Children's home run by Blossom Care Group Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 1 Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to children with social and emotional difficulties. The home was registered in June 2021.

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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

This is the home’s first inspection since it was registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 2

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Recent inspection history

Not recently inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 3

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inadequate

Three children with complex needs moved into the home in quick succession. The registered manager has not fully considered the needs of the children and whether they are suited to live with each other. In addition, he has not assessed whether the staff team has the skills to manage children’s behaviours well. Inadequate care planning has resulted in children not having positive experiences and a poor outcome for one child, who now has to leave the home sooner than anticipated.

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inadequate

Children are not in routines that are beneficial for them. They do not settle to sleep until the early hours of the morning and then get up late the next day. Two children are not in school and staff do not support children to engage in structured, educational activities during the day. This is not helping them to prepare for a return to school and does not support their development, learning and progress.

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inadequate

Some staff do not have the confidence and skills to help children to manage their emotions and understand why certain behaviours they engage in are harmful, inappropriate and unacceptable. All three children smoke and vape and there are concerns that children have stolen alcohol from local shops. In addition, one child swears and uses sexualised language towards female staff. The registered manager and staff do not adequately address these concerns with children to help them develop socially acceptable behaviour.

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inadequate

Staff do not consistently promote children’s health and well-being. Children’s health plans are vague and there are significant concerns about children not eating healthily and not getting enough exercise. These concerns are not being adequately addressed by staff.

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inadequate

When children move into the home, they are asked to sign a home agreement. This document is a set of rules which is not child friendly and does not create a welcoming feel to the home. In addition, it is not effective because staff do not support children to follow routines and boundaries.

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inadequate

Children have developed some positive relationships with some staff and enjoy doing activities with them. This has included going on a holiday. One child has a pet which she was able to get after moving into the home. Children also keep in touch with their families and are supported by staff to do so.

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

Staff are unable to manage children’s behaviour and this has led to disturbances in the local area. Incidents include damage to a neighbour’s property, assaulting staff and shouting and swearing. Police are often called to the home to help staff manage children’s behaviour and this increases the risk of children being criminalised. Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 4 Staff do not undertake regular and effective direct work with children to help them to understand why certain behaviours are harmful to themselves and others. For example, no restorative work was carried out with a child who damaged a neighbour’s property and children do not receive support to stop smoking. This does not help children to learn that their behaviour has consequences and this does not support their development.

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

The relationship between two of the three children is inappropriate as they are engaging in some sexualised behaviour, such as kissing. While some measures are being taken to reduce risk, these do not go far enough. Children do not receive support to learn about healthy relationships, appropriate boundaries and why two children living together having such a relationship is not appropriate. Consequently, children are not being adequately protected by staff.

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

Children’s risk assessments are not sufficiently specific. They do not give staff an understanding of what triggers children’s challenging behaviour and they omit the detail that staff need to manage it effectively. In addition, incident records are poor with information being documented in different places and lacking important details. As a result, it is not always clear what led to a difficult incident, what action staff took and what follow-up work was completed.

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

Staff give children mixed messages and do not always follow through on agreed guidance. Staff do not work in accordance with children’s plans; for example, one child’s placing authority does not give consent for him to use a vape. However, staff have allowed this to happen on occasion to appease him and prevent situations from escalating.

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

The responsible individual did not take all necessary action to follow up on an allegation made by a child against a staff member. While the incident was reported to the children’s safeguarding team, the responsible individual did not seek any guidance before the staff member returned to work and did not put a risk management plan in place in order to mitigate risk.

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

Managers do not notify Ofsted of all serious incidents that happen. This means that the regulator does not receive the required information to help inspectors monitor the effectiveness of the care and support provided to children.

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

Restraint records do not contain all of the required information and management oversight of restraint incidents is poor. This does not help children and staff to learn from what has happened in order to reduce the risk of such incidents happening again. Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is qualified and has aspirations for children and the development of the home. Despite this, he has been too quick to place children in the home without full consideration of the skills of his team to manage children’s needs and behaviours. As a result, he is unable to deliver on these aspirations and children’s progress and experiences are poor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Only half of the staff in the team are suitably qualified and have relevant experience. The registered manager does not ensure that experienced staff work with those newer to the role to support them and to underpin the care of the children. As a result, situations escalate unnecessarily and this has a negative impact on children’s outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual does not provide the registered manager with adequate guidance and support in his new role. In addition, the responsible individual’s oversight of the home is poor. Despite visiting the home monthly, he has failed to identify significant shortfalls that affect children’s experiences, progress and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager and staff do not have an effective system to track children’s outcomes in a measurable way. Monthly reports lack detail and do not provide an overview of children’s progress. Placement plans are also unclear and do not detail the children’s day-to-day arrangements. For one child, the local authority placement plan is not on file. Consequently, staff have insufficient information and are not clear about what they need to do to help children make progress from their starting points.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not ensured that staff follow the relevant protocols for visitors to the home. For example, the visitor’s book is not up to date and staff do not ask visitors relevant questions relating to COVID-19 and so do not follow procedures designed to keep people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision is not reflective. The registered manager is aware of this and has revised the supervision template to allow reflective discussions. However, this has yet to be embedded into practice. Due to the significant shortfalls identified as part of this inspection, two compliance notices and a notice to restrict accommodation was issued. Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 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 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff support children to develop good routines and engage in structured activity during the day and support their return to school as soon as possible. 19 November

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 19 November Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 7 that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, support children to eat a balanced diet, take exercise and stop smoking.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; and 31 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 8 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children . (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(xi)

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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; and

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b)) 31 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 19 November Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 9 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; 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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 19 November

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Requirement Due date

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17 (1)(2)) 19 November

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7) (b)) 19 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 19 November Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 10 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1) (a)(b)(2)(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and 19 November Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 11 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 19 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person is not required to notify the local authority in paragraph (1) if that local authority is also the placing authority for the child in question.

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Requirement Due date

A notification under this regulation must be in writing and must state—

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is provided with accommodation under section 20 or 21 of the Children Act 1989(a);

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is subject to a care or supervision order under section 31 of the Children Act 1989(b);

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Requirement Due date

the independent reviewing officer appointed for the child’s case; and

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Requirement Due date

whether the child has an EHC plan or a statement of special educational needs and, if so, details of the local authority with responsibility for the EHC plan or for maintaining the statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 41 (1)(2)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 19 November

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 12

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff supervisions allow staff to reflect on their practice and learn. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff follow the procedures for visitors to the home, ensuring that staff accurately complete the visitor’s book, and that staff explain the relevant health and safety protocols to all visitors. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2617199 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 56 Rolleston Road, Burton-On-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0JZ

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Inspector

Shazana Jamal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2617199 14 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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