Children's home run by Consistent Quality Support Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 1 Registered provider: Consistent Quality Support Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned and run by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child with EBD (social and emotional difficulties) or learning difficulties.

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

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 2

p.1

improvement to be good

The home provides care and support to one child. The child is doing well and told the inspector they feel happy and safe.

p.2

improvement to be good

The child’s social worker said: ‘The child has built trust with staff and told me that the placement feels like home.’

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff have been good at building relationships and ensuring achievable steps to progress. They have supported the child with her identity needs.

p.2

improvement to be good

Educational arrangements have not been adequate. The child does not yet have a school placement. The child has had minimal education since the placement commenced.

p.2

improvement to be good

Multi-agency arrangements ensure that the emotional and psychological needs of the child are met. However, the child still does not have a coherent mental health care plan.

p.2

improvement to be good

The child benefits from a high standard of accommodation. The home is comfortable and welcoming, like a family home. But staff wear lanyards and carry large bunches of keys. This is an institutional practice.

p.2

improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice has protected the child from potential harm. There has been a reduction of self-injurious behaviours. This is because the members of the team understand how to recognise and respond to potential incidents.

p.2

improvement to be good

Physical interventions are only used to prevent harm. From the start of the placement, physical interventions have reduced. This shows staff are effective in understanding young people and behaviour management.

p.2

improvement to be good

Partnership work is largely positive. Stakeholders comment on effective communication and collaborative work. One professional said: ‘I have found the manager and all staff to be helpful and insightful around supporting the child in their care.’

p.2

improvement to be good

Multi-agency safeguarding practice is broadly sound. However, one safeguarding incident was not reported to Ofsted. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of safeguarding practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 3 Managers did not follow safeguarding procedures when a child made an allegation about staff conduct. An internal investigation commenced without consultation with the designated safeguarding officer. This again limits external review of safeguarding practice.

p.2

improvement to be good

Recruitment practice is not robust. A lack of detailed vetting fails to ensure the safe recruitment of staff.

p.3

good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She is a positive role model. Her passion and drive are instrumental in the development of the staff team.

p.3

good

Partnership work is largely positive. Stakeholders comment on effective communication and collaborative work. One professional said: ‘I have found the manager and all staff to be helpful and insightful around supporting the child in their care.’

p.3

good

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the home. Difficulties in recruiting suitable staff also had an impact. These combined factors have affected the registered manager’s ability to effectively manage two homes.

p.3

good

Arrangements to promote the child’s educational and psychological needs have not been sufficient. The registered manager has not robustly escalated concerns to relevant agencies. This means that the child is falling further behind with their education and is not receiving enough support to promote their mental well-being. needs.

p.3

good

The child’s progress in monitored, but there is a lack of analysis of how the child’s care is impacting on their progression. This means the impact of care on progression is not understood. This fails to support effective planning to promote children’s development.

p.3

good

The registered manager has not submitted the statement of purpose to Ofsted. This further restricts the regulator’s oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 4

p.3

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.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

p.4

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)

p.4

Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to escalating concerns to relevant agencies where children’s needs are unmet. 4 March 2022

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; 4 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 5 help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(vii)(viii)(x))

p.4

Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to ensuring children access structured education and have a clear plan to return to school.

p.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(f))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the analysis of the child’s progress and identifying obstacles to progress. 4 March 2022

p.5

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. (Regulation 16 (1)) 4 March 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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 (3)(a)(b)) 4 March 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.5

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 4 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 6 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.5

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3)

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This refers to ensuring that there are clear and comprehensive recruitment checks as specified in Schedule 2 and to ensuring that where information is temporarily missing, a risk assessment is in place.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring prompt referral of safeguarding concerns and allegations to the designated officer. 4 March 2022

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered providers should ensure management capacity to effectively manage two homes. Any registered manager employed in the home should have sufficient capacity to ensure that the Quality Standards are met for each child in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. With reference to the wearing of lanyards and bunches of keys. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 7 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: 2570084 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Consistent Quality Support Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Scarlet Way, Shirebrook, Mansfield NG20 8FW

p.8

Inspector

Amanda Ellis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2570084 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9