Children's Home run by Mutual Care Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: 2591688 1 Registered provider: Mutual Care 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 one of two homes that are privately operated by a small company. It is set in castle grounds, outside a city.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 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 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted completed a monitoring visit of this home on 27 and 28 January 2021. The report from this visit can be found on the Osted website.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the first full inspection of the home.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 27 and 28 January 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2591688 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is situated in an isolated rural area. Overall, it provides a homely environment for children. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. The home feels like a family home. For example, office space is minimal. Photographs of the children can be seen on the walls in the lounge area. There is a large garden which provides an inviting space for children. Some areas need maintenance work. These include the thatched roof and some rotting windowsills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some aspects of the home create an institutionalised appearance For example, inside the home there are some large padlocks. These locks are not necessary and are not in keeping with a homely environment. Windows restrictors on children’s bedroom windows are not required and some snacks are locked in a separate room.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are clearly as happy and relaxed in their home. They have good relationships with their carers. Both children told inspectors that they feel safe and that they like most of their carers. When children and carers do not relate well to each other, the action taken is not always timely. Consequently, the children are not learning how to form and maintain healthy relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is in place for children. Carers strive to promote attendance, although this is not always successful. One child was not at school during the inspection due to the education plan for that day not being suitable for the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to access advocates in line with their needs. However, the children currently living at the home have chosen not to use this support. Children are also helped to access specialist therapy when needed.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding procedures are not always followed. At times, the action taken has not prioritised the best interests of children. This includes a delay in the reporting of allegations and, on another occasion, poor safeguarding practice following a child’s disclosure.

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improvement to be good

There has been one incident of physical intervention. This was appropriate and restriction minimal. Debriefs were held with both the child and the carers. Reflection on practice also takes place routinely after incidents.

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improvement to be good

Internet safety is managed in line with the needs of children. Age-appropriate access to devices is promoted. Independence is promoted. This includes children enjoying free time in the community. Children are also able to manage their own medication when it is assessed as appropriate for them to do so. Inspection report children’s home: 2591688 3 Impact risk assessments which look at the matching of children are not robust enough. Furthermore, at times, professional curiosity is lacking, which has led to one child having to leave the home.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management systems are not always well considered and nurturing. For example, switching the internet off to promote positive behaviour is poor practice. When children swear, this is not consistently challenged.

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improvement to be good

Carers do always have the skills to manage children’s behaviours. As a result, at times, carers call for out-of-hours support and make threats to contact the police.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has good oversight of the home and knows children well. Contingency planning when the manager is away from the home is not always effective and has led to some shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care planning documents are child centred. The information recorded is not always needed, and could be streamlined to ensure that guidance is easy to access. This includes the need to ensure that any risks which are no longer relevant are removed from risk assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment practice is in line with safer recruitment procedure. The registered manager does not personally make verification calls to satisfy herself that appropriate questions are asked.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Carers have access to a wide range of training opportunities. However, the majority of these are computer based. Face-to-face training is in the process of being rolled out to enhance carers’ knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is structured and takes place at regular intervals. Opportunities for reflection are provided and the staff’s well-being is considered. Inspection report children’s home: 2591688 4

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

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(b)(ix)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s snack foods should be kept in the communal kitchen and not be locked in a separate room.

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Requirement Due date

In respect of the premises, the thatched roof and some windowsills need maintenance. 27 October 2021

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, carers should have the skills to manage difficult behaviours and promote positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

Children should be consistently reminded that swearing is not appropriate. 27 October 2020

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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. Inspection report children’s home: 2591688 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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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;

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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)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, safeguarding practice must ensure that disclosures are managed effectively.

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Requirement Due date

Impact assessments when children are new to the home must be thorough.

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s access to any internet-based or telephone helpline providing counselling for children. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, switching off the internet to promote positive behaviour is not appropriate.

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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: 2591688 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 St Mary’s Road, Portishead, Bristol, Somerset BS20 6QP

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Inspectors

Polly Soper, Social Care Inspector Paula Lahey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2591688 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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