Children's Home run by Cumbria County Council in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 1 Registered provider: Cumbria County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by the local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to four children, irrespective of gender.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2021. The manager is suitably qualified and experienced for this role.

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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 carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first full inspection since registration.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 2

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improvement to be good

Children said that they are happy living in this home, and were found to be making progress. Unfortunately, a lack of sufficient staffing in the home has had a negative effect on children’s experiences. Shortfalls found in relation to safeguarding have meant that children are not consistently receiving good help and protection.

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improvement to be good

Children have access to formal education which suits their individual needs. Children are encouraged and incentivised to attend and engage. This helps them to achieve and maintain positive daily routines.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are being met. One child has received support from specialist nurses in managing an ongoing health condition. As a result, this child is benefiting from improved physical health. Furthermore, therapists and counsellors frequently attend the home. This means that children have access to professionals who can support them with their emotional and mental health needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans outline goals for independence and self-care from an early age. Children who are older are helped and encouraged to use public transport and to shop and cook for themselves. Plans for independence are reviewed in line with the changing needs of each child. This helps children learn valuable skills for later life.

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improvement to be good

Children are involved in setting their own monthly targets and goals. Progress towards these goals is incentivised. Because of this, children are regularly achieving and meeting targets. This provides children with a sense of achievement, encourages self-esteem and promotes confidence.

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improvement to be good

Insufficient staffing levels in the home have meant that children have witnessed, and have been actively involved in, incidents involving other children in the home. For example, one child has witnessed another child being restrained, which has upset them. This has the potential to cause children distress and has had a direct effect on children’s relationships with each other.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are regularly updated. They are individualised to children and accurately reflect risks posed to children’s safety. Assessments that consider the effect of children moving into the home are detailed. Risks are identified and mitigated effectively prior to children moving into the home. This helps to prevent incidents and maintain children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Incidents when children have to be physically held are used appropriately and proportionately to ensure the children’s and staff’s safety. Children who have been Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 3 held were spoken to as part of the inspection. They understood why they were held, and they had been given the opportunity to discuss the incidents. This helps children to understand their behaviours, and provides them with the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not respond appropriately to an incident in which a child was missing from home. On this occasion, there were increased concerns for the child’s emotional well-being safety. This delay compromised the child’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Two incidents have occurred in which staff have failed to effectively respond to the emotional and mental health needs of children. On one occasion, a child had said that they had attempted to harm themselves, no immediate or timely action was taken to respond to concerns for the child’s safety and welfare. Furthermore, this information was not appropriately documented or shared by the member of staff with the managers or relevant professionals.

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improvement to be good

During the second incident, a child indicated that they had taken an excess of paracetamol at the same time as leaving the home. Contact was made with mental health professionals to seek advice and guidance however no timely action was taken by those in the home to escalate concerns for the child’s emotional well-being or safety. On both occasions, children have not been in receipt of good help and protection.

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good

There are insufficient staffing levels to meet the needs of the children currently living in the home. Following a child being discharged from hospital, it was necessary for police to return him to the home. Staff were not able to collect him due to the needs and required monitoring levels of other children living in the home. One this occasion, the child did not receive the nurturing care and support from staff that he required and deserves.

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good

Incident records viewed as part of the inspection demonstrated that staff have not received adequate support when necessary. On some occasions, there has not been a manager assigned to on-call duties. On other occasions, staff have not been able to get through to a manager to gain advice and guidance. Furthermore, staff who have been ill have not been able to leave the home to attend to their own health needs. When this happened, the staff remained on shift even though they had only had a minimal amount of sleep. A lack of support and availability of staff and on-call managers has negatively affected the management of children’s behaviours.

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good

The registered manager identifies and addresses poor practice. Robust investigations are completed when required. Staff are challenged when their practice is not up to the correct standard, and are also provided with adequate support.

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good

Children’s feelings are regarded as important. Staff and managers actively seek children’s views and opinions, and act upon them. Complaints are clearly Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 4 documented, investigated and quickly resolved. As a result, children feel cared for and listened to.

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good

Leaders and managers working in the home are committed to delivering quality care. They care about children and want to increase the levels of support and protection provided. Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 5

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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 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

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children have adequate support from staff to prevent them from witnessing, and becoming actively involved in, incidents in which other children are in crisis. 1 December 2021

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 1 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 6 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff respond appropriately to incidents in which children may be at risk of harm. Staff should be fully aware of the procedures in place for managing incidents where children are at risk of harm.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that there are sufficient staff to meet the safety, emotional and day-to-day needs of children living in the home. Provide children with consistent messages and continuity of care by ensuring that there is a stable and consistent team in place. 1 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 7 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 signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, maintain clear and accurate records relating to children. Ensure that records are signed, dated and updated where required. 1 December 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health. Children should have clean, safe and homely bedrooms in which to sleep and spend time. When children do not maintain their own environments, staff should monitor and maintain these regularly. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be

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Recommendations

skilled in supporting the child to understand this and carry it out. Ensure that any sanctions used are routinely evaluated to monitor and assess their effectiveness. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.38)

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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: 2574119 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cumbria County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cumbria House, 117 Botchergate, Carlisle CA1 1RD

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Inspector

Natalie Bennett, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2574119 9 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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