Children's home run by Semi-independent House Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2599659 1 Registered provider: Semi-Independent House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since January 2022.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2599659 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2599659 3

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improvement to be good

Children are generally making progress at this home. However, concerns regarding the leadership and management and the review of two serious incidents have compromised the quality of care.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, two children have moved to the home and two children have moved on.

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improvement to be good

Staff have built trusting relationships with children and know them well. One child said that the staff are amazing and that they listen to him and he feels able to talk openly to them. Children feel understood by staff who really care about them.

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improvement to be good

Both children are in education. One child is working towards his GCSEs and making good progress. Rewards and incentives have helped increase children’s attendance in school. Another child with gaps in education has been supported with home tutoring and is due to start college. He is very keen to begin his course. The manager and staff understand the barriers to education and are committed to helping children achieve their educational potential.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to take part in a variety of activities. One child plays football in a team. Another child enjoys fishing and swimming and has achieved a bronze certificate in sailing. Children enjoy day trips, and a staycation is planned for the summer holidays. Children have opportunities to pursue their hobbies and experience enriching activities.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged and supported to spend time with family and friends. Staff supervise their time together, enabling them to do activities that otherwise would not be possible. One child’s grandmother said that the home and staff are wonderful. Staff arrange for children to have overnight stays with friends.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to develop independence skills that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. One child is encouraged to spend free time with their friends. Children are helped to learn basic cooking, budgeting and domestic skills. Children are developing important independence skills and friendships, which helps to prepare them for when they move on.

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improvement to be good

There are several safeguarding concerns identified. The double garage outside the property has doors that are not attached to the garage. The doorway at the front of the garage has been damaged. This has left open access to a garage filled with Inspection report children's home: 2599659 4 items that could cause harm or injury to children. This is despite a recent incident where a child accessed the garage and compromised the children’s and staff’s safety. A failure to secure the garage has left children with access to unsafe items and because of this, two serious incidents have occurred.

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improvement to be good

The garden and paths need weeding and the decking needs replacing. The outside gate leading to the busy road is not in full working order. There are several areas of the house that require plastering and painting. Overall, the poor maintenance and upkeep of the house fail to provide a homely environment for children.

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improvement to be good

Children have behaviour support plans. However, the staff are not consistently implementing strategies for one child to manage difficult emotions. The child has requested that the staff follow his agreed calming strategy. However, an incident occurred, and the staff failed to follow this strategy. Children’s behaviour is not always managed effectively, and on occasions the police and managers have been called during incidents. Therefore, at times, children have been unnecessarily exposed to police presence in a way that does not help the children learn to trust the police.

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improvement to be good

The home has a location risk assessment. The assessment identifies relevant risks and how the manager and staff minimise these risks. The assessment does not include feedback from relevant people in the community and this means opportunities for information could be missed.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand how to manage concerns about social media. One child is very vulnerable and was being threatened via social media. Staff identified this quickly and informed the child’s social worker and police. Staff have completed important work with the child about internet safety and cyber-bullying. The child was safeguarded effectively and is being educated about internet risks. This has been effective and there have been no further concerns.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from home. On a few occasions, children have jumped over the gates that lead immediately to a very busy road. Staff have managed these incidents well. They have kept sight of the children and encouraged them to return to the home in minimal time. Social workers and staff speak with children following these incidents. Children feel listened to. They said that they feel safe and feel able to talk to staff if anything was worrying them.

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good

The manager has been in post since February 2022 and is in the process of applying to register as the manager of the home. The manager has a relevant level 4 diploma and is due to enrol on the level 5 diploma course. The manager has several years’ experience working with children.

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good

There are several concerns about the management and oversight of the home. Inspection report children's home: 2599659 5 The manager has not ensured that staff have sufficient behaviour management training or that this training reflects the home’s statement of purpose. On two occasions serious incidents involving two children were not managed effectively. On both occasions staff locked themselves in the office and left two children displaying unsafe behaviours unsupervised. The staff do not all have physical intervention training. Therefore, the staff do not have sufficient training to manage the children’s complex behavioural needs.

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good

The manager has not consistently debriefed staff following incidents. On one occasion a child was not helped to reflect after an incident. Following significant incidents the manager debriefs staff. However, significant learning points are not identified. Consequently, a further serious incident occurred. The deputy manager debriefed staff, but they also failed to address significant learning points. One member of staff is yet to have a debrief following this incident. The supporting incident record reports are not clear and do not contain all of the information. Debriefs that are ineffective mean that lessons are not learned from mistakes. The manager’s oversight of these incidents is poor and the records are confusing.

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good

One member of staff has not completed the level 3 diploma in the agreed time scale. Staff have completed a range of training. However, one member of staff did not know the whistle-blowing procedure. A lack of knowledge and training means that children may not benefit from qualified and knowledgeable staff.

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good

The manager has regular supervision sessions and support from the head of care. The staff feel supported by managers and receive regular supervision sessions. The manager has an open-door policy. Staff said that all managers are approachable. The staff feel valued and motivated.

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good

Social workers spoke highly of the care, the manager and the staff. Social workers said that children are well cared for, have good relationships with staff, and that children tell them that they like living at the home. The staff communicate well with social workers. Working in partnership with social workers means that children benefit from care that is planned and considered.

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good

The manager has received two complaints from children. The complaints were acknowledged and investigated promptly. Children met with the manager to discuss resolution choices, and their choices were listened to. Children’s voices are heard, and complaints are taken seriously.

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good

The manager and staff manage emergency moves into the home well. One child arrived in an emergency and was welcomed and has settled quickly. The social worker said that he settled in well and she was expecting the settling period to take longer than it had. She put this down to the manager and staff taking time to get to know the child. When possible, moves out of the home are managed with sensitivity, and staff still visit the children regularly. Children’s moves in and out of the home are well considered. When children move on, relationships with children are maintained.

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good

At this inspection one requirement was met. Another requirement is reinstated. Inspection report children's home: 2599659 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 premises used for the purpose of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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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 children from avoidable hazards to health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home is decorated and maintained, including the garden, decking and fencing. Ensure that the garage doors, front gate and missing paving slabs are replaced or repaired.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when reviewing the location risk assessment take into account the views of each relevant person. 1 September 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 the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 15 September 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2599659 7 ensure staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have behaviour management training and have completed the level 3 diploma within agreed timescales;

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Requirement Due date

ensure staff understand the whistle-blowing procedures.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that incidents are monitored and reviewed effectively and that reports contain clear information. 11 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff implement the behaviour management strategies detailed in children’s plans. 11 August 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2599659 8

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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 children's home: 2599659 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Semi-Independent House Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Ploverly, Peterborough PE4 6HZ

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2599659 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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