Children's Home run by Supporting Hands Care Services Ltd in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 1 Registered provider: Supporting Hands Care Services Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care and support for up to one child who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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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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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 16 November 2021

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 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 the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does not have day-to-day management or oversight of the home. The staff are left to manage the care of the child without sufficient management oversight. This prevents the manager from observing and addressing any potential staff conduct issues and from leading the staff team effectively. Most of the requirements raised at the last inspection have not been met. This impacts on the safety, protection and welfare of the child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has failed to show that the staff team has a good understanding and knowledge about the regulatory framework and legislation that governs the care of children. They have failed to recognise their responsibility to ensure that the staff team receives the necessary training and support to safely care for the child. This does not promote the staff team’s professional development.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Gaps in risk management expose the child to risk. Not all of the slip hazards in the bathroom have been risk assessed. The quality of the child’s risk assessments does not demonstrate sufficient improvement. They do not accurately describe the risks, and do not include all the child’s current known risks. The risk assessments do not have the consistent and regular oversight from the manager.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has failed to demonstrate that they understand the contents of the legal order which specifies the details of the child’s care. For example, the manager did not know that the order permitted the kitchen door to remain locked, despite this being addressed in the legal order at the provider’s request. This does not provide reassurances that the manager can lead the staff team to provide care in line with the child’s care plan and court order.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s failure to ensure that the staff team is providing care and supervision in line with the legal order exposes the child to risk. The level of staff supervision, as identified in the order, has not always been in place for the child. On some occasions, there has been only one member of staff supervising the child when a second staff member has gone shopping. This contravenes the detail identified in the child’s legal order, which clarifies the need for a minimum of 2-1 staffing at all times with a potential for additional staff if required.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager could not evidence the presence of a third person who is on-call if required in an emergency, which is indicated in the risk assessment. This does not enable staff to safeguard the child or provide consistent care. Staff rotas were ineffective and do not provide clarity about the management arrangements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 3 The child’s access to social media is not monitored sufficiently or routinely supervised in accordance with the order. Staff do not always know who the child is in contact with or which social media sites she has accessed. This does not provide reassurance that the child is safe and is a clear breach of the legal order and risk assessment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the child requiring a high level of supervision, and regular room searches, this has not been successful in adequately safeguarding the child or preventing them from accessing an implement which they used against the advice and recommendations of their social worker. The manager failed to update the child’s risk assessment in response to this incident. Furthermore, the manager and provider failed to report the incident to Ofsted, and recognise the significance of the concern.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Fire safety checks and evacuation drills have not been followed through effectively. The risk assessment does not reflect that the child has not engaged in any fire evacuation drills since living at the home. During the inspection, staff were unable to find the keys to the outside gates for a considerable period. This could hinder the child’s and staff’s evacuation from the nearest exit in the event of a fire. The lack of robust fire safety checks and evacuation drills exposes the child and staff to the risk of harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager failed to promptly notify the child’s placing authority when an allegation was made against a staff member. This prevented the local authority from making timely decisions about the action needed to safeguard the child. One recommendation that the manager raised following an internal investigation into the matter has not been followed through several months on.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The physical intervention records are not aligned with regulation and do not contain a description of the measure used. This does not support evaluation by the manager about the measures used being compliant or approved methods of physical intervention. This practice does not safeguard children from harm, and it does not mitigate the risk of allegations against staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Gaps in the provider’s recruitment practice do not ensure that only people deemed safe are allowed to work with children. Not all employment references have been verified in a timely manner. An application form for a new staff member only includes the years of employment and not the dates and months. This does not assist the manager in identifying gaps in employment. This does not promote safe recruitment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The visits carried out by the independent person do not explore all health and safety matters and do not demonstrate efforts to consult with professionals and parents. These are missed opportunities for the independent person to provide a robust opinion of the children’s safety and well-being. The regulation 44 reports are not sent to the regulator in a consistently timely manner. The provider has not acted on the delay, which hinders the regulator from reviewing the quality of care and compliance with the regulations. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 4 Not all records were available for inspection. Staff members’ supervision notes were not immediately available or accessible. There is a mixed response about the support staff receive from the manager, who has rarely been in the home. She has had limited oversight and has accessed records electronically. This style of management has meant that the quality of care has not been observed by the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager. The statement of purpose has not been updated with the most up-to-date staffing information. There is a lack of clarity around some roles and the management structure in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No child has left or moved into the home since the last inspection. The child is making progress. They are settling into the home and building positive relationships with the staff. The child’s day-to-day experiences are enhanced by them participating in more activities both in and outside of the home. The child has also enjoyed spending time with visitors. Professionals speak in complimentary terms about the quality of care and communication with the managers and staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 6

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d)) 8 May 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—

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 7 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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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 (3)(b)) 8 May 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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter; and

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 8 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

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the independent person submits the report to HMCI in a timely 8 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 8 manner. They must ensure that the independent person is prompted to explore all health and safety risks, and consult with parents and professionals to inform the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded, and that the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2598804 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Hands Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ovenden House, Ovenden Road, Halifax HX3 5QG

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Inspectors

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Parveen Hussain, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2598804 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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