Children's home run by A & S Children’s Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 1

p.1

A & S Children's Services LTD

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children’s home which provides care and accommodation for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021. There are currently no children living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children's home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, Ofsted suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice issued by Ofsted. An inadequate judgement was given following the full inspection on 30 June and 1 July 2021. The setting was suspended from operating on 16 July 2021.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The suspension notice highlighted the following issues, which were considered during this monitoring visit:

p.1

This monitoring visit

 The poor supervision of children during the night.  The failure to notify Ofsted of significant events.  The failure to ensure that a child received appropriate medical care following her disclosure of having taken an overdose.  The failure to share with the police the contact details of a child’s parent when a child was missing from care.  The failure to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and experience to keep children safe. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 2 During the visit, the inspector spoke to the registered manager and the responsible individual and reviewed relevant documents.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Action has been taken to address the poor supervision of a child at night. Staff had failed to notice that a male child slept in the same bedroom as a female child overnight. They had failed to conduct welfare checks for the female child who was living at the home. Leaders and managers failed to notify Ofsted of this incident.

p.2

This monitoring visit

All windows have been fitted with a secure restrictor fitting that cannot be tampered with. This is to help prevent anyone entering children’s bedrooms from outside the home. The area covered by the home’s external closed-circuit television has been increased so cameras now focus on a previous blind spot, under children’s bedroom windows.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager is in the process of introducing revised protocols to improve staff supervision of children at night. These protocols require staff to enter children’s bedrooms to observe children and check on their welfare. Staff will record their findings.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Training is planned for staff to ensure that they understand and follow the revised night shift protocols. Training will include a focus on recording pertinent information. Staff will be required to confirm in writing shift tasks, such as observing children in their bedrooms, and how children present are recorded.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are in the process of improving the development and support offered to the staff team. Leaders and managers plan to provide staff with regular, reflective supervision. This is to monitor staff’s understanding of safe care practices and to check that staff are implementing learning from training effectively.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have developed new recording tools that help staff to identify potential safeguarding issues. Staff will receive training about developing their professional curiosity when speaking with children and exploring their behaviour. Staff will receive safeguarding training and be made aware of what issues and incidents need to be immediately reported to leaders and managers.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager intends to complete unannounced ‘spot checks’ to the home at night. This is to monitor staff practices in line with the implementation of the improved policies and procedures.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The registered manager is working with a social care consultant to help develop his understanding of the requirements in relation to notifications made to Ofsted, to ensure that notifications are made in line with regulation. This is to include identifying notifiable events, the content of information to be shared and the timeframe to notify Ofsted of significant events.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Arrangements are in place for staff to receive training focused on self-harm, and leaders and managers are liaising with relevant health professionals to help improve Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 3 staff practices in relation to this area of work. They plan to use team meetings and staff supervision to monitor staff knowledge and review their practices around self- harm issues. Furthermore, they are in the process of arranging staff training focused on child sexual exploitation, sex, sexuality and healthy relationships. This is to help inform staff care practices and to help to keep children safe.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are working with care consultants to review the home’s policies and practices around behaviour management. In particular, to develop strategies that help to prevent children from leaving the home when they identify a serious risk to the child.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are working with police teams, local authority safeguarding officers and care consultants to review the home’s policies, procedures and practices in managing incidents when children are missing from home. In particular, the police missing person’s unit has consulted with managers about the home’s revised missing person’s protocols. Additionally, leaders and managers are in the process of providing staff training focused on managing incidents when children are missing from home. This is to include the comprehensive recording of information and ensuring that this is shared with the police when children are missing from home.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations from the full inspection were repeated at this monitoring visit as these were not reviewed. The date by which the requirements should be met is 1 September 2021. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 4

p.3

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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(1)(2)(a)(i)) 1 September 2021

p.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

Meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

Help each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(1)(2)(i)(ii)(iii)) 1 September 2021

p.5

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— 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 6 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual's duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual's duties. (Regulation 32 (7)(d)(8)) 1 September 2021

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 7 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

p.7

Requirement Due date

if the child dies before attaining the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of the child's death;

p.7

Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child's date of birth;

p.7

Requirement Due date

securely in the children's home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 1 September 2021

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person's report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person's opinion as to whether—

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44(1)(4)(a)(b)(7)(a)) 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 8

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the children to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.30)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child's assessed needs as recorded in the children's relevant plan and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of the children. In particular, the registered person should repair or replace damaged and missing bathroom doors, young people’s bed headboard and the kitchen television aerial. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirement of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) (Guide to the children's homes regulation including the quality standards’, paragraph 10.8, page 53)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the factors that affect children's motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child's relevant plans to ensure that behaviour is managed effectively. ('Guide to the children's home regulations including the quality standards', page 39, paragraph 8.13)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where there is a possibility that a child will run away or go missing from the home, the child’s risk assessment is reviewed and includes strategies to reduce risk when the risks of children going missing increase. ('Guide to homes regulations including the quality standards', page 45, paragraph 9.24) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 9

p.8

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.9

Information about this inspection

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

p.9

Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2611288 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.

p.9

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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10