Children's home run by Homes2Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 1 Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation and can provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties. According to its statement of purpose, the home is for children with individualised needs and those who find it difficult live within larger groups and therefore require a smaller home that supports their needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since October 2021.

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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

We last visited this setting on 28 January 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 3

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inadequate

Children with known histories of serious self-harm remain exposed to this risk. This is because leaders and managers are failing to provide sufficient guidance for staff to follow to protect the children when they experience negative thoughts and feelings. Avoidable incidents have occurred and the necessary improvements to risk management guidance have not been made. Children remain at risk of serious harm as a result.

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inadequate

Children express differing views about their experiences of living in the home. One child described feelings of a lack of care and attention. This is evident from the condition of some of the furnishings in this child’s bedroom. The child had been told these would not be replaced as she was due to be moving soon. This child has tried to repair the furniture herself on several occasions. She is aware of the current staffing difficulties and expressed concern about the welfare of the staff, stating that her furniture does not need to be a priority. This is not an acceptable level of responsibility for the child.

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inadequate

Another child speaks very positively about her experience of living in the home and attributes many of her own successes and achievements to the care and commitment of the staff team. Such practice was observed on numerous occasions throughout this inspection. Staff visibly demonstrate care, nurture and sensitivity in their daily care practices.

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inadequate

Aspects of the children’s care planning are variable in terms of precision and quality. For example, for a child who has significant mental health needs, there is disparity between the views of the staff team and the child’s social worker about the focus of the support required by the child. Significant information, such as a mental health assessment, could not be located by managers. Therefore, the inspector was unable to be assured that the care planning for the child had taken this into account.

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inadequate

In other aspects, the staff demonstrate targeted flexibility and skill. This is particularly relevant with regard to both children’s educational needs. Staff spend valuable amounts of time talking to, and encouraging, children to carefully consider their options. Staff provide practical support so that children attend educational establishments that are right for them. One child is currently considering two university offers. Another child is successfully moving towards independence, spending time between the home and her home area in readiness for a final planned move. This plan includes the staff helping her to carefully consider her education, resulting in currently attending a college in her home area. This well-thought-out plan has fully considered the child’s social and support needs, including close physical proximity to her family members, as she prepares for independence and adulthood. Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 4

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

The risk management plans for one child fail to guide staff on how to mitigate the known serious risks to this child’s safety and welfare. Some staff are not fully aware of the plans that are in place to keep children safe. For example, when one child’s room should be checked daily for safety concerns, this is not always carried out. This has left children at risk of harm, which has the potential to endanger their well-being.

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

There are significant shortfalls in identifying the risks for a child regarding self-harm and suicide. For example, this child’s known history of self-harming behaviours includes the use of ligatures, walking into traffic and recently placing herself at risk on a bridge. However, the strategies that are in place fail to include these examples in guiding staff on how to prevent reoccurrence or manage such incidents should they occur. When asked, one staff member was unable to describe the measures in place to keep this child safe. This demonstrates the failure of leaders to provide responsive and accurate risk management guidance for staff to protect children effectively.

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

Children’s safety plans are not clear. For example, the guidance for monitoring a child while they are using the bathroom does not clarify how this should be done. Avoidable risks are increased. This was demonstrated by one staff member, who has lone worked, telling the inspector that they have not yet read all the risk management information in respect of both children. In another example, a different staff member left their personal razor in a bathroom. One child’s plans were unclear about the risks of the child’s access to sharp materials. This omission resulted in the child using the razor to self-harm. Senior leaders are failing to provide effective safeguards, and this places children at continuing risk of harm.

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

In the event of a fire, not all means of escape are accessible. One exit is from a locked room and requires a locked first-floor window to be forcibly opened and exited by jumping from the window. This is a further example of the failure of leaders to adequately assess and mitigate risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The day-to-day management and oversight of the home is poor. Following the unplanned and sudden departure of the registered manager, senior leaders failed to recognise the effect this would have and they did not implement a clear and structured plan. The home has been over-reliant on the goodwill and tireless efforts of the deputy manager and a registered manager, who is dual registered for two other homes operated by the provider. There is no audit trail to demonstrate how this arrangement has come about or that it has been judged by senior leaders to be sufficient.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite the best efforts of the covering manager and deputy manager, there is a significant failure by the senior leadership to lead and direct the ad hoc management arrangements and oversight of the home. This has meant risk Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 5 management guidance for the children has not been updated or monitored, leaving serious gaps and omissions in risk management for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The failure to have designated lines of responsibility and accountability for the daily management of the home has resulted in other aspects also being missed and not monitored. A poor staff induction process has resulted in a new staff member not receiving the guidance, training and supervision necessary to undertake aspects of the role. This has included lone working with a child who presents a significant self- harm and suicide risk. This serious omission has placed the child at significant risk of harm and gives new staff an unreasonable amount of responsibility.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

More widely, other staff have not received regular and meaningful supervision during this challenging period. Senior leaders have failed to recognise this heightened need for protected time to discuss the significant needs and care planning for the children, as well as to ensure the staff’s well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Although very recently reviewed, the home’s statement of purpose does not accurately describe its main aims and function. This has changed since the home first registered, however, the description of the provision as a ‘transitional home’ has not been removed. This is misleading to local authorities when looking for specific types of provisions for children. In addition, the overall quality of this document is compromised by numerous omissions, including incomplete sentences. The poor quality of this key document is another example of the lack of senior leadership oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records for the use of physical intervention lack management oversight on occasion. These records have either lacked the required information or failed to demonstrate that children have had the opportunity to discuss the intervention. Consequently, opportunities to learn from incidents are being missed and the children’s views are not always considered. This shortfall has led to an inconsistent response to known behaviours from children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

During feedback at this inspection, senior leaders responded appropriately and quickly with an assurance that significant changes would be made immediately to improve leadership arrangements, with particular regard to the safety of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted has issued two compliance notices in respect of safeguarding and leadership and management and will continue to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting these. Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 19 December

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 28 January 2022

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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— 19 December Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(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.

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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’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c)) 28 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 28 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure all identified means of escape are safe. 28 January 2022

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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 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

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 (1)(a) (4)(b)) 28 January 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 8 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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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 (3)(a)(iii)(c)) 28 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are 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 for children's home: 2515370 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sanita Marshalleck

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Inspectors

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Sophie Wood, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children's home: 2515370 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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