Children's home run by Platform Childcare Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 1 Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager left the home on 19 November 2021. There is currently an acting manager in place.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken following concerns being raised with Ofsted. These concerns relate to there being insufficient staff to provide safe and good- quality care for children. Concerns were raised regarding the transparency of information-sharing with external professional agencies, the recording of incidents, health and safety of the property and the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Children report that things have deteriorated following the registered manager leaving the home. There have been difficulties with both the recruitment and the retention of staff. This has led to staff shortages. Existing staff are working extra hours to make up for shortfalls in the rota. This is unsustainable. The children miss the staff who have left. For example, one child blames himself when staff leave and wonders if he has done something wrong.

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This monitoring visit

There are not always enough staff to safely manage children’s behaviour. For example, on one occasion, a staff member was left supervising three children. The children were fighting, and the member of staff had to leave them alone to get help from managers. This staffing issue was not accurately recorded on children’s files, no incident form was completed and children’s risk assessments were not updated. Additionally, a child was restrained in this incident. But there is no record of any child present having had a debrief following the incident. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 2 The staff and involved professionals report an increase in incidents. However, this does not correlate to the recording on children’s files. When children have been involved in incidents, their relevant plans have not been updated to reflect this.

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This monitoring visit

A child made a complaint to the acting manager in January 2022. However, the child has not yet received an outcome letter in response to their complaint.

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This monitoring visit

There has been some damage caused to the outside of the property. Although some damage has been repaired, some health and safety risks remain. For example, a shard of glass was found near the back door. Similarly, house bricks have been piled in the side garden. This causes a risk to children. Although the home is generally well presented, one child’s bedroom is not hygienic. This has not been adequately prioritised by the acting manager or staff since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Involved professional agencies report that children’s behaviour has regressed. For example, one child who is predominantly non-verbal has smashed photo frames in the house. This is uncharacteristic behaviour. It demonstrates that he is unsettled. All children have learning disabilities and say that they are struggling to cope with some of the recent changes in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Although there are some significant shortfalls, the responsible individual is experienced and has a good reputation for providing good, safe care to children. Interim management arrangements have been put in place to reduce risks and improve standards of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/11/2021 Full Good 15/10/2019 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 4

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 5 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children being cared for by staff who can adequately supervise them, meet their needs, keep them safe and respond to changes in behaviour.

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 6 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff de-escalating situations before children are harmed. Incidents involving children should be accurately recorded and shared with relevant professional agencies. Children should receive personalised care that meets their needs and makes them feel safe. The home should be hygienic and free from any hazards.

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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—

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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 experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 7 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to there being enough experienced staff to provide good, safe care for children, and improved consultation with children and staff following incidents. Management oversight and systems for quality assurance require improvement.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s homes staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home’s plan for their care. Each child’s talents and interests should be understood and nurtured, with children selecting activities based on their personal preferences and abilities, so far as is reasonable. Staff should also support children to try activities that are new for them, where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision must enable staff to reflect and act upon how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Platform Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 2, First Floor, Millennium Court, First Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton-upon-Trent DE14 2WH

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Inspector

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263505 9 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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