Children's home run by Devon County Council

Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 1 Registered provider: Devon County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides short-break stays for children with disabilities. It is owned and operated by the local authority.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 16 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2020

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The cancellation of short breaks to accommodate children in an emergency impacts negatively on the well-being of children and their families. Parents and professionals alike express concern about the support that children need and rely on being cancelled, often at very short notice.

p.3

improvement to be good

Chronic staff sickness impacts on the stability of staffing. Familiarity is particularly important for these children, given their additional needs, some of which are complex and can include autism spectrum disorder and learning difficulties. Where possible, the same agency staff are used. However, in the last nine months, more than 30 agency workers have been employed at the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Most children are receiving appropriate education. The home is used for day care two days a week to compensate for a lack of full-time education for one child. Managers could do more to challenge this inadequate education provision.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are responsive to the needs of children attending for short breaks. Genuine affection and warmth towards children and their families are demonstrated by the staff. Children love and look forward to spending time here, which is why cancellations of short breaks have such a negative impact. Parents describe this service as providing ‘a second home’, ‘a place my child loves to spend time’, and ‘the only environment where my child can “just be” with peers away from teachers and parents’.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children can express satisfaction and discontent, which is picked up by staff who are aware of the subtle nuances of communication. Staff act quickly to avoid children becoming anxious. Staff also keep a record of positive moments and achievements for the children, to demonstrate the benefits of short breaks.

p.3

improvement to be good

Activities depend on the needs of the children. The home offers a spacious environment with a roomy soft-play area and large garden with play equipment. Children have opportunities for trips out and choices about how to spend their time.

p.3

improvement to be good

Some areas of the home are institutionalised. For example, the bathroom lacks a homely feel, and some light fittings would only be found in schools or hospitals. Noise pollution in the main office caused by internet and Wi-Fi fittings makes it difficult to concentrate.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff pay attention to the children’s cultural and identity needs. They help a Christian child with prayers and have been learning some Polish to improve communication with another child. Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Not all staff have taken part in a fire evacuation. This is a repeat requirement, as at the previous full inspection not all children had opportunities to practise emergency evacuations.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager does not have sufficient oversight of the recruitment checks for all agency staff who are working or have worked in the home. Since the inspection of another of this organisation’s homes, the recruitment information required for agency workers has been strengthened to meet safer recruitment standards. These improvements have yet to be fully embedded in practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

There is minimum use of restraint to manage children’s behaviour. It is unclear whether an agency worker who was involved in one restraint was trained in the technique used. The organisation has recognised this as a problem and has just introduced a training programme for all agency workers.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children feel safe and want to stay in this home. Parents describe how their children rush to pack their bags, and one child sings in the car on the way. One parent describes this home as her son’s ‘favourite place on earth’.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks presented by children and take appropriate action to minimise risk. Staff are often successfully managing children whose behaviour is beyond the control of adults in other settings. The plans for managing behaviour that may challenge adults are detailed, describing signs that indicate anxiety or distress and including calming and positive responses.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safeguarding incidents are taken seriously, and staff receive regular training and updates. Appropriate action is taken to safeguard children and report any concerns.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children do not go missing from this home. Many of the children have little or no understanding of risk and need the support of an adult when out in the community. Appropriate barriers are in place to prevent children leaving the home and accessing the community without the required support.

p.4

good

A qualified manager is in post and has applied to Ofsted for registration. She is valued and respected by team members, parents and the responsible individual.

p.4

good

The manager has little or no autonomy around the decisions to place children in an emergency. This is despite concerns about the impact of emergency placements on short breaks provision for other children using the service.

p.4

good

The manager’s ability to fulfil management responsibilities, develop the home and implement change is thwarted by insufficiency of suitable staffing to cover sickness Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 5 leave. The manager often works alongside care staff in providing direct support to the children who need it.

p.4

good

The responsible individual has taken appropriate action to address the shortfalls identified at the assurance visit in September 2020. This has included improvements to the consideration of children’s culture and identity needs, a reduction in the hours worked by permanent staff to acceptable levels, and a review of the monitoring and surveillance of children to protect their privacy and dignity.

p.5

good

Permanent staff receive the support, supervision and training they need to fulfil their roles with confidence and ability. The same support for agency staff remains an issue until recently agreed improvements to provide training and formal supervision are fully implemented.

p.5

good

The manager’s enthusiasm and passion for working with children and families is infectious, influencing the atmosphere and reinforcing positive values across the staff team.

p.5

good

The statement of purpose lacks detail of procedures for emergency admission and how the welfare of children will be supported when short breaks are cancelled.

p.5

good

The responsible individual has, for many years, been researching and discussing with inspectors opportunities to provide adequate placements for children with disabilities, particularly to accommodate children who need long-term and/or emergency placements. Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

p.6

Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This particularly applies to children who need and rely on this short-breaks service but found this support cancelled. 8 November 2021

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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, 8 November 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 7 if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

if full and satisfactory information is available for the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) 2(a)(b) (3)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to checks for agency workers.

p.7

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as is reasonably practical, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to fire drills for agency workers. 8 November 2021

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

p.7

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e)) 8 November 2021

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 8 November 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 8 This particularly relates to the inclusion in the statement of purpose of any criteria and the policies and procedures for emergency admissions to the home.

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s homes, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.8

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: 2530021 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Devon County Council

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Devon County Council, Chief Executive’s Directorate, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4QD

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Tracey Robins (not present during this inspection) Paula Young (manager awaiting registration)

p.9

Inspectors

Janice Hawtin, Social Care Inspector Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2530021 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

Inspectors

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

Inspectors

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

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10