Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 1 SC489223 Registered provider: Idem Living 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 operated by a private provider. It is registered for two children.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since April 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 6 and 7 November 2019, to undertake a full inspection. In addition, we undertook a virtual monitoring visit on 3 February 2021. The reports are 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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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

Date of last inspection: 6 November 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2019 Full Good 17/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/05/2018 Full Good 18/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. Staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs. The child told the inspector that she is happy living here, likes the staff, enjoys the activities and feels safe. The child is listened to, and she said that she feels listened to. She has recently contributed to the plans to improve the home’s environment. At this inspection, the inspector observed positive interactions between the staff and the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff support and encourage the child to attend school. When there are challenges in the child’s educational needs being met, managers work in partnership with other professionals to improve the child’s outcomes. However, the child is not in full-time education, and staff are not recording how they are providing the child with opportunities for meaningful education.

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improvement to be good

Despite the staff’s efforts, since coming to live at the home, the child has not made friends or friendships groups with children of her own age. At times she is reluctant to participate in activities in the community

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improvement to be good

There are plans to redecorate and refurbish parts of the home. However, these plans have drifted and do not include required repairs to external lighting. In addition, consideration is required regarding the addition of a domestic style gate to the driveway.

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improvement to be good

Generally, managers respond effectively to potential safeguarding concerns and report these to the appropriate safeguarding agencies. The records of the actions taken and the resolutions of concerns are clear and well documented. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding protocols. However, this inspection identified potential safeguarding concerns that have not been reported to the designated officer. The acting responsible person took immediate action and reported the matters to the designated officer.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good awareness of the child’s risks and are guided by detailed risk assessments, behaviour support plans and safety plans. These are regularly reviewed and updated.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is used as a last resort to keep the child and staff safe. The use of restraint has reduced in recent months and most of the interventions are low level. However, discussions with children following the use of an intervention are not always conducted by staff who were not involved in the restraint. In addition, senior Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 4 managers have not undertaken discussions with managers who have been involved in an intervention.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to develop positive behaviour. They complete detailed records in relation to incidents. However, managers do not always fully scrutinise, monitor and evaluate incidents and the use of physical intervention effectively.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that selection and recruitment are effective and safeguard children. In addition, managers have conducted a detailed and effective risk assessment of the location of the children’s home.

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good

A virtual monitoring visit took place in February 2021. The registered manager left the home in April 2021. An interim manager was appointed, and subsequently left. However, another manager has been appointed and he is in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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good

In recent months, several staff have left the home. Children have been supported by staff from other children’s homes within the organisation. As a result of this, children have not received continuity and consistency of care from a stable team of staff who have the necessary experience, training and skills to meet the needs of the children. A requirement was also raised about the training and skills of staff at the inspection in 2019 and has not yet been met.

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good

The manager and senior managers have failed to ensure that all incidents, accidents and physical intervention records are regularly monitored, scrutinised and evaluated effectively. This means that any potential safeguarding concerns or patterns and trends cannot be identified and acted upon.

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good

Managers have submitted detailed reports on the quality of care provided and where improvements are needed. However, the reports do not include the views of the children. A requirement was also raised about the quality and effectiveness of these reports at the full inspection in 2019. The manager responds effectively to recommendations made by the independent person. Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff record how they are providing meaningful opportunities for education while children are not in full-time education. 30 November

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that effective action is taken when potential safeguarding concerns arise. 30 November Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 6 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the records of incidents, accidents and physical intervention are regularly monitored, scrutinised and evaluated. 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within—

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Requirement Due date

48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (the ‘authorised person’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that discussions held with children following an intervention are not undertaken by staff who took part in the intervention. In addition, ensure that senior managers conduct discussions with managers if these managers have been involved in an intervention. 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. 31 March 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 7 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 feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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Requirement Due date

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 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the quality of care review includes the views of the children and stakeholders, and evaluate how these views can inform improvements in the quality of care that is provided.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is nurturing and a supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, implement the homes’ development plan, repair the external lighting and give consideration to the domestic style gates being installed at the driveway of the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to develop friendships with children of their own age, and encourage them to participate in activities in the community. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.6)

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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: SC489223 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Stable Court, Business Centre Water Lane Tarbock Green, Prescot L35 1RD

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Inspector

David Kidner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489223 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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