Children's home run by Park Blue Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 1 Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to three children who have social and/or emotional difficulties and/or learning difficulties. It is owned and managed by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children currently live in the home.

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Inspection date: 14 December 2021

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 14 December 2021

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness. One requirement under regulation 35 is reissued, and two recommendations are made following this visit.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider applied to vary the conditions of registration to accommodate children with social and/or emotional difficulties and/or learning difficulties. Approval for registration was granted in June 2021. Since the variation was granted, the provider has accommodated a third child. Careful care planning, which considers the needs and mix of group living, has been successful. Children are settled and are making progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children receive support from a skilled staff team and this helps to better protect them. However, managers do not have an effective system in place to ensure that the children’s placing authorities receive information about the children in a consistent and timely manner. For example, staff complete body maps when children sustain injuries. There was one incident in which there was a delay in a child’s placing authority being notified about an unexplained injury. The placing authority was satisfied that the injury was accidental. However, delays in notifying placing authorities of children’s injuries potentially leave children vulnerable to risk of harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children with mobility needs can exit the building in an emergency via suitably fitted doors. However, the ramp that is required to enable a smooth evacuation is not fitted. No child has suffered harm as a result, but this could delay the children exiting the building safely in the event of an emergency.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children receive support from a nurturing staff team when they are in crisis. Occasionally, staff have to use physical intervention to support children in these circumstances. Records of these restraints continue to be poor. They do not contain all the necessary information to meet the regulation. For example, records are not clear, and some information recorded is incorrect and misleading. This means that the manager does not have sufficient information regarding staff practice to ensure that the use of physical intervention is necessary and proportionate.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s care plans are individualised and detail how they will be supported by staff. Set targets in children’s care plans are regularly reviewed by the staff and manager to ensure that the children make continued progress. A member of staff said: ‘The children’s care plans are much more child-focused. They focus more on the individual child, and they are not as generic. This is how it should be. I feel more empowered because as a staff team we are contributing to children’s plans. We get to capture the child and the progress that they make.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 3 Children are better protected because of the improved systems to administer their medication. Staff have completed training around safer handling of medication. The manager has implemented an effective monitoring system and completed regular audits around handling children’s medication. This means that she can identify

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

potential shortfalls and respond quickly to prevent children being harmed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children with complex needs receive appropriate care and support throughout the night should they wake up and require assistance. The manager has an effective system in place to carefully monitor children’s welfare throughout the night. The use of a mobile monitoring device helps the staff to respond quickly, and support children should they require assistance during the night. This improves the children’s safety and welfare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 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, and the 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 registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 14 January 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 6 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the design of the home includes necessary adaptation to meet the needs of disabled children or specific health issues. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’ page 17, paragraph 3.24)  The registered person should ensure that they prepare and implement policies setting out: the arrangements for the safeguarding of children from abuse or neglect; clear procedures for referring child protection concerns to the placing authority or local authority where the home is situated if appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’ page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2509892 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fairfield Lodge, Evenwood Gate, Bishop Auckland DL14 9NH

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Inspector

Jacqueline Tate, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 8 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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