Children's home run by Future In Mind Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 1 SC431315 Registered provider: Future In Mind Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/06/2019 Full Good 04/12/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home. A high turnover of staff has meant that the child has been cared for by different staff and some of them have been inconsistent in their approach. This is an improving situation. However, this experience has affected her trust in the people that care for her. This has contributed to her no longer wanting to engage with in-house therapy sessions.

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improvement to be good

The condition of the home requires improvement; for example, the fronts of kitchen drawers are peeling away and there are stains on kitchen cupboards that have not been promptly cleaned. In addition, the house pet, a rabbit, has caused damage to wallpaper and has chewed holes in the curtains. As a result, the home environment is not welcoming, homely or well maintained throughout and this does not help the child to feel valued.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that care planning for the child is always effective. This is because the child’s local authority care plan has not been obtained. Although the manager has taken some action to obtain this document, she has not adequately escalated her concerns when she has not received the required documentation.

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improvement to be good

The child’s views, wishes and feelings are routinely gathered through regular feedback sessions. This helps the child to feel listened to and actively involved in plans for her care. However, an agreed action to support the child to understand her past has not been undertaken. This is because staff are not appropriately skilled and trained to undertake this work.

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improvement to be good

Staff have been unsuccessful in supporting the child to take prescribed medication and engage in routine health appointments. A planned medication review is scheduled to take place and staff continue to explore different strategies to meet the child’s health needs.

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improvement to be good

There has been a decline in the child’s attendance at school since the last inspection. In response to this, the manager has worked in close partnership with the child’s school. The manager and staff have worked proactively to encourage the child to attend school on the days when she has refused to do so. An alternative plan was put into place to enable the child to attend school. The child’s headteacher said: ‘Communication is excellent, especially now the new manager is in role.’

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improvement to be good

The child benefits from regular horse-riding activities. She told the inspector this was her favourite thing about living in the home. She has also enjoyed various activities, such as visiting a cafe and going to a fair, and has a break planned. This supports the child to have positive and new experiences while living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 4 The child is supported to develop her independence skills. When her free time was stopped as a safeguarding measure, the manager implemented a plan to ensure that the child could work towards rebuilding her time away from home independently. This was because the manager understands that the child needs to be supported to take measured risks in line with her age and maturity.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff maintain effective links with the child’s family and ensure that they are updated weekly about her care. The child has expressed that she would like her contact with a family member to increase. The child is being supported with this and maintains regular contact with people who are important to her.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans do not always include essential information. For example, these plans do not always include known information about situations which cause the child to worry. Staff do not always follow agreed risk management strategies. For example, staff are not monitoring the child’s use of her phone. This is because the child refuses to hand in her phone and staff have not considered alternative ways to manage her phone use.

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improvement to be good

The manager has begun to educate and upskill the staff team to support a more proactive and empathetic approach to managing children’s behaviour. However, this work is in its early stages. Staff do not always feel confident in managing the child’s behaviour and they struggle to de-escalate her behaviour. This has resulted in the police being called to the home on two occasions to support staff to manage incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff have been ineffective in supporting the child to understand how her behaviours affect others or her own vulnerabilities. For example, steps to manage bullying behaviours or the child’s knowledge of online safety have been limited.

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improvement to be good

The manager takes appropriate action when allegations are made. This includes the completion of internal investigations and referrals to the local authority designated officer when required. Learning from internal investigation is used to support and improve staff practice.

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good

The home has been without a registered manager since November 2021. A new manager has been in post since December 2021. The manager has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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good

An insufficient number of staff has resulted in the manager having to complete shifts in the home. Furthermore, because some staff lack the required skills and Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 5 experience, there is an over-reliance on the manager to respond to challenges in the home. This reduces the time that is available for the manager to undertake her own managerial tasks.

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good

Some staff have not undertaken the required training to meet children’s needs. This includes safeguarding and first-aid training and other training specific to the child’s complex needs. None of the staff working in the home have achieved the required qualifications and this includes one member of staff who has now exceeded the deadline to acquire this qualification.

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good

Some records viewed during the inspection were not recorded accurately and missed essential information. For example, when the child superficially self-harmed, there was not a clear description of the injury sustained. Additionally, debriefs with the children did not always include dates, times and the person responsible for completing the debrief.

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good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. She works alongside the deputy manager to complete daily, weekly and monthly audits. This helps her to identify shortfalls in children’s care and respond to these proactively.

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good

Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and team meetings. These are used to explore challenges within the home, reflect on incidents and to set clear expectations and actions for the following month. This helps to strike a healthy balance between addressing shortfalls and encouraging good practice. Staff told the inspector that they feel supported by the manager. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that home improvements are carried out promptly. 6 July 2022

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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; 6 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 7 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff follow risk assessments and that staff complete work with children to help them understand risks and keep safe.

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the home has sufficient staff and that staff have had the necessary training to carry out their role. 6 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 6 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). 6 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 8 The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) 3(b) (4)(a))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children in understanding who they are and where they come from, for example through undertaking life- story work or other direct work. In particular, the manager should ensure that staff have the training and skills to support children during life-story work. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 13.4)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date. In particular, the manager should ensure that they obtain the most up-to- date local authority care plan for the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC431315 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC431315 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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