Children's Home run by PCT Care Services Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 1 SC471856 Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to six children aged between eight and 18 who may have experienced trauma or neglect.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2019.

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 14 October 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 24 October 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2019 Full Good 13/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were living at the home at the time of inspection. Both had done so for a significant time. Over time, the children have made progress in different areas of their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living at the home and have good relationships with staff. Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and strive to provide the best opportunities for them. Children feel able to talk to staff, and the relationships that staff build with children help them feel cared for. Children know how to raise concerns and when they have done so, managers have responded and resolved these appropriately.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education and this has helped children make progress. Working relationships between the staff and children’s schools are effective. This has meant that when issues have arisen for children, staff have worked with the school staff to find solutions. When children have been unable to go to school due to restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have engaged children in learning at home. A deputy headteacher from one child’s school said that staff have been innovative in doing this, using the child’s own interests to promote learning. Another child’s attendance has decreased recently, partly due to health needs. However, staff have worked closely with relevant professionals to find solutions. This has resulted in some alternative provision being identified which the child has started to engage in well.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children build and maintain relationships that are important to them. Staff take children to see family members and advocate for children in relation to these arrangements. One child has recently had an increase in the time that they can spend with their family, which staff helped him advocate for. Staff help children to access independent advocacy. Consequently, children know that their views are valued and will be acted on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a safe environment for children. However, some areas need maintenance. There are several marks on walls, some flooring is worn and wallpaper is peeling off in one child’s bedroom. Some of this is due to incidents in recent weeks and work has begun to make necessary improvements, but this is not completed.

p.3

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

Staff have a good understanding of risks to children and intervene in ways that have helped these to reduce. One child has had a significant decrease in incidents of aggressive behaviour towards others in the time he has lived at the home. Staff take appropriate action in response to children going missing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 4 A child who moved to the home recently was involved in frequent incidents of aggressive and bullying behaviours. Managers took appropriate steps to manage these behaviours by putting extra staff on shift and strongly advocating for additional services from external professionals. When it was felt that the home was not the right one for the child, managers made the decision for the child to move on. However, they did not do so until they had taken steps to try and work effectively with the child.

p.3

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

Staff help children to access support in relation to their emotional well-being. This has included ongoing therapeutic work for children in relation to bereavement and self-harm. One child has been involved in several incidents of self-harm. Staff have generally responded well to these. Staff advocated for him to receive an appropriate service from health professionals and supported him to attend appointments. However, following one incident, medical advice was not sought within appropriate timescales. The manager identified the need for treatment when he saw the injury but the failure of staff to identify this initially meant that treatment was delayed.

p.4

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

Children’s risk assessments contain clear strategies for staff to manage different situations and behaviours, and staff work in line with these. However, risk assessments have not always been updated when new behaviours emerge. Following one incident, managers identified new behaviours. However, the child’s risk assessment was not updated, which meant that strategies for staff to respond to these behaviours were not put in place until a further incident occurred. Regular unwanted behaviours from another child were not accurately detailed in their risk assessment. A failure to ensure that risk assessments include all known behaviours has meant that strategies for staff to manage these are not always kept under review and actions to minimise risk have not always been put in place.

p.4

good

The manager is child-focused and has high expectations for children. Managers are visible and have regularly worked shifts with the children, particularly during a recent period which was especially challenging. Staff appreciate this support, and increased staffing has meant that incidents have been managed more effectively. However, it has affected managers’ ability to undertake all necessary management tasks.

p.4

good

The manager has some systems in place for monitoring of the home. However, monitoring of behavioural incidents and physical interventions is poor. This has meant that consideration of how such incidents are managed is not always undertaken and, therefore, possible improvements to practice are not always identified. Managers have failed to ensure that when actions have been identified on review of incidents or through staff discussions that these have been followed up.

p.4

good

Staff said that they are well supported by managers. However, there are significant gaps between supervisions for several staff. This has included during the recent Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 5 unsettled period. This has meant that during particularly challenging times staff have not had the space for reflection and learning that supervision provides.

p.4

good

Staff training is up to date and includes a wide variety of topics. However, staff have not undertaken training in relation to self-harm. This is in the process of being arranged, but only after a number of incidents of self-harm. One staff member has not achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within the required timescales.

p.5

good

Team meetings take place regularly and are used to consider the care provided to children and how this can be developed. Staff appraisals are used effectively to reflect on staff’s strengths and areas for development.

p.5

good

Managers have built good relationships with external professionals, who all spoke of excellent levels of communication and being kept up to date in relation to any incidents and concerns. Good working relationships help managers work effectively with external professionals to support children and overcome challenges that arise. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(c)) 20 December

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff update children’s risk assessments following incidents and that clear strategies are in place to reduce risks to children. 10 January 2022

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 10 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 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))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.7

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 June 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 10 January 2022

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. In particular, ensure that communal areas and children’s bedrooms are maintained to a good standard. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 8  The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to help children understand and, when necessary, work to change behaviours in areas such as health and well-being. In particular, ensure that staff are trained in supporting children who self-harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

p.7

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: SC471856 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Old Hall Farm, Silfield Road, Silfield, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 9NH

p.9

Inspector

Joe Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC471856 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10