses to children missing from care have been variable. For example, in one incident a child was missing for several hours during the night before staff became aware. Subsequently, staff practice regarding the use of door alarms has been strengthened.

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improvement to be good

Children have developed trusting relationships with the staff. Children say that staff are ‘respectful’ and that they can talk to the staff about their worries. Key-work sessions take place with children regarding important issues such as sexual health and self-harm. Over time, this helps children to gain understanding about how they can be safer as they grow and develop.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that any new staff are recruited safely. New staff are recruited using safer recruitment protocols. Children are cared for by an established team that knows them well. The use of agency staff is avoided, which prevents unfamiliar adults coming into the home. This promotes a settled atmosphere and consistency of care provided by familiar and trusted adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are weaknesses in the management of the home. Senior managers have not demonstrated robust monitoring and review of the quality of children’s care. This has led to shortfalls in the care and protection of children. Leaders and managers of this home became aware, because of the inspection, of some shortfalls they were previously unaware of because their monitoring and oversight is ineffective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has been involved in some incidents of physical intervention with a child. These interventions were not undertaken in accordance with authorised strategies. Additionally, leaders failed to identify these shortfalls due to gaps in their knowledge and expertise. Consequently, a child made a complaint. This was investigated in line with procedures. The manager and leaders realise mistakes were made. The manager and leaders understand that valuable lessons can be learned from these oversights.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When children have raised concerns over the manager, staff have not followed the correct procedures. As a result, the manager was not made aware of the concerns for several days. The manager reported this himself to leaders of the organisation. Although the concerns were investigated, not all staff involved were formally spoken to about shortfalls in their safeguarding practice. Inspection report children's home: 2558515 5 The registered manager has shared information with the designated officer for the local authority at appropriate times. In one situation, the manager was advised to refer himself following concerns over his practice. This advice was not challenged by the leaders of the organisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feel supported by managers and they receive regular monthly supervision. Staff report that professional and individual supervision sessions are helpful to their care practice. However, managers undertaking supervision are not demonstrating that they have good oversight in key areas of practice. This limits the opportunities for shortfalls to be addressed through the supervisory process. As a result, children could be at increased risk. Inspection report children's home: 2558515 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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers and leaders ensuring that all staff act on all allegations and follow the correct procedures on receiving an allegation. That staff are clear about strategies for managing risks associated to the children in their care. 8 September 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 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; 8 September 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2558515 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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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)(a)(c)(g) (i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that there is appropriate training in place for all staff in respect of the safe use of physical intervention.

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Requirement Due date

That managers keep up to date with any changes in the practice of physical restraints to ensure that best practice is maintained.

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Requirement Due date

That managers and leaders have oversight of all physical interventions and act where there are shortfalls in practice.

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Requirement Due date

That managers and leaders ensure that staff have clear leadership when children raise concerns about staff.

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Requirement Due date

That managers have systems in place to ensure that children’s risk assessments are kept up to date and risk management strategies are explicitly recorded for staff to follow. Inspection report children's home: 2558515 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: 2558515 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ashwood Children’s Care Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ashwood Children’s Care Home Ltd, 43a Repton House, Bretby Business Park, Ashby Road, Burton-On-Trent, Derbyshire DE15 0YZ

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Inspector

Laura Walker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2558515 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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