Children's Home run by Contemporary Concept Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 1 Registered provider: Contemporary Concept Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home that provides care for up to two children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered in September 2021. The home is currently operating without a registered manager. There is an acting manager in place who has applied to Ofsted for registration.

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: 25 January 2022

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a monitoring visit on 11 April 2022, a compliance notice was served under regulation 32 relating to concerns about the provider’s compliance with safer recruitment. The compliance notice was monitored as part of this full inspection. The inspector found that suitable action had been taken to meet the compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, one child has moved out of the home as the staff team was unable to meet her specific needs. Senior managers have reviewed their internal processes to improve children’s experiences of moving into the home. Impact risk assessments show that children’s needs and management strategies are now considered prior to children moving into the home. The manager works with professionals and parents, to ensure that transitions are planned when children move into the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Senior managers are more proactive in their approach to working with placing authorities and virtual schools in their attempts to secure full-time school placements for children. However, while formal education is being arranged for children, their home-based education time is not structured. Education planners do not include scheduled educational activities for staff to implement as part of the children’s day. Consequently, children rarely engage in educational activities. This was a requirement at the last inspection and it has, therefore, been restated.

p.3

improvement to be good

Detailed health plans demonstrate that staff monitor children’s health needs well. Action has been taken to access additional health professionals, such as mental health agencies, where required. Children’s internal care plans do not explain how placement objectives should be met and they do not identify the support that children require to meet their individual needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

Some areas of the home require redecoration to repair damage, and wear and tear. Communal areas look bare and require additional furnishings to make them look more homely. Inspectors found lots of food in the fridge that was past its expiry date. Although the staff team took immediate action during the inspection to address this, it had failed to complete regular food hygiene checks to comply with health and safety guidelines.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children say that they are building positive relationships with some staff in the short time they have been living at the home. Social workers reported that the staff team has a nurturing approach with children. Parents say that they are kept informed about their child’s progress. Family time is well supported by staff. The responsible individual supports parents to access training courses to develop their parenting skills.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to improve their daily routines, including bedtime routines, to help them settle into their home. Staff implementing consistent boundaries for children has improved. Key-work sessions help children to talk about their feelings and encourage them to make safer choices in relation to their behaviour. House meetings provide children with the opportunity to feel listened to and their views, wishes and feelings considered. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 4

p.3

improvement to be good

A serious incident relating to an allegation made by a child continues to be investigated by the police. The police were not notified when the child made the disclosure and so there has been a failure to take immediate action to protect the child. In addition to this, there was a delay in senior managers reporting the incident to the placing authority and to the local authority designated officer. Following this incident, the manager has taken action to address the staff team’s understanding of the whistle-blowing procedure and the need to use it without delay. There have been no further allegations since this incident.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager’s oversight of incident records is not thorough. Some records are unclear as to the action staff have taken to support children and some wording used in the reports is misleading. Staff take suitable action to try to reduce children’s risk- taking behaviour. However, the manager does not always evaluate the effectiveness of staff intervention in her evaluation of incidents. Additionally, when staff have become injured by children, accident reports are not always completed. Staff debriefs rarely take place to evidence that staff are offered support, or their management of incidents reviewed.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff understand the need for high levels of vigilance to keep children safe. There have been no further incidents of children going missing from the home since the last inspection. Room searches take place when there are concerns that children may be at risk of harming themselves. The manager does not complete an evaluation of the room searches. As a result, she does not identify any preventative measures that the staff team is to implement to safeguard children from further incidents of harm.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have an improved understanding of de-escalation strategies and diversion strategies to help children manage their behaviour. The staff team engages children in detailed and reflective debriefs following serious incidents. This enables children to talk to staff about the triggers to incidents and how they can be supported. The quality of risk management plans has improved. They provide staff with clear expectations of action that should be taken to support children to reduce risk-taking behaviour. They include children’s views about their behaviour and strategies that they find effective to help them.

p.4

improvement to be good

The system for monitoring and managing medication has improved. Medication records and audits are comprehensive. All staff are trained in medication management. They now understand how to safely administer, monitor and record medication.

p.4

good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 5 An acting manager is in day-to-day charge of the home. She has submitted her application to apply for registration. The staff say that they are now provided with clear guidance and expectations from the acting manager. They feel listened to and reported that the manager has offered an improved stability to the team. The manager is working to establish her leadership approach and improving the staff team’s knowledge in their roles. The manager has also made some improvements to the organisation of case files and records.

p.5

good

Staffing levels have increased and waking nights are covered by regular agency staff. However, some staff have left since the beginning of the year and staff morale is reportedly low. The manager should work to sustain the current staff team to ensure that there is continuity of care for children and address any negative trends impacting on staff morale.

p.5

good

Some staff have become injured by children during serious incidents. Most of the staff team do not have the appropriate level of training to be able to effectively respond to children who present high level aggressive behaviours. A training date has been scheduled for this training to take place, and this should remain a priority. That said, the manager has been proactive in obtaining training that is specific to the risks for children, such as ligature and self-harm training.

p.5

good

The manager has failed to inform the inspector that the police were called to the home following an assault on a staff member. This means the regulator is unable to effectively monitor serious incidents and the action taken to safeguard children living in the home.

p.5

good

Team meetings are purposeful and well attended. They are used effectively to address any lessons learned, safe practice issues arising from incidents, and to clarify expectations of practice with the staff team. Staff are provided with regular supervisions from the manager. Supervisions are focused on helping staff to progress in their role, review their practice and discuss their relationships with children.

p.5

good

There have been no formal complaints from children. Complaints from others are investigated by senior managers. When necessary, appropriate action is taken to address practice issues and ensure that safe practice is implemented by staff.

p.5

good

The manager’s review of quality-of-care report is an honest reflection of the last period and includes the improvements made in response to the inadequate inspection. However, there is no identified action plan to improve the quality of care. In addition, there is no feedback included in the report from children, staff, professionals, or parents to provide a full evaluation of the quality of the care that is provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(v)) 24 June 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)) 24 June 2022

p.6

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— 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 7 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

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;

p.7

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))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 24 June 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 24 June 2022

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 8 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 (2)(b)(c) (5))

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, 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. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations, such as food hygiene. However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that they monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

p.8

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: 2639649 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Contemporary Concept Care Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 7 Wyndham Close, Eastham, Wirral CH62 0DH

p.9

Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2639649 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.

p.9

Inspectors

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.10

Inspectors

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

p.10

Inspectors

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

p.10