Children's home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: SC431699 1 SC431699 Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home aims to provide a child-centred, caring and nurturing home for up to three children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since November 2020.

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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 the 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 12 November 2020 to carry out a monitoring 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 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: 17 January 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following an assurance visit on 2 September 2020, the home was suspended on 14 September 2020. Further monitoring visits took place on the 13 October 2020 and the 12 November 2020. All compliance actions were assessed as met and the suspension was lifted. However, Inspection report children's home: SC431699 2 the provider must inform Ofsted of their intention to accommodate a third child at the home at least one month before that child is accommodated. Inspection report children's home: SC431699 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: SC431699 4

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff have worked hard to meet the requirements set at the last inspection. However, one requirement remains unmet. This and further requirements are made following the shortfalls identified at this inspection. The home is not yet providing a good quality of care for children. This is hampering children’s overall progress, experiences and safeguarding.

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improvement to be good

Given their experiences before arriving at this home, the children struggle to place their trust in adults. Both children living at this home, said the home was a positive placement for them. However, information from agencies is variable, with some believing that the relationships between children and staff require further development. One social worker stated: ‘This has been the child’s longest placement. Behaviours have been challenging, but staff see past the behaviours. Staff are being consistent and resilient.’

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improvement to be good

Children are not fully engaged in education. The managers and staff have plans to improve children’s education outcomes. However, these plans are still in the early stages. Children’s daily care routines do not yet support them to be fully engaged in education.

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improvement to be good

Some children require more specialist health support. The staff are working to help them access the health care and support they need. For example, one child is being helped by a worker from the child and adolescent mental health service. However, there has been some drift and delay in accessing this help. The manager and staff promote multi-agency working. For example, there are now multi-agency meetings taking place regularly to help improve care planning for one child. This will ensure that the right services are in place for the child. Staff and the child’s social worker felt this had improved the consistency and coordination of the help provided to the child. Children have engaged in fun activities. They are spending time with staff and benefiting from these shared activities. This means they are starting to trust the staff and develop closer relationships with them. This will help children to settle

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improvement to be good

The manager responds to incidents of concern by following safeguarding procedures and reporting concerns to the relevant safeguarding agencies. However, there was an incident of a child leaving the home that went unnoticed by Inspection report children's home: SC431699 5 staff. This has been taken seriously by leaders, and the incident is now subject to investigation.

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improvement to be good

If children make allegations against care staff, these are investigated in a timely manner. The manager has ensured that children are listened to and provided with reassurance and support during this process. The manager involves the appropriate safeguarding agencies immediately and works to an agreed strategy.

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improvement to be good

Children who are at risk of going missing from care have become increasingly safer as this risk has reduced. However, when children go into the community, they do not always return on time. This is an area of risk that staff and managers take seriously and are reviewing procedures.

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improvement to be good

Children present staff with some difficult and challenging behaviour at times. Staff approaches to addressing difficult behaviour could be strengthened. For example, staff do not always challenge children about inappropriate language. Risk assessments are detailed. They are amended regularly by managers and staff as the risk to children changes. Staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff actively work with children to reduce risk taking behaviour, so they become safer. However, there have been incidents when the emergency services have had to be called for support. There was a recent incident when police and fire services were needed to support the staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff are professionally curious. For example, staff responded quickly to safeguarding concerns for one child. The social worker attended the home on the same day. The social worker agreed a coordinated strategy to address concerns. Information-sharing and acting on concerns quickly are crucial to keeping children safe.

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improvement to be good

The leaders and managers did not ensure rigorous pre-employment checks. For one applicant, there was evidence of inconsistent information on their employment history. This should be clarified before the staff member starting work.

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good

The registered manager is relatively new to managing this home but has many years of experience in children’s residential care. The manager is warm and nurturing towards the children. Other professionals recognise the commitment she brings to the home and the positive changes she has started to make.

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good

There have been some difficulties with the stability of staffing. This is particularly notable on night shifts. Night shifts are prone to disruption, and this is evidenced with incidents mainly taking place at night. The manager is taking action to bring stability to night-staffing arrangements. The manager is using a mixture of both permanent and temporary staff to provide adequate staff cover. Inspection report children's home: SC431699 6 The manager has introduced new, robust monitoring systems to review the quality of care provided. The implementation of these systems is difficult to achieve given that managers must undertake the day-to-day care of children. The manager and staff support children to maintain contact with those people who are important to them. For some children, these arrangements change regularly. The managers undertake appropriate checks to make certain that changes to family contact remain safe for children.

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good

The manager and leaders have not always been robust in managing concerns over staff. For example, one staff member remained working in the home, at times in isolation, even though there had been concerns about their conduct.’. This has the potential to place children in situations where they could be vulnerable. Staff receive regular professional supervision and report that they feel supported by the manager. Some staff demonstrate genuine compassion for the children in their care. A staff member said: ‘I go one step over what I would do for my own children because this is what these children need.’ Detailed staff meeting minutes cover a variety of topics including safeguarding. Staff meeting minutes reflect healthy discussions that are centred around children’s needs. Inspection report children's home: SC431699 7

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

This refers to the staff managing children’s behaviours in a manner that protects everyone in the home. 28 November

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 28 November Inspection report children's home: SC431699 8 (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(x)) This is made with specific reference to helping children into education placements and helping them to settle and make progress. The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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,

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)) Specifically, ensure that any employment histories are fully explored before appointment. 15 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;

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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, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e)) 28 November Inspection report children's home: SC431699 9 This specifically refers to appropriately skilled and experienced staff being deployed to meet the needs of the children and that children experience continuity of care.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have high expectations of standards of behaviour for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Children should be supported to develop understanding and empathy towards each other. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. The development of safe, stable and secure relationships with staff in the home should be central to the ethos of the home and support the development of secure attachments that, where appropriate, persist over time. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)

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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: SC431699 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham NG3 2EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Trevor Edinborough

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC431699 11 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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