Children's Home run by First Blue Healthcare Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 1 Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited 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 company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a new manager in post, who took up position in July 2021. She is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not applicable. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 3

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improvement to be good

This is the first inspection since the home was registered in June 2020. During this time, the registered manager has resigned and a new manager has recently been appointed.

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improvement to be good

Since the home opened, several children’s placements have ended because staff could not meet the needs of the children or keep them safe. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured the safe matching of children in the home. When new children arrive at the home, managers do not suitably consider each child’s presenting needs, whether the staff team has the skills to manage these, and the likely impact that new placements will have on the children already resident at the home. This practice is not effective in ensuring the safety and well-being of all children.

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improvement to be good

Children have a range of school placements available to meet their individual needs. However, despite the staff’s best efforts, some children find it very difficult to maintain a positive routine that enables them to attend school regularly. This limited attendance has affected children’s abilities to learn and achieve academic success.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health and well-being are promoted. Staff ensure that statutory health assessments are completed for all children and help each child to attend all required medical appointments. Medication is stored safely, and records are maintained on the administration of medication.

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improvement to be good

Children have clear plans in place to ensure that they retain positive links with family members and friends. Staff support these arrangements both practically as well as providing emotional support to children. These arrangements reflect any restrictions that may be in place to safeguard children, and these are clearly understood and followed by staff.

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improvement to be good

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been cared for by a committed staff team. Staff have worked hard during the pandemic to minimise the impact of restrictions on children’s lives. The government guidance was followed appropriately to minimise the risks and meet childrens needs.

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improvement to be good

In recent months, incidents at the home have begun to reduce. Previously high numbers of physical interventions for individual children are reducing significantly. However, the recording of these interventions does not include all of the information Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 4 required. This means that the manager cannot evaluate the use of physical interventions effectively. This is a missed opportunity to learn from incidents and allow staff and children to reflect on incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they feel safe. The staff team receives regular safeguarding training and has an understanding of its duties in promoting children’s welfare. Staff make sure that care plans and risk assessments are in place for each child to help to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Swift action is taken by staff when children go missing from the home. Partnership working with the police and safeguarding agencies helps to ensure that children are safe. Staff go looking for children and, in line with protocols, share information with the police at an early stage. Children are provided with an independent person to speak to on their return home. This helps to add detail to existing information, which, if appropriately considered, may help to protect them from going missing again.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that children benefit from living in a safe environment. Staff make sure that the home is kept safe by carrying out regular health and safety checks and making sure that equipment is serviced. Staff also practise the home’s fire evacuation procedure and test the system on a regular basis. Children also participate in fire evacuation so that they know what to do in the event of a fire or other emergency situations, which helps to keep everyone safe.

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improvement to be good

Children are protected by the organisation’s robust recruitment practice. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is made. This procedure promotes the safety of the children by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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good

The new manager started in August 2021. The manager is beginning to develop a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She has started to make changes to take the home forward, for example establishing a monitoring system to give greater insight over staff training.

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good

Staff are competent and have a good understanding of their responsibilities. All staff continue to develop their knowledge through training opportunities. However, one child was admitted to the home with a specific need and staff only received training for this two weeks after she moved in. This could have placed the child at risk of potential harm.

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good

There have been serious incidents involving children from the home. The manager has not routinely notified Ofsted of these events. This regulatory breach has an impact on the regulator’s oversight of the protection of children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 5 The manager ensures that communication between agencies is effective in ensuring that all parties are kept well informed of children’s progress. One social worker reported, ‘The home has excellent communication with me. They send me weekly feedbacks, they are available when necessary, and they have supported [name] to have good communication with me.’ These arrangements ensure that clear lines of communication have been established. Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 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 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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children in the home being engaged in education, training or employment. 8 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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 8 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 7 This specifically relates to staff receiving training to meet a specific child’s needs prior to them moving into the home.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to impact risk assessments, including consultation with others as part of the assessment process. Furthermore, to ensure that assessments inform admissions to the home. 8 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 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)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 8 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; 8 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 8 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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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: 2591708 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Blue Healthcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seighford Hall, Clanford Road, Seighford, Stafford ST18 9NL

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2591708 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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