Children's home run by Good Foundations Limited

Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 1 SC419808 Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to care for up to four children who may have social or emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2011.

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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. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2019

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2019 Full Outstanding 05/12/2018 Full Outstanding 06/12/2017 Full Outstanding 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 3

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inadequate

The current standards of care and support provided at this home mean that children’s safety and emotional well-being needs are not being adequately met. The lack of coordinated placement planning to support children effectively is placing them at significant risk. The lack of detailed planning documentation hinders the staff team’s ability to keep children safe and improve their outcomes by having defined objectives to work towards. Children say that they like the staff and feel that, in general, the staff support them well. However, they say that when there are difficulties in relationships between children, the staff do not always deal with them properly so that they improve.

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inadequate

Some transitions are well managed in partnership with placing authorities, particularly when circumstances are challenging because of COVID-19. However, some children have experienced disruption of their short-term placements when the staff are unable to meet their needs.

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inadequate

Children are making progress in their education or are in employment. They can access a range of activities of their choice. Their views about contact with family members are respected. The staff work with placing authorities to agree and support children to have overnight stays with friends. They keep in touch with the children while they are away.

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inadequate

The staff support children to access appointments for their health and to be assessed for their individual health needs. Older children, who are more independent, take responsibility for their own health so that they can access specialist support.

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inadequate

The home environment is well maintained. Children’s bedrooms reflect their personal tastes. However, a member of staff sleeps in one of the reception rooms in the home at night. This prevents children from being able to access all areas of the home.

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

Managers and staff are unable to identify, manage or minimise risks to children adequately. Poor-quality risk assessments prevent the staff from having a clear understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities, including the consideration of their previous known risks. These assessments do not provide staff with clear strategies and guidance to enable them to keep children safe. This fails to ensure that risks are managed consistently by the staff and that appropriate support is in place to minimise risk to children. Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 4 Some children do not have risk assessments in place, for example in response to being a victim of bullying. A child said that discriminatory language was not challenged by the staff. This does not promote equality and tolerance of diversity and may place children at risk of harm.

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

Direct work with children does not clearly address risks or help them to understand how to keep themselves safe. Specific pieces of targeted work, for example regarding bullying, are not evident. This does not help children to develop their skills in making positive choices or to improve their interpersonal skills.

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

In line with a placing authority’s direction, children are not reported as missing from the home. Incidents are reported as an unauthorised absence if the staff complete a welfare check with the child, regardless of the child’s location. Independent return home interviews are not conducted, despite children being at unsuitable premises, such as hotels. This does not safeguard children effectively.

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

A child’s local authority plan does not consider previous safeguarding concerns or provide actions about how to respond to current vulnerabilities. The manager has failed to challenge the local authority’s plan or decision-making to ensure that there is an effective response to reduce the risk of harm to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management team is not leading and managing the home in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in the statement of purpose. The failure to address the risk-taking behaviours and safeguarding concerns serves to intensify the cycle of risk. Therefore, outcomes for children are compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records show that the staff do not receive supervision in line with the provider’s policy. This means that the staff, including those who are new to working at the home, do not access regular formal opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A practice concern raised by the inspectors is currently being addressed by the responsible individual. Therefore, it is not appropriate to comment on the matter in the report.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Systems are in place to monitor and review practice in the home. However, the manager has failed to identify and address shortfalls, for example in risk assessments, to help the staff to provide safe care and promote positive outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Independent external monitoring does not regularly seek the opinions of children, their families or external professionals. These views are important to confirm that the children are receiving care that meets their needs. The independent person does not robustly analyse the care provided in the home to identify shortfalls and recommend improvements to practice. The reports are not sent to Ofsted in a timely way. Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 5 The manager’s report on the review of the quality of care focuses on children’s progress but not on how the care provided supports this progress. It contains the views of children but not those of staff or external stakeholders about how the team promotes positive outcomes for children. Therefore, internal and external monitoring does not support robust understanding of the quality of care and drive continuous improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of the shortfalls identified at the inspection, one compliance notice was served under regulation 12, the protection of children standard. This notice will be monitored. Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; 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)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) 12 December

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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 12 December Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 7 promotes their welfare.

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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

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;

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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)(f)(h))

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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

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

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(iii)(xii)(xiii)(b)) 12 December Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 8 The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, written records should show that supervision takes place in accordance with the frequency set out in the provider’s policy. 12 December

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (2)(a) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the independent person should regularly consult with a range of stakeholders to gain their opinions about the quality of care provided in the home. The report should provide robust evaluation and highlight any shortfalls. Recommendations should be made to obtain important documentation, such as relevant plans, to inform care planning in the home. The report should be sent promptly to the regulatory body. 12 December

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children. 12 December Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 9 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the report should evaluate how the care provided supports children’s progress. The report should consistently capture the views of relevant stakeholders.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (b)) 12 December

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Requirement Due date

* This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC419808 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Good Foundations Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Tower Quays, Tower Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 1BP

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Inspectors

Karen Willson, Social Care Inspector Elaine Allison, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: SC419808 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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