Children's home run by First 4 Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 1 Registered provider: First 4 Care Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is run by a private company. It is registered to provide care and support for up to three children with learning disabilities. The home provides care on a short- to long-term basis, depending on the needs of the child. At the time of the visit, two children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2018 and has a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. Due to an imminent change in management arrangements, the deputy manager is currently undertaking most of the day-to-day running of the home but has yet to register with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out in response to specific concerns being notified to Ofsted. This visit was in addition to an inspection of another of the provider’s homes in May 2022, which revealed potential widespread organisational breaches.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children were identified at this monitoring inspection:

p.1

This monitoring visit

 Staff have not taken effective action when there have been concerns about children’s welfare.  There are serious shortfalls in the safe recruitment of staff.  Management oversight of how staff respond to children’s behaviour is poor.  There are shortfalls in medication practice.  Not all staff receive appropriate supervision and training.  The premises are in poor condition and there are hazards in some areas of the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 2  Not all records were made available or provided to the inspectors during the visit.  The provider does not always inform Ofsted when there is a serious incident.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The care that children receive does not sufficiently protect them from harm. Various hazards in the home presented dangers to children and action had not been taken to minimise any risks these posed. Children were left vulnerable to injury due to the inactions of staff.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Despite frequent requests during the inspection for access to specific records, managers were unable to locate or provide these. Other records were of poor quality or were not individualised. Records of both staff and children were directly copied from other documents. Inaccurate record-keeping can lead to errors that have potential to be harmful.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The quality of staff recruitment practice is poor. Some staff have been invited to work in the home without clear safeguarding checks being in place and with no risk assessments implemented to mitigate any risks. Some staff with little or no relevant experience have been appointed to work with vulnerable and complex children. This results in adults working in the home who may pose a risk to the children or who do not have the necessary skills and experience to meet the children’s needs.

p.2

This monitoring visit

There are a high number of agency workers employed to provide care for children. There have been insufficient arrangements to check the suitability, practice and competence of these staff. In order to compensate for staff absence and vacancies, some core staff work in excess of their full-time contracted hours. This can lead to staff feeling tired and lacking the resilience to care for vulnerable children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The quality of training and supervision does not align with the home’s statement of purpose. Staff are unable to demonstrate what they have learned from training they undertake. Some new staff have not received any supervision, despite this being organisational policy. This does not provide reassurances that staff’s competence and well-being are monitored and assured by leaders and managers.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Procedures for overseeing the safe administration of medication are ineffective, resulting in one child’s medication running out. Records showed that medication was administered by agency staff who were not trained or authorised to do so. There were gaps in medication records and the informal procedure for addressing this highlighted unsafe practice and a lack of management scrutiny. This places children at risk of harm by not administering medication in line with the child’s prescription.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Restraint is infrequently used and is used as a last resort to manage children’s challenging behaviours. Staff debriefs and reflections following an incident are not recorded properly. This does not reassure Ofsted that lessons are learned and children’s behaviour-management plans are modified effectively in response to incidents. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 3 Police were called to the home for support due to children’s negative behaviours. Despite this being a serious incident, Ofsted was not notified. Failure to report serious events to the regulator limits Ofsted’s ability to have oversight of management response and the practice of staff when such situations occur. This could leave children at risk.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The concerns identified during this monitoring visit have led to the regulator issuing four compliance notices and imposing a restriction of accommodation. In addition, three requirements have been raised. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2021 Full Outstanding 18/12/2019 Full Good 05/02/2019 Full Good 28/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 5

p.4

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.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

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;

p.5

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)(b)(d))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This refers to ensuring that repairs to the home are made quickly. Where parts of the premises are hazardous, care should be arranged so that children do not have unsupervised access, to minimise potential for harm.

p.5

Requirement Due date

It also refers to ensuring that systems are in place to ensure that any restraints used are reviewed and debriefs take place. Any shortfalls must be addressed, and children’s plans amended.

p.5

Requirement Due date

It also refers to ensuring that there are sufficient staff and oversight of medication to ensure that children receive their medication and that records are accurate. 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 6 * The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This refers to ensuring that staff receive regular supervision which aligns with the frequency and duration set out in the organisation’s policy.

p.6

Requirement Due date

It also refers to ensuring that training programmes provide staff with the skills and knowledge required, and that systems are in place to check staff’s understanding, completion and implementation of training.

p.6

Requirement Due date

It also refers to ensuring that there are sufficient staff to match occupancy of the home and meet identified needs of the children. 17 July 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c)) 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 7 * The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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,

p.7

Requirement Due date

allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

p.7

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 8 matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This refers to taking reasonable steps to ensure that all workers, including agency staff, are suitable to work with children as outlined in schedule 2 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

p.8

Requirement Due date

It also refers to ensuring that a system is in place to monitor and check that appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service certificates are available for all staff, including agency staff.

p.8

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

p.8

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)) 17 July 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

* Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(b)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This refers to developing and implementing an effective system for the storage and management of records.

p.8

Requirement Due date

It also refers to providing inspectors, when requested, as outlined in the Care Standards Act 2000, any information relating to the care of children, or relating to the provider, which the regulator considers it necessary or expedient to have for the purposes of the inspection. 17 July 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 17 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 9 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.9

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.9

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: First 4 Care Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16 St. Wilfrids Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster DN4 6AA

p.10

Inspectors

Joanna Warburton, Her Majesty’s Inspector Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1256608 11 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.10

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.11

Inspectors

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

p.11

Inspectors

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

p.11