Children's Home run by Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 1 Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to four children with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a registered manager who holds the required management qualification.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2022 Full Inadequate 15/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, there were three children and a young person, aged 18, at the home. L eaders and managers have acted decisively and developed an improvement plan to address the poor practice identified at the last full inspection. Some actions have been undertaken but many areas still require improvement and time to embed into practice. These areas include the maintenance of the home, support for staff and how more concerning incidents are managed and recorded.

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improvement to be good

Some areas of the home remain in a poor condition. There is damage to furniture in bedrooms and damage to furniture and walls in the home. In general, the house does not feel homely and this impacts on the overall experiences of children.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to eat healthily and exercise. Some children use gyms and swimming pools and go for walks. Children are registered and attend appointments with local dentists, opticians and doctors. However, some children continue to smoke, and use alcohol and drugs. Managers have identified specialist support to provide additional guidance to staff to tackle these behaviours. A member of staff is now a link worker to this organisation. This will help to provide children with information and advice and support to lead a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, this will better equip staff to tackle these worrying behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Some of the children are planning to move to semi-independent accommodation. The manager and staff are working with social workers to ensure that the moves are well planned. This includes a longer timescale to meet the specific needs of one older child. There are plans to introduce a new independence training package for children. This will improve the support and knowledge they need in preparation for adult life.

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improvement to be good

Educational opportunities for some of the children are limited. One child is only receiving an hour a day with a tutor. This is held online. Most days the child refuses to engage with this provision. Two children have had apprenticeships that have recently ended. Staff are working with these children to arrange college and work placements to meet their educational and training needs. The young person has a good and varied provision that meets his individual needs.

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improvement to be good

The recording of incidents continues to be poor and requires improvement. For example, records do not clarify what took place prior to an incident. Not all incident reports give the details of the staff involved. A new, more detailed, incident record template has been devised but is not yet in place. As a result, staff and managers Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 4 are not deriving learning from incidents that will help them to improve safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

The care practice of staff in addressing children’s behaviour is inconsistent. Staff practice is not always in accordance with policy. The police have been used inappropriately to help manage children’s behaviour. However, managers have recognised these shortfalls. New workshops enable staff to talk through incidents and identify ways of dealing with difficult behaviour. This is a valuable improvement and can improve staff practice.

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improvement to be good

A psychotherapist that works with the organisation continues to provide good support to the children. This is based on creative art and talking therapy. Outcome progress charts are produced following the work, and this helps staff to know how children are feeling, their strengths and difficulties and how best to help them.

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improvement to be good

A reflective practice group is available to staff. This is facilitated by the psychotherapist and a trainee therapeutic practitioner. Staff can attend in person or online. This is a space for staff to discuss their own issues or to support their peers. This improves the support given to staff and enables them to share practice and coordinate their care of the children better.

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improvement to be good

There has been a large increase in children going missing from care. The recording of these events is incomplete. It is not clear if children receive a return home interview. However, the management have responded well to this. A meeting is taking place with the police missing persons team. The police will also be leading training provided for the staff team. This will help staff to know how to help children reduce the current risks they are exposed to when they go missing from care.

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good

The manager’s monitoring of the home remains weak. A new template has been created for the quality assurance processes. However, most of the information remains unrecorded and it is not completed to the set timescale. As a result, the manager does not have the oversight necessary to ensure that the home is providing good care for children.

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good

There has been some improvement in management oversight of incidents. Actions identified, by the manager, following incidents are now completed more regularly. A new workshop has been introduced to discuss incidents and improve report writing. This will help managers to drive improvement in practice.

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good

Supervision sessions are still not held in line with the organisation’s policy. There have been long gaps between sessions for some staff. Of particular concern is the absence of any supervisions held for the first two months for one new member of staff. This does not give the staff the support they require at a crucial time in their career. Leaders and managers understand this shortfall and a member of staff is attending training to give them the skills to be an additional supervisor. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 5 Managers and leaders have recognised the need to improve recording. A new electronic recording system is now ready to be introduced. Staff will be supported in the use of this by managers and senior workers who have received the relevant training. This will improve the record-keeping and access to records.

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good

No new children have joined the home since the last inspection. However, the processes for new admissions have been reviewed and improved. There is a new matching form and impact assessment. This will improve the decision-making for children coming to the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 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 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

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; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff being skilled and confident in challenging and dealing with inappropriate and risky behaviour, and that damage to the home is repaired quickly. 31 August 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

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)) 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 7 This particularly refers to the registered manager effectively monitoring all aspects of the service and addressing any shortfalls without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supervision of staff taking place in line with the organisations policy. 31 August 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should be aware that in some instances, a child may express wishes that are not always in their best interests or which may conflict with the views of other children in the home. In such circumstances, the responsible adults will have to balance the wishes of the child against what they judge to be in the best interests of the child and reach a reasonable view about the best way forward in the interests of all. The reasons for reaching any decision will need to be carefully explained to and understood by the child or children concerned. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.9)

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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: 2594233 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 40 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 2QT

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Inspector

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2594233 9 regulates and inspects 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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