Children's Home run by Unique Care Homes Support Limited in Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 1 SC473699 Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a large private provider. It provides care for up to six children. The provider says in their statement of purpose that they provide care for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has recently left the home. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following the full inspection on 12 October 2021, two compliance notices were Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 2 served under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Subsequently, a monitoring visit was carried out on 1 December 2021 to evaluate the progress made against the steps set out in the compliance notices. The report from this visit is available on our website. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Inadequate 27/08/2019 Full Outstanding 16/10/2018 Full Outstanding 12/12/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 4

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improvement to be good

Children have noticed positive changes at the home recently. The children say that they are happy living at the home. In talking about what they liked about living at the home, a child said: ‘Things are different now. Staff talk to us more about things.’

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improvement to be good

The home environment is clean, tidy and in keeping with a family home. Children have personalised their bedrooms to their individual tastes. Children receive the support they need from staff to keep their bedrooms looking nice and to a good standard of cleanliness.

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improvement to be good

Children can express their wishes and feelings during the regular children’s meetings. Children are heard and they feel valued. Staff carry out individual work with children and they address any concerns in a transparent and restorative manner. This means that children are better able to think about how their choices or behaviour might affect other people.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans are sometimes inaccurate. They do not always accurately reflect the children’s care, the most appropriate behaviour management strategies or the arrangements for education. On some occasions, recording lacks sufficient detail. For example, following a recent incident, the recording was inaccurate. This led to the incident not being followed up with professionals or followed up through direct work with the child concerned.

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improvement to be good

Education outcomes for children are variable. Some children are making good progress in education, while others are not. Children are not always supported to attend school on time. For example, one child has been taken to school late on over 30 occasions. This has a negative impact on the child’s experience of school and on their education. Another child has recently been excluded from their education setting. The information about this exclusion was not accurately recorded by staff.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, staff have received extensive training to support them to keep children safe. Staff know their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Recent training has sometimes been child specific. This provides staff with greater insight and is helpful in meeting children’s individual needs.

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improvement to be good

The acting manager reviews all children’s risk assessments and updates these as and when required. However, there has been a significant delay in all staff reading Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 5 these important documents. Additionally, some staff still struggle to understand the risks and vulnerabilities of the children, despite having read the documents. Staff are not always clear about the actions they should take to keep the children safe in certain situations. This is an area of practice that needs strengthening.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour support plans do not always accurately reflect their behavioural needs. The process of updating and overseeing plans is not yet effective in supporting staff to respond confidently.

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improvement to be good

Some incidents at the home are not managed well. For example, following a recent incident, there were shortfalls in how staff recorded and shared information. In particular, there were delays in information-sharing with the child’s social worker and the designated officer. Delays such as this can hamper the response of safeguarding agencies, which, in turn, risks not achieving the best outcome for children.

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good

A new manager has been appointed. She has a clear vision for the home, and she is working towards embedding a different ethos and culture, which focus on therapeutic parenting and restorative practice.

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good

New management monitoring systems have been introduced. The intention is to improve the management oversight of the quality of care provided to children.

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good

The manager has started to work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies. This has led to some improvements in the coordination of children’s care, but this is still at an early stage. Feedback from professionals is variable, with some professionals feeling that communication with managers and staff has improved and others yet to see improvement.

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good

Staff feel well supported by the manager. They enjoy working at the home and feel that they are working in a more child-focused manner. Two members of staff commented on the positive changes the new manager has made. There has also been improved communication between staff.

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good

Staff also commented that the manager supports them in attending external professional’s meetings. This helps the staff to develop a better understanding of the children’s needs. Staff feel that they have improved working relationships with other professionals. Staff are now more confident in seeking advice and guidance on specific issues relating to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff–

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that partnership working with relevant agencies is effective. 1 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to staff working in accordance with children’s agreed and relevant plans. 1 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 7 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 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

This relates to the need for effective communication with schools regarding children’s attendance and plans. 1 March 2022

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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:

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff working in accordance with children’s risk assessments, and that these assessments are updated and contain current and known risks. This also relates to timely reporting of complaints and allegations to the appropriate agencies. 1 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 8 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experience of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvement in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that there is effective management oversight of children’s files. 1 March 2022

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; and

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that placement plans are regularly reviewed and updated, and contain all current and relevant information. 1 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 9

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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: SC473699 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unique Care Homes Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspectors

Sarah Orriss, social care inspector Pradip Panchmatia, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC473699 11 regulates and inspects 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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