Children's Home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 1 Registered provider: Homes2inspire Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company that is owned and operated by a national charity. The home provides care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager.

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: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff’s recording about children does not reflect language that cares and it lacks emotional warmth. For example, a report stated that a staff member snatched an item from a child’s hand. Another record stated that a child had been grounded. The way in which information is recorded is currently an area of focus for management attention. Staff are receiving additional training in this area.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child has left the home and refuses to return. Staff have worked with the responsible local authority and the child’s family to provide support while the child is away from the home. The local authority is working with the home to identify an alternative placement.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are cared for by a small group of committed staff. Children and staff have developed trusting relationships. Staff know the children well and understand the children’s needs. Children have stable and consistent routines and boundaries. This has supported children to feel safe and cared for.

p.3

improvement to be good

All children receive some form of education. However, their progress in education is variable. This is due to their personal challenges, rather than a lack of support from staff and managers. The manager has advocated strongly on behalf of the children, for example ensuring that a child had an education, health and care plan. This made certain that the child’s needs were fully understood and reflected in the plan to ensure that a suitable school was found.

p.3

improvement to be good

One new child at the home did not have a relevant care plan provided when they moved in. This prevented staff from having a clear knowledge and understanding of the child and being able to plan fully for their care. The care plans in place for another child are clear and detailed. This child has helped to write their plan and given their views. The child’s progress in the home is documented and shared with the child. This has supported them in identifying their own targets and goals.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff and children have regular and meaningful discussions. Children take part in weekly house meetings. They have discussions with the home’s management team to enable children to express their wishes, views and feelings. Records now show the actions that managers have taken in response to children’s views.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments do not provide staff with clear guidance on how to keep children safe. They fail to identify all known risks for children. This has the potential to place children at risk. For example, one child had been able to access inappropriate Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 4 channels on his smart TV. Although measures have now been implemented to manage the risk, this is not set out in the child’s risk assessment.

p.3

improvement to be good

There have been several incidents of children going missing from home, displaying challenging behaviour or placing themselves at risk. Staff have managed these incidents well. However, following some physical interventions, debriefs with children have not routinely been taking place. This has meant that a prompt review of practice has not taken place. This limits the child’s opportunities to raise concerns or reflect on their behaviour.

p.4

improvement to be good

The frequency of children going missing from the home has been variable. For one child, there has been an increase in incidents. However, effective partnership working with families and involved professionals has led to improvements in the safety of children. This is because the manager and staff care about the children and want to keep them safe. When children have gone missing from home, the staff have followed the correct protocols. This has included return home interviews being requested and conducted.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff are now intervening confidently to de-escalate concerning behaviours. This has prevented harm and damage to the home. Improvements in this area have been supported by planned discussions between staff and managers. Effective debrief sessions with staff and managers are taking place. They use reflective discussion to identify what has gone well and embed good practice going forwards.

p.4

improvement to be good

When children make allegations, they are listened to and taken seriously. Managers ensure that allegations are reported to the right external agencies and investigated. Managers maintain detailed chronologies. They follow up any delay in information- sharing by external agencies. Managers also undertake lessons-learned exercises where appropriate.

p.4

improvement to be good

There have been complaints from neighbours about children’s behaviour and about car-parking issues. Managers ensure that all complaints are recorded and responded to in accordance with the organisation’s policies and procedures. Managers work closely with involved agencies and have implemented complaint trackers to evidence actions taken and outcomes.

p.4

good

Leadership and management of this home are not yet good. The manager and leaders are taking steps to ensure that the quality of care and safety of children reach a good standard as quickly as possible. However, improvement is still required. Several requirements set at the last inspection have been restated.

p.4

good

The manager has led the home through a difficult period. This has included changes in the staff team. Additionally, one child’s behaviour escalated and there have been complaints from neighbours. The manager has led the home through many changes, and he is embedding new practices and cultural change in the home. One member of Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 5 staff said, ‘The manager is the link in the chain that has held everything together. He’s a strong leader and shows how much the team need him.’

p.4

good

Arrangements for the professional supervision of staff have been ineffective. Staff have not received regular supervision. However, staff do say that they feel supported by the management team and each other. This is an area requiring improvement to ensure that staff have individual meetings with managers to review care and safeguarding practice.

p.5

good

The manager is supported by a deputy. Together, they provide consistent leadership. A member of staff said, ‘The manager and deputy are just amazing. They each bring very different skills to the team, but that is what the home needs. They work as a very good team.’

p.5

good

Following his return from a period of absence, the manager has introduced daily and weekly checks. This supports managers to monitor the quality of record-keeping and hold staff accountable. Records are now consistently reviewed by managers and any shortfalls are addressed.

p.5

good

The manager has a realistic view of the home’s strengths and areas for development. He has demonstrated his aspirations for children. Expectations for the quality of children’s daily experiences are now higher. This has led to improvements in children’s routines and improved responses from staff to children’s health and education needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments reflect the needs of children and include guidance on how staff should respond to risks. 22 July 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—

p.6

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 22 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 7 This specifically relates to managers embedding monitoring systems in the home to improve the quality of care provided. This requirement is restated.

p.6

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; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s care plans accurately reflecting the child’s needs and agreed plans. This requirement is restated. 22 July 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement is stated. 22 July 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

p.7

Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)) 22 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 8

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements of the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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: 2515380 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes2inspire Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lumonics House, Valiant Office Suites, Valley Drive, Swift Valley Industrial Estate, Rugby CV21 1TQ

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Aaron Charles-Chambers

p.9

Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2515380 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

Inspector

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

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10