Children's home run by Future In Mind Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 1 Registered provider: Future in Mind Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. The home provides care for up to two children who have experienced childhood instability, resulting in trauma and associated complex emotional and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is currently vacant.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2022

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2022 Full Good 13/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 3

p.2

inadequate

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home. Two children had recently moved out. One had lived at the home for several months and one had lived there for 10 days, having moved from another home within the organisation.

p.3

inadequate

Ofsted has judged this home inadequate due to significant failings in the planning of children’s care, safeguarding practice and leadership and management. Children who lived at the home since the last inspection have not received the help and protection they needed to keep them safe and enable them to make good progress. Staff practice and poor leadership did not support children to have positive experiences and achieve good outcomes.

p.3

inadequate

The home has sustained damage as a result of incidents. Brickwork in the conservatory is crumbling due to a flying ant infestation. A child’s bedroom was dirty because of poor supervision and support. Another child moved into a bedroom which had not been prepared adequately for their arrival. Managers and staff have failed to maintain the home to an acceptable standard of hygiene and decoration, and they have allowed children to live and sleep in conditions that are unwelcoming and poor.

p.3

inadequate

A high turnover of staff means that children had limited opportunities to build trusting relationships with a consistent staff team. The home’s therapeutic approach to care, as outlined in the statement of purpose, is not embedded in staff practice. This limits staff’s ability to understand children’s life experiences, respond appropriately and develop consistent approaches to children’s care.

p.3

inadequate

Poor routines and staff’s lack of effective and meaningful engagement with children hindered children’s progress and positive experiences. For example, staff did not find creative ways to encourage one child to leave his bedroom, to eat regular meals and to join in with formal and informal learning. The child spent excessive amounts of time in his bedroom and ate meals in his room. A lack of management oversight in the home resulted in unsupported staff struggling to meet this child’s needs.

p.3

inadequate

Managers did not take steps to ensure that all risks were considered when a child moved into this home from another home within the organisation. Consequently, the decisions made compromised children’s welfare and safety. In addition, staff shortages meant that there were insufficient staff to meet children’s needs and staff who were working at the home did not have the appropriate training to meet the children’s needs safely. Immediate notice was given on both children’s placements and children moved out without adequate preparation and warning.

p.3

inadequate

One child living in the home was not in education. Managers and staff failed to take enough action to address this and help the child to re-engage. The child’s Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 4 educational needs were not being reviewed regularly. In addition, managers and staff did not always ensure that good routines and activities were in place to support the child with his learning.

p.3

inadequate

When a child showed interest in personalising his bedroom, this was not followed up by staff. This was a missed opportunity to engage the child and as a result he lost interest. In addition, there were limited opportunities for children to participate in and enjoy special occasions and events.

p.4

inadequate

Care planning is weak. The child who had lived at the home for several months did not have a placement plan and his health records had not been adequately reviewed this year. Records were not clear about what efforts had been made to help the child engage in health appointments. This did not support the child to make progress.

p.4

inadequate

Despite the shortfalls identified, children were supported to spend quality time with their families. Staff supported children to have regular overnight stays with their families. This allowed the children to maintain relationships that were important to them.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Risk management is poor. Staff were not guided by effective risk management plans. The manager did not ensure that risk assessments contained all known risks for one child living in the home. In addition, guidance about levels of supervision for children was vague. The absence and poor quality of risk assessments, coupled with inadequate training for staff and inconsistent staffing, means that staff do not understand how to protect children from harm and keep them safe.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Furthermore, despite a shortfall being raised at the last inspection, a child continued to have daily unsupervised and unmonitored access to the internet. Staff did not use their professional curiosity to explore the child’s online activity. This did not ensure that the child was adequately safeguarded from risks associated with the use of the internet and social media.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff do not respond with sufficient vigilance to safeguarding concerns or put in place consistent boundaries. They did not provide effective challenge or support to children, and managers acknowledged that staff did not have a good understanding of children’s experiences and how this affected their behaviours. As a result, staff were not working within the therapeutic framework as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Some staff have not had the training required to follow the home’s approach to behaviour management and physical intervention. This means that staff are not able to follow the agreed strategies to keep children safe and are poorly equipped to manage children’s behaviour. This resulted in staff locking themselves in rooms and having to phone the police when children’s behaviours escalated out of their control. Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 5 When restraint incidents have occurred, staff have not recorded all required information and children have not always received a debrief to talk about what happened.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers and staff did not respond effectively to a child smoking cannabis. They did not provide appropriate challenge and support through fear of upsetting the child. Consequently, staff did not safeguard the child from possible risks of drug misuse.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home does not have a registered manager and management presence within the home has been limited since the last inspection. A manager from another home has been overseeing the service. However, her capacity to do this effectively has been compromised as she has only been able to spend two days a week in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to meet the requirements from the last inspection. For example, managers have failed to adequately assess all known risks to children, the environment is now poor, staff have not completed the relevant qualifications and training and managers do not provide sufficient oversight of the home. Leaders and managers have not monitored the home adequately. Although managers did an audit of the home which identified inadequate aspects of care, they did not take steps to bring about improvements to the quality of care children received.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that children’s case records contain up-to-date and accurate information. One child did not have a placement plan and there had not been any updates to his health plan this year. Daily records kept in relation to children were not always dated and some records were missing. As a result, staff do not always have the information they need to coordinate children’s care and support their well-being.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Formal supervision for staff with managers has not taken place consistently. Agency staff who work in the home have not received supervision in line with the organisation’s policy. When there have been concerns about staff practice, managers have failed to raise this through the supervision process. This is a missed opportunity to address concerns and fails to hold staff accountable. In addition, this limits opportunities for reflection and the professional development of the staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of changes in management arrangements, the latest quality of care report was not submitted to Ofsted. It is therefore unclear what learning has been derived from this period and what plans are in place to ensure improvements are made to the quality of care children receive.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not ensured that there are sufficient opportunities for children to express their views, wishes and feelings. Managers could not provide evidence to Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 6 demonstrate how they listened to children. As a result, children’s views are not used to improve the quality of care provided.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At the time of this inspection, leaders and managers had begun to reflect on the shortfalls in care provided to children and they acknowledge senior managers should have done more to oversee what was happening in the home. They now have some plans in place moving forward to address the shortcomings.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of a lack of experienced and skilled staff to safely operate this home, the provider has made the decision to close the home temporarily. Following this inspection, Ofsted imposed a three-month condition on their registration. This means that the provider must notify Ofsted of their intention to move children in. Ofsted will undertake a monitoring visit in advance of this happening to review the provider’s readiness to reopen the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 7

p.6

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.7

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that conditions in the home are hygienic. In addition, that improvements are made to the home environment and repairs are carried out promptly.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Aspects of this requirement are restated from the last inspection. 21 September

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.7

Requirement Due date

engage with them; and 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 8 take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring children have the opportunity to express their views, wishes and feelings on a regular basis.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(viii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring children receive appropriate support when they are not attending education and efforts are made for children to return to school, education or training provision as quickly as possible. 21 September

p.8

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 9 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, that there are clear plans in place to support children’s health needs, and that children are supported to understand the benefits of health assessments.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.9

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.9

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 10 expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.9

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.10

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.10

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

p.10

Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b))

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff are supported to understand children’s experiences and how these impact on their behaviour. In addition, that children are supported to build positive relationships with staff and with each other.

p.10

Requirement Due date

Aspects of this requirement are restated from the last inspection.

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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.10

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 11 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.10

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.11

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that safeguarding concerns are identified and responded to. In addition, ensure that each child has risk assessments in place which include all known risks and provide staff with strategies to follow to keep children safe.

p.11

Requirement Due date

Aspects of this requirement are restated from the last inspection.

p.11

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.11

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

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

p.11

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;

p.11

Requirement Due date

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

p.11

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.11

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.11

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)(e)(f)(h))

p.11

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring staff have received mandatory training and supervision. In addition, the manager must 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 12 review and evaluate the quality of care to ensure that shortfalls are identified and rectified.

p.11

Requirement Due date

Aspects of this requirement are restated from the last inspection.

p.12

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.12

Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

p.12

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

p.12

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children have positive experiences when they move in or out of the home. In addition, each child should have a care plan that provides guidance to staff about how to meet their individual needs. 21 September

p.12

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

p.12

Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 21 September

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, 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 13 if the individual satisfied the requirements in paragraph (3)

p.12

Requirement Due date

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

p.13

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.13

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32 (1)(a)(b)(3)(b)(4)(a))

p.13

Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated from the last inspection.

p.13

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.13

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(4)(b))

p.13

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to all employees, including agency staff, receiving practice-related supervision in line with the organisation’s policy. 21 September

p.13

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

p.13

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

p.13

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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.13

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to 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; 21 September Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 14 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use 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") has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.14

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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.14

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to management oversight of incidents requiring physical intervention with a child in the home and the need to review the effectiveness of the measure and any learning following the measure. In addition, the manager must ensure that they complete a debrief with the child following a physical intervention.

p.14

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

p.14

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.14

Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (a)(b)) 21 September

p.14

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.14

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a) ) 21 September

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, Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 15 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: 2507393 16

p.14

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Future in Mind, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

p.16

Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2507393 17 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.16

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.17

Inspector

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

p.17

Inspector

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

p.17