Children's Home run by First Steps Care Ltd in Worcestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 1 Registered provider: First Steps Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home opened in September 2021 and is owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to four children, aged between nine and 17 years, who may have specific emotional needs and are likely to have experienced trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 8 February 2022. The new manager of the home is due to start working for the service in July 2022 and has already submitted their registration application to Ofsted in readiness for this.

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 inadequate

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: 31 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: 2636996 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 3

p.2

improvement to be good

One child has moved out since the last inspection and a new child has arrived, meaning there are now two children living in the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home environment is clean and in good decorative condition. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and give a sense that this is their home. This supports them to feel comfortable.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers do not gather sufficient information about children before deciding that they will move in. Some significant risks in the local area have not been considered in how they may potentially impact children to ensure that care is safely planned before they move in.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are not always communicating information clearly with important people. For example, some professionals shared with the inspector that staff do not always communicate clearly with them after safeguarding incidents. A parent also that they don’t get informed of their child’s achievements.

p.3

improvement to be good

Consequences given to children are punitive and not in line with restorative care of children. Children are repeatedly given the consequence of removal of access to their computer games, even though this demonstrates that it is not helping them to make positive changes to their behaviour. This detracts from the nurturing care of children observed during the inspection.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support children in direct work based on their specific needs. For example, one child has recently had additional support from the home’s newly appointed occupational therapist. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children share that they have been provided with a copy of their children’s guide, or supported to know how to make a complaint. Children do not have a safe space to have any private telephone calls with anyone outside of the home, such as their social worker. This stops children’s views and feelings from being fully listened to.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are making progress with their education. For one child, this means he is moving back into a registered school provision for the first time in over a year. He was observed during inspection being encouraged to go to school. The school gives positive feedback on how the child is being supported to learn about his new school by the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff meet children’s health needs. One child has complex medical needs. Staff mostly understand the child’s medical needs. However, when there has been a shortfall in practice, managers have not always addressed this to prevent any recurrence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risks have been increasing recently. There has been a rise in allegations and physical restraints, and children’s risks between one another have also increased.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers’ responses to allegations of harm have been poor. Whilst managers have notified the local authority designated officer and social workers for children, this is not always done in a timely way. Managers have not ensured that staff who care for children are safe to do so after an allegation has been made. In instances where staff practice has been poor, managers have taken insufficient action to improve staff practice.

p.4

improvement to be good

In most restraints, staff use a supportive approach to help children before they are physically held. However, in one incident when a child has tried to go missing, restraint was used for an extensive period of time, and the child was disproportionately forced back to the home. Managers felt this was an appropriate way to continue to manage the risk of missing episodes for this child in future. Records of restraints lack managerial oversight, as well as information that confirms that staff and children have been spoken to after incidents.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers and staff have clear plans in place to reduce children’s risk of going missing. However, when managers decided to put in place door alarms as a surveillance and monitoring mechanism for a child, they failed to discuss with, and get written consent from, the local authority. They did not review if it was still needed in a timely way. This impacts on children’s freedom of movement and stops other ways of supporting them from being considered.

p.4

improvement to be good

When a child has shared that another child has made them feel unsafe, managers have engaged other professionals to manage the children’s care. Appropriate plans were put in place around oversight and supervision of the children. This supports the children in living safely with one another.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager left the organisation in February 2022. Since this time, senior leaders recruited an interim manager to oversee the home until a new manager can be recruited. The interim manager has suitable qualifications and experience. There is now a new manager recruited who is set to start at the home in July 2022.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s records are stored on an electronic system. Those using the system continue to struggle at times to find the records they need, either because the records are stored separately or because they have not been promptly added to the system. This caused delays throughout inspection and identifies that managers are Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 5 not monitoring and organising case files appropriately. A requirement was issued for this at the last inspection and this will be reissued again.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management oversight and actions after incidents are inadequate. There have been several records during the inspection whereby oversight from managers was either missing or the actions taken by managers did not resolve practice shortfalls after incidents. This is exemplified in allegations incidents, whereby managers have allowed staff to continue to work with children without knowing if they are safe to do so. This leaves children vulnerable.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not safely recruit staff. Two staff members have commenced working in the home prior to them receiving an updated disclosure and barring service check. Senior leaders had not demonstrated how they managed this risk, and at the time of inspection one of these staff was working unsupervised with children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager does not review or monitor anything in the home on a monthly basis to help him understand the care that children receive. The only review mechanism in place is the responsible individual’s audit every four months, and the manager’s reflection in team meetings of incidents over the preceding month. This means that some shortfalls in areas of care in the home get missed. This prevents the manager from properly understanding the care being offered to children in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are not trained and equipped with the skills needed to meet children’s needs. When staff have shown that they are not following procedures or understanding aspects of children’s care, managers have not addressed this. Important areas of training are missing.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervisions of staff are poor. There is now a more detailed template to ensure that safeguarding is discussed in supervisions since the last inspection. However, when staff practice has posed a risk to children, managers have not taken action or discussed this sufficiently with staff. When staff are in probation, they do not receive more frequent supervision to support their practice as stated in the home’s policies. Managers and staff do not know who is supervising them next, and when this will be. This leads to confusion and a sense of instability for staff, which undermines their learning.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The location risk assessment completed by managers missed consideration of the risks posed to children by the nearby busy road and how this risk is mitigated. This has the potential to mean that not all risks are properly considered and managed for children who live in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they communicate clearly with professionals and family of children, and seek to ensure that other professionals fulfil their roles in supporting children. 21 July 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from—

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation 21 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 7 to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

p.7

Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

p.7

Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 8 This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children are supported to understand how to make a complaint or provide feedback if they wish to, and that this is listened to by managers. Children should have access to the children’s guide and be supported to provide feedback on their care.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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.8

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that there are plans in place to keep children safe, that staff follow these plans and take action to protect children from harm, and that they and staff clearly understand and follow safeguarding procedures.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is restated from the last inspection. 21 July 2022

p.8

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.8

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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 4 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 9 in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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;

p.9

Requirement Due date

and 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))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff are skilled and trained to sufficiently meet children’s needs, and that they monitor the quality of care in the home and use this to develop children’s care.

p.9

Requirement Due date

This is restated from the last inspection.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.9

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

p.9

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they have sufficient enough information to understand and assess how to meet a child’s needs before they are moved into the home. 4 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 10 This was previously a recommendation in the last inspection and has been made a requirement in this inspection.

p.9

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

p.10

Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

p.10

Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

p.10

Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

p.10

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

p.10

Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (3))

p.10

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children’s liberties are not restricted unless this is necessary and proportionate. 21 July 2022

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that suitable facilities are provided within the children’s home for any child accommodated there to meet privately at any reasonable time with the child’s parents, friends, relatives or any of the following persons—

p.10

Requirement Due date

a solicitor or other adviser or advocate acting for the child;

p.10

Requirement Due date

an officer of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service appointed for the child;

p.10

Requirement Due date

a person authorised by the local authority in whose area the home is located;

p.10

Requirement Due date

a person appointed pursuant to section 23ZB (independent visitors for children looked after by a local authority) of the Children Act 1989(25); 21 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 11 a person authorised in accordance with section 80(2) of the Children Act 1989 by the Secretary of State to conduct an inspection in relation to the home and the children there;

p.10

Requirement Due date

a person appointed under the Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England)Regulations 2006(26);

p.11

Requirement Due date

an independent person visiting the home under regulation 44.

p.11

Requirement Due date

The facilities may be at a different address if a certificate under section 51 of the Children Act 1989(27) is in force in relation to the home.

p.11

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home—

p.11

Requirement Due date

a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

facilities to send and receive post and, if the necessary facilities are provided for the use of children, electronic mail, in private. (Regulation 22 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)(i) (2) (3)(a)(b))

p.11

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that children have access to a phone at all times, without having to request this from staff to have private conversations with their social worker and others.

p.11

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

p.11

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

p.11

Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

p.11

Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. 21 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 12 (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.11

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that any surveillance or monitoring imposed on children is proportionate and necessary, and that the local authority provides written consent ahead of this being used, and that this is regularly reviewed to check if it is still required.

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.12

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.12

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they acquire checks under schedule 2 prior to employees commencing working for their service. 21 July 2022

p.12

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—

p.12

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the 4 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 13 measure;

p.12

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.13

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.13

Requirement Due date

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

p.13

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.13

Requirement Due date

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

p.13

Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.13

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.13

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.13

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.13

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.13

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff and children have debriefs after physical interventions and that managers properly oversee records.

p.13

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

p.13

Requirement Due date

children’s case records (see regulation 36);

p.13

Requirement Due date

other records (see regulation 37). (Regulation 38 (i)(j))

p.13

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the online system used for storing plans and incidents records, ensuring that these can be 4 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 14 quickly and easily accessed and that a robust plan is in place in the event that staff are unable to access the online system. The registered person should ensure that staff and managers make use of their recording system so that records are accessible as needed.

p.13

Requirement Due date

This is restated from the last inspection.

p.14

Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

p.14

Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

p.14

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that they suitability consider the hazards in the locality of the home when completing their areas risk assessment. 4 August 2022

p.14

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38).

p.14

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: 2636996 15

p.14

Children’s home details

Registered provider: First Steps Care Ltd

p.15

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kemp House, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX

p.15

Inspector

Fiona Roche, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2636996 16 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.15

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.16

Inspector

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

p.16

Inspector

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

p.16