Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 1 SC404983 Registered provider: Roundhouse Care Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 29 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 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.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, one child left in an unplanned way. This followed concerns identified by the manager and staff that the location of the home and easy access to transport increased the risk of this child going missing from the home. The manager and responsible individual escalated their concerns to the local authority and worked with them to move the child to another provision closer to the child’s home area.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection. This is the longest placement the child has had. He told the inspector that he gets on well with staff and likes living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager worked closely with the virtual school to secure the child’s placement at an alternative education provision best suited to his needs. The alternative provision is an hour’s drive away. Committed staff transport the child each day to ensure his access to education.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has made improvements to the home’s decor and the garden. These improvements have made the living environment more comfortable for children. Further work is planned so that children live in a homely environment throughout.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s risk assessments and plans are clear and provide information to staff about what they need to do to keep children safe. The plans are updated when additional measures are needed to help staff manage and reduce risks to children. The manager has ensured that staff are up to date with their training. This helps staff to meet the needs of children in their care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff take the time to write daily, child-friendly letters to children to talk about their daily events. When children are missing from the home, staff continue writing the letters to explain what steps they have taken to look for and contact the child and say that they are missing them. This is good practice and helps the child feel cared for.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff ensure that children attend routine health appointments as well as specialist appointments when necessary. Some procedures relating to the administration of medication have improved. Staff are now clear about the expectations for recording and handling over-the-counter medication. However, staff do not always follow the correct procedures for medication management when the child stays overnight with family. While this has not had an impact on the child, this increases the chances for medication errors to occur. Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 3 The manager has made some changes to improve their monitoring and review of the quality of care provided to children. For example, the manager undertakes a monthly audit and completes a monitoring report. However, these reports do not capture how the manager plans to address the shortfalls they have identified. This limits the manager’s ability to evidence how they will work on improving and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The independent visitor visits the home monthly. However, the visitor mostly comes when children are at school. Therefore, it is not clear how the visitor seeks and takes account of children’s views; nor is this reflected in the reports. In addition, the views of other people, such as children’s social workers, are not consistently sought. Although the manager is aware of this shortfall, it has not yet been addressed with the independent visitor.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake some direct work with children. However, this tends to be reactive to address specific incidents and is not always linked to children’s outcomes and plans. This limits the scope of the direct work and does not fully support children’s progress and development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Missing-from-care protocols for children are agreed with the police and social workers. Staff follow these protocols and share relevant information with agencies. This helps professionals work together to develop robust safety plans to help keep children safe. For example, information gathered by the staff and manager helped the police to issue a child abduction warning notice against a person who posed a risk to a child. Children are offered independent return home interviews. However, the information gathered during these interviews is not always shared with the manager. This is a missed opportunity to allow managers and staff to learn from the missing incident and consider additional measures they may need to take to keep children safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Six out of the seven requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. One requirement has been restated, and one new requirement and three new recommendations have been raised following this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/10/2019 Full Good 31/12/2018 Full Good 30/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 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 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—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and the element that has not been met is restated. 29 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that the independent person undertakes visits when children are likely to be at home, speaks to children and captures their views. In addition, ensure that the independent person seeks the views of others, such as social workers. The views of children and others that are sought by the visitor must be reflected in the reports. 29 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that staff undertake direct work with children which is also linked to their plans and outcome. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 31.4)  The registered person must ensure that all staff working in the home, including non-permanent staff, are familiar with and follow the home’s agreed procedures relating to recording, administering and storing medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15 )  The registered person must ensure that following an incident of going missing, when return home interviews have taken place, they receive a record of the interview to help them learn from the incident and implement any additional steps they may need to take to help reduce the risk of children going missing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45,

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Information about this inspection

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: SC404983 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Roundhouse Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ventura House, Ventura Park Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3HL

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Inspector

Shazana Jamal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 8 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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