Children's home run by Impact For Change Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 1 Registered provider: Impact for Change Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a small organisation. The home is registered to care for up to two children.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last visit, the registered manager has resigned. A new manager has been recruited and her application to register with Ofsted is being processed.

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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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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A compliance notice was issued following the full inspection on 9 and 10 June 2021, when the home was judged inadequate. The notice related to the quality and purpose of care standard.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 13 July 2021, a monitoring visit took place and Ofsted assessed that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2021 Full Inadequate 10/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/09/2019 Full Inadequate 19/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Following the monitoring visit on 13 July 2021, leaders and managers recognised that they could not keep one of the children safe. As a result, notice was served to the child’s placing authority. During the notice period the child declined to stay at the home. In response, the staff maintained regular contact with the child, including completing daily safety checks as required by the multi-agency safety plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In recent weeks, a new child has moved in. The child’s introduction to the home was well planned. The child was provided with an opportunity before he moved in to meet the staff and spend time getting to know his new co-resident. This planned introduction provided the manager with the opportunity to assess the compatibility of both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children engaged well with the inspector. One child shared that he is excited and a little anxious about starting college. The same child’s social worker commented positively about the relationships the child has made with key staff. She said the relationships the child has developed with his carers have contributed significantly to his progress. The second child spoke positively about his move into the home and the staff who have helped him to settle in. He said he enjoys the range of activities offered as well as spending time at the local skatepark meeting new friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are cared for by staff who are motivated and enthusiastic about improving the children’s outcomes. The staff spoken to confirmed that the changes made since the monitoring visit have benefited their practice and the direct care and support the children receive. Changes in the staff team have not had an impact on the continuity of care because staff have worked as a team to fill any shift vacancies. Staff told the inspector that morale is good and described themselves as a family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the monitoring visit, changes have been introduced in how staff promote the children’s physical health and emotional well-being, and these have been effective. Weekly visits from the organisation’s clinical lead have enhanced the staff’s understanding and awareness of the trauma children have experienced. As a result, the staff’s approach to children’s attitudes and behaviours has improved. Children are now routinely provided with a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet and the activities offered promote their physical health as well as their emotional well-being.

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

Following the monitoring visit, leaders and managers took appropriate action to work with others to try to keep a child safe. Safety plans and missing-from-home protocols were regularly reviewed and implemented in practice. However, leaders Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 4 and managers recognised that this was not the right home for the child and he has subsequently moved.

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

New protocols and procedures have been introduced to ensure the safe management and administration of medication. Medication audits are now effective and errors are identified and rectified.

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

The manager has reviewed and updated the home’s locality risk assessment. This now includes the recommendations identified by the independent person.

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

Leaders and managers ensure that the adults who are looking after the children are safe to do so. Since the last inspection, two new staff have joined the staff team. Safer recruitment checks are comprehensive.

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good

The manager’s application to register with Ofsted is being processed. Since the full inspection and the monitoring visit, the manager has reflected on the performance of the home this year, and told the inspector that her management oversight and practice have improved as a result of what she has learned. Management oversight and practice have developed; however, further work is needed to embed and sustain this.

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good

The manager’s monitoring of behavioural incidents and daily reports lacks rigour. Discussions held with staff and children following incidents do not always consider what actions could have been taken to reach a different outcome or to prevent a reoccurrence. In addition, not all incident reports detail a concise and factual overview of events or include all the actions taken by staff.

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good

The manager’s quality of care review requires improvement. The manager has not considered seeking the views of children, nor has she analysed or evaluated patterns and trends in behaviour.

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good

Senior leaders, the organisation’s clinical lead and the manager have collectively stabilised the staff team. The manager has challenged poor performance when it has been identified. She has also provided the staff with support and the guidance they require to meet their role and responsibilities. All staff spoke extremely positively about the manager, and said that she is approachable and leads by example.

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good

All new and existing staff have completed an induction programme and have received basic mandatory training. Despite these training and learning opportunities, not all staff have received specialist training that would help them to understand children’s needs in relation to sexual abuse and separation and loss. Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 5

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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

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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the manager ensuring that she continues to use all monitoring systems, including the quality of care review, to further develop the home and improve children’s outcomes. 12 November

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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. 12 November Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 6 (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, all staff should complete specialist courses that have been identified by senior leaders.

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Recommendation

 The provider should ensure that the recording of incidents is factually accurate, clear and concise. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 1264756 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Impact for Change Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Canns Down Press, Beaford, Winkleigh, Devon EX19 8LZ

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1264756 8 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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