Children's Home run by Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 1 Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered on 30 July 2021. The registered manager has been in post since this time and is suitably qualified. This is the home’s first inspection.

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 3

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improvement to be good

This is the home’s first inspection since it was registered on 30 July 2021. Children’s overall care requires improvement. There are two children in placement, however, at the time of the inspection, one child was living back at his family home at his mother’s request. The home’s admission and discharge log did not reflect the children currently in placement. Staff were of the understanding that this child’s placement had formally ended, which was not accurate.

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improvement to be good

Since the home opened, there have been changes in the staff team. New staff have been recruited, however, several have left quickly. On occasion, staff from other homes and agency staff have been used to cover gaps in the rota. This means that children have not always received care from a consistent staff team that know them well.

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improvement to be good

Feedback from professionals was varied. One social worker reported no concerns regarding the care provided to children. However, another social worker raised concerns regarding managers’ and staff’s communication and the sharing of information in a timely manner. This could compromise the quality of care children receive.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has not ensured that they have the relevant consents for aspects of children’s care from those with parental responsibility. This shortfall means that there are no clear permissions in place to direct the care of children.

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improvement to be good

Children are not encouraged to read or contribute to their care plans. This is a missed opportunity to help children inform how they are cared for. However, staff carry out key-working sessions with children in essential areas regarding their individual needs and risks. For example, staff have conversations about sensitive subjects, such as positive relationships, grooming and online safety. This helps children to understand their behaviours, potential risks and how to keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to engage in activities outside of the home. Children attend a variety of activities that they enjoy, such as swimming, boxing and trips out in the local community. As a result, children increase their self-confidence and self-esteem through positive experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children are settled in the home and have good relationships with staff. One child told the inspector that she likes living at the home, likes her bedroom and has everything that she needs. She was sad about one member of staff who had recently left. Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 4 Staff support children to attend health and other specialist appointments. This means that children are receiving support for their physical and emotional well- being. In addition, staff support children in their learning. This includes supporting one child to find a new school placement after a period out of full-time education. As a result, children are progressing well in all aspects of their lives.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s supervision and monitoring of children has not been sufficient at times to safeguard children. One child has been able to access cutlery on several occasions that she has then used to threaten staff and self-harm with. Another child was able to disable the window restrictor on his bedroom window and place himself at risk. On one occasion, a child’s parent shared a serious concern about her child’s use of a mobile phone. Managers failed to take these concerns seriously and did not take sufficient action to safeguard the child until more than a week later. In response, managers have increased the staffing at the home to minimise the likelihood of further incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not all up to date or do not capture all known risks for children. In addition, staff who work at the home have not read all the risk paperwork. However, the staff spoken to during the inspection were aware of the risks to the children and what action staff should take to protect them.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow processes put in place to safeguard children. For example, daily phone checks should take place for one child, but the registered manager has not ensured that these happen. Staff do not prevent children from entering the staff office. These shortfalls in practice have the potential to place children in unsafe situations.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond well when children go missing. Staff search for them and contact emergency services as needed. However, staff do not always inform parents when their children go missing or when they return. Return home interviews with children have not always taken place within the required time frame or by an independent person. This is a missed opportunity to explore with children why they place themselves at risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff use de-escalation and distraction to help keep children occupied and to reduce the need for physical interventions. However, on occasion, staff have used physical intervention despite not being trained in the organisation’s approved method of physical restraint. This has the potential to place children at risk, as staff do not have the skills to hold children safely.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that all physical intervention records contain the required information and that reviews of the intervention take place within the require time frame. This hinders the manager’s oversight of the use of physical interventions within the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 5 Staff reward children for their achievements and positive behaviours. This helps children learn to make positive choices. However, when sanctions are imposed on children, the registered manager is not reviewing their use to assure herself that those sanctions are appropriate.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has ensured that new staff working at the home are safely recruited. All relevant checks have been made before new staff start their employment. This means that staff have been suitably vetted to work with children.

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good

The shortfalls identified at this inspection show that the registered manager does not monitor all aspects of the home effectively. The registered manager does not use the monitoring systems in place to have sufficient oversight of the home. As a result, there have been shortfalls in the home’s safeguarding practice. The manager has failed to identify and address poor recording in documentation or gaps in paperwork, such as in relation to physical interventions, sanctions and missing-from- care incidents. As a result, the manager has not taken action to improve practice.

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good

The registered manager has failed to ensure that there is an accurate roster in place that records the planned and actual hours worked by staff. As a result, these documents cannot be relied on to identify when staff have been at work. This means that Ofsted cannot be assured that children are suitably and safely cared for.

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good

The manager has not ensured that the home’s statement of purpose is up to date and has not shared this with Ofsted within the required time frames.

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good

The registered manager has failed to notify Ofsted of all notifiable events. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of safeguarding and serious incidents between inspections.

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good

The quality of staff induction and probation processes in the home is variable. The registered manager has not ensured that all new staff receive a structured induction and probation reviews are not consistently taking place. This does not support staff to develop and improve their practice. Despite these shortfalls, staff feel supported by the manager and have access to supervision.

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good

All members of the staff team have obtained the level 3 diploma in residential childcare or equivalent within the required time frame. However, staff have not had specific training that they require to meet all the needs of the children living at the home. Not all staff have completed training in self-harming behaviours, attachment and therapeutic parenting or safeguarding children with learning difficulties. In addition, staff have not been trained in the therapeutic approaches they are expected to use, as detailed in the children’s risk assessments. This could compromise the quality of care children receive. Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 6 On the rare occasion that a complaint is made, the registered manager responds swiftly to address the issue raised.

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good

The registered manager and staff team are passionate about the children and have a good knowledge and understanding of the children’s needs and how best to care for them. As a result, children make progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 7

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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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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;

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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)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers and staff should take all necessary steps to safeguard children. In addition, managers should ensure that risk assessments are up to date, that they include effective strategies for staff to follow and that all staff read and follow risk assessments. 11 April 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 11 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 8 relation to the children’s home that—

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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 homes statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place to review and improve the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that there are enough staff employed to care for the children who have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the home’s statement of purpose is updated and shared with Ofsted within required time frames. 11 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 9 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that new staff receive a structured induction into the home and their performance is reviewed via the probation process. 11 April 2022

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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

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

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that physical intervention records contain the required information and that reviews of the intervention take place within the require time frame. This 11 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 10 also relates to ensuring that there is appropriate management oversight of sanctions.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the staff rota shows planned and actual hours worked by all staff. This also relates to ensuring that the register of children is accurate. 11 April 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 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)(d)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that Ofsted is notified of serious incidents within the home. 11 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records are kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff, or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This is with particular regard to ensuring that staff maintain a full record of all missing-from-care episodes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 11

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Recommendations

independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that all their staff have been adequately trained in the principles of restraint and any restraint techniques. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)  The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as living documents, supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that key paperwork, such as written consent

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Recommendations

from parents or local authorities, is in place for each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 11.11)

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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: 2633398 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 Queen Street, Wellington, Telford TF1 1EH

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2633398 13 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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