Children's Home run by Pasture View Nurturing Homes Ltd in Lincolnshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 1 Registered provider: Pasture View Nurturing Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately run. It provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities, specialising in autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, the children may have challenging behaviour and other conditions, such as attachment disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy and dyspraxia. This home was previously inspected in June 2021 and was rated as inadequate. Significant concerns about the safety and welfare of children were identified. As a result, the home’s registration was suspended. Following a monitoring visit, the suspension was lifted in July 2021. A new manager has been appointed and started work at the home on 5 July 2021. She is applying to be registered with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 1 June 2021 Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the last full inspection in June 2021, the home’s registration was suspended. Following a monitoring visit in July 2021, the suspension was lifted. Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 3

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improvement to be good

One child has moved into the home since the suspension of the home’s registration was lifted. At the time of this inspection, he had been at the home for less than two weeks. He has settled in quite well and is beginning to build some supportive relationships with staff. He says that he likes living in the home because of the quiet, rural environment and because he can help to care for the home’s animals. A key strength of the home is the way that animal care is built into the child’s daily routines. Spending time outside with the home’s goats, alpacas, chickens, rabbits and other animals is a calming and enriching activity that the child very much enjoys.

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improvement to be good

The child is beginning to develop some healthier routines, but these are not yet established. All staff are encouraging him to take regular exercise and engage in constructive, creative activities. However, he is spending considerable periods of the day and evening using his games console. Staff ensure that the child has a generally healthy diet. However, despite the fact that he is 12 years old, has learning difficulties and known patterns of disruptive behaviour at night-time, staff have not taken steps to prevent him drinking coffee at bedtime.

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improvement to be good

The child does not yet have a school placement. However, the deputy manager has identified a suitable school and is advocating strongly for the child to be allocated a place at this school. She has also made efforts to secure a home tutor but this service is not yet in place. Although some learning activities are provided in the home during school hours, such as workbooks and wordsearches, learning activities are not yet well structured. This means that the child’s engagement is not consistent.

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improvement to be good

The manager has created a clear, good-quality care plan for the child. It takes into account lessons learned from previous placements, his learning needs, and needs relating to his culture and heritage. The plan and associated risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance around how best to care for the child and helpful behaviour-management strategies.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management is not yet consistent. Staff have a mix of skills and experience. Some staff are assertive and confident in responding to children’s behaviours; some are not and need high levels of management support, direction and guidance. Although they are meeting the current child’s needs adequately with the close oversight and direction of the managers, the staff team as a whole does not yet demonstrate a clear capacity to manage complex group dynamics that will be required when more children move into the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 4 Restraint training has now been undertaken by each member of staff. However, the manager and deputy manager have not completed this training. This means that they are unable to support staff should restraint be required. It also limits their ability to evaluate staff practice because they have not been instructed in the approved holds and techniques.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They each know how to record and report any concerns that they may have. All staff and managers have now been provided with safeguarding training that is suitable to their role.

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improvement to be good

Health and safety arrangements have improved since the last inspection. The manager ensures that she regularly checks all safety procedures, including food hygiene systems. Fire drills are taking place regularly. A full fire-safety audit has been completed and the manager has responded to each action point.

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good

Fourteen requirements were set at the home’s last inspection. Leaders have taken action to address each of the shortfalls. The manager understands how to deliver good-quality care and is taking the necessary steps to achieve this standard. The home’s improvement plan is detailed, realistic and achievable. It has been regularly reviewed and updated by the manager so that it is an effective tool to ensure that the home can provide high-quality care to children.

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good

Staff conduct and performance issues, which have the capacity to impact on children’s safety and welfare, have been addressed by the manager. However, they have been addressed too slowly. Formal performance-management processes have not been initiated promptly and decisions have been delayed. This does not ensure that the highest standards of care are maintained.

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good

The most skilled and confident staff are often scheduled to finish their shifts at 8.30pm. This means that they are not in place to support bedtimes, a time when the current resident is displaying his most complex and concerning behaviours.

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good

Staff turnover is much improved since the last inspection. No staff have left the home since the new manager started work at the home. This means that the child has received care from a stable, consistent care team. The skilled and experienced manager, supported by her deputy, has created a much more supportive work environment. Staff say that they are more confident in their managers. Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to ensuring that each member of staff has the skills required to respond appropriately to children’s behaviour so that the home is a consistently safe and nurturing environment. 25 October 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 in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 25 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 6 This is with particular reference to ensuring that performance management systems are used effectively to address any concerns about staff practice and to ensure that children are provided with consistently high-quality care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4)) 25 October 2021

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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: 2570253 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pasture View Nurturing Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 92 Linkside, Bretton, Peterborough, Northamptonshire PE3 8PA

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Inspector

Philip Cass, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2570253 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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