Children's Home run by Clear Water Care Homes Ltd in Sandwell

Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 1 Registered provider: Clear Water Care Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in June 2021. She is suitably qualified.

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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: 15 February 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: 2614738 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 3

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improvement to be good

Managers have not acted quickly to bring about sustained improvements since the home’s previous inspection. Several requirements have been raised at this inspection; four of these are restated from the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

Some improvements have been made to the home environment to make children’s spaces more welcoming. House rules and other signage displayed, which give the home an institutional feel, have been removed. However, there are still aspects of the home that are not inviting and safe. For example, there are trip hazards, stained carpets, and ligature risks from loose cables as well as other maintenance work. Furthermore, one child’s bedroom has damages, which have not been repaired.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress varies remarkably. Staff successfully support one child with their education, and this child is doing well and making good progress with his learning and school attendance. However, not enough has been done to support another child who is not attending school regularly and has made limited progress. Furthermore, when the child is not in school, staff have not completed sufficient work to support them with alternative learning. Consequently, this limits the child’s opportunities and development.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that children are supported to attend routine appointments. However, medication practices in the home continue not to be good. For example, staff have not always kept records when one child has had episodes of seizures. Furthermore, there have been occasions when it is unclear from records if staff have administered prescription medication, due to poor recording practices. This does not ensure that the children are kept safe and medication protocols are followed.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not regularly review and update children’s records to capture their progress. For example, daily records do not contain relevant information about the children’s experiences. Furthermore, staff have failed to record any information in children’s records. This means that staff are not able to measure children’s achievements or what further support they may need.

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improvement to be good

Children have regular meetings with staff and each other to discuss their day-to-day care. Staff also provide the opportunities for children to experience new adventures and activities. Staff have ensured that these positive and memorable experiences are captured in photographs, which the children can be reminded about while living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The transition for one child moving into the home was planned despite this being an emergency. Managers ensured that they received all the information required to inform care. In addition, managers sought additional information from professionals Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 4 once the child moved into the home. As a result, staff were better prepared to afford care for the child.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff enable children to maintain important and positive relationships with family members. The managers and staff keep parents and carers updated on the children’s progress. Family members are welcomed into the home to spend time with their child. This provides a memorable and positive experience for the children and family members.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments have not been reviewed and updated following incidents. It is unclear if staff have read and understood risk assessment documents. This approach to risk management has the potential to compromise children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Not all children are provided with enough support from staff to help them stay safe. There is a culture in the home where effective direct work with children who are known to be at risk is not given enough attention. As a result, children are not developing the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from damaging or harmful behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Some staff continue to do some good work with children in helping them to understand their behaviour and learn better coping strategies. However, this approach is inconsistent. For example, staff do not carry out work with children about the damage to the home. Furthermore, when direct work is undertaken, follow-up work is not completed with children to develop their understanding of important issues. This does not actively encourage children to keep themselves and others safe.

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improvement to be good

There is some improvement to staff’s professional curiosity about the safety of children in their care. They are inquisitive about children’s use of their electronic devices and mobile phones. However, staff do not always ensure that regular checks are undertaken. This makes children more vulnerable to harm while online.

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improvement to be good

Staff recordings of physical interventions do not always contain the relevant information. Managers do not consistently scrutinise children’s records to ensure that information reflects these incidents. For example, in one incident, the reason given why one child was restrained was inaccurate and gave conflicting information on how long a child had been restrained. Furthermore, some staff do not receive debriefs following incidents of restraint. This leaves the children vulnerable and compromises their safety.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff is not safe. Managers have failed to complete necessary checks to ensure that staff working in the home are safe and suitable. This does not ensure that staff working in the home are safe to work with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 5 Children told the inspector that they feel safe and had positive relationships with staff. One child reported, ‘I [child] am happy here and everything is okay.’ Children confirm they feel listened to by the managers and staff when they raise any concerns about their care.

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good

Managers are making some progress in developing a better understanding about the strengths and weaknesses of the home. However, there is still an inconsistent approach in leadership and managers’ effectiveness with monitoring and oversight of the home. For example, shortfalls in this inspection have not been identified by managers to improve the experience and progress of children. This continues to restrict the capacity to make good and sustained progress.

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good

Managers do not always ensure that staff have the skills and training to meet the needs of the children. For example, not all staff received bespoke training on epilepsy. These skills are relevant to meet the needs of one child in the home. This leaves staff without the necessary knowledge and skills to care for children effectively.

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good

Staff do not always have a good understanding of how to support children with their behaviours. For example, staff have not provided a consistent approach when children have difficulties in managing or regulating their emotions. This has resulted in situations escalating for longer periods of time, with children becoming further distressed. While managers have taken some action to address this practice, this has not gone far enough to change this culture in the home.

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good

The managers’ use of their monitoring and review systems to have oversight of the home is not always effective. For example, managers were not aware of damages and safety concerns around the home, or information missing from incident reports and children’s records. This demonstrates a lack of vigilance around the home.

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good

Staff provide positive feedback and confirm they are well supported by the managers. They benefit from regular team meetings. These meetings capture in- depth discussions about the quality of care of children and the home environment. However, the quality of staff supervision is variable. For example, supervision recordings do not discuss children’s needs, vulnerability and progress. Furthermore, when actions are raised about staff improvement and development, these are not monitored. Managers do not have effective oversight over senior staff who supervise staff.

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good

Managers have not always notified Ofsted when a serious incident occurs. This undermines the measures that have been put in place to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding

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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)(b)(vii)(viii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that all aspects of the home are welcoming and nurturing.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 15 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 15 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager and staff ensuring that children are supported to overcome barriers to their learning.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that they support children to keep safe. 15 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 8 This also refers to staff supporting children to explore their emotions and build positive relationships.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager and staff ensuring they understand and that risk assessments are up to date. 15 July 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 15 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 9 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 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

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that staff have a consistent approach in managing children’s behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive essential training.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager ensuring they use internal monitoring systems more effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medication protocol is followed, and recording is accurate. 15 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 15 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 10 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).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all references are received and checked before staff work in the home and information about the worker is clear and consistent.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(vii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that recording of interventions used is clear and staff are debriefed following incidents. 15 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 15 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 11 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for a child’s up-to-date care plan and education plan to be in place.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that notifications of all significant events are sent to Ofsted. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraphs 14.10)

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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: 2614738 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Clear Water Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6 Elsenwood Crescent, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2BA

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Inspector

Patrick McIntosh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2614738 13 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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