Children's home run by Blossom Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 1 Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since November 2020.

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 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. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home in an unplanned way. Currently, there is one child living in the home. The provider has taken some learning from the unplanned endings, with changes made to admissions procedures, however, these procedures have not yet been tested.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Currently, the home has no registered manager and no responsible individual in post. Since the last inspection, there have been two interim managers overseeing the home. Due to a lack of consistent effective management oversight, there has been a decline in the quality of care provided to children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been some changes in staffing since the last inspection, with some staff leaving. Feedback to the inspector was mixed, with some staff reporting poor morale, and not feeling valued and supported. Changes in the staff team have led to an inconsistent approach to managing children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are not having regular supervision and only one staff member has had their appraisal. In addition, the deputy manager whilst still in probation has not had regular reviews of her probation. This does not give staff opportunities to reflect and improve their practice .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management reviewing and monitoring systems are not effective. For example, the provider has not completed their quality-of-care review within 6 months. The report was not submitted to Ofsted in a timely way.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s case files do not contain all relevant documents. For example, a child’s current personal education plan was not on file, with the copy on file being out of date. This means that staff do not know children’s up-to-date educational targets.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child living in the home is not attending school on a regular basis. Staff and the manager have low expectations for how long the child should attend school for each day. The child is deciding what time to go and how long to stay in school. This does not help the child learn the value and importance of education. Staff and managers do not adequately address this with the child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

When the child is not in school, staff are not ensuring that the child has structure to their day. Staff do not consistently engage the child in constructive activities. This means that the child has little to look forward to or do during the day. Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 3 The child is not in a good routine and is getting up when they want, which varies on a day-to-day basis. This does not help the child learn good routines.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have implemented a reward chart with the child to try and encourage school attendance and improve engagement with staff in activities. However, this is not working. Managers have not looked at this to try and understand why. Staff are not given guidance on alternative strategies to work with the child to address this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and the managers do not ensure that children are having their routine annual health checks. For example, a child’s annual local authority health check and their annual dental health check are overdue. In addition, the child vapes. There is no plan to help the child to stop vaping. This does not fully promote children’s health and well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake some direct work with children. However, this work is not always linked to what is set out in children’s plans or undertaken in response to children’s behaviours. For example, when the child vapes, staff have not addressed this with the child. This is a missed opportunity for staff to work with the child to help them develop insight into their actions. In addition, the quality of direct work is variable. There is no management overview to consider the child’s progress, therefore staff are not able to measure progress and plan future work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have not followed children’s missing-from-care protocols. This has not been addressed with staff. There have been a high number of incidents of children missing from care since the last inspection. Recently, the manager has implemented some learning from this, with changes made to policies and procedures and staff given training. The changes made are in their early stages and yet to be fully embedded.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records relating to physical intervention have improved and now show better detail in terms of what led to the restraint, details of the restraint and includes a record of a staff and child de brief. However, management oversight of these incidents is not reflective and does not show learning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The current interim manager has started to make changes to policies and practices. These are still in their early stages and their impact is not yet known.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Five requirements raised at the last inspection have not been met and are repeated and an additional four requirements have been made. Following this inspection, two compliance notices have been issued. Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 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, 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 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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(x)) 3 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 17 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 17 April 2022

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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

that staff— 17 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 7 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 socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v))

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 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 relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 3 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(b)(4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 17 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; 17 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 9 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children to engage in structured activities when they are not in school. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that records of restraint include management reflection which looks at effective practice and learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 10 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: 2560305 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 56 Rolleston Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0JZ

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Inspector

Shazana Jamal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2560305 12 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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