Children's Home run by Inroads Essex Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 1 Registered provider: Inroads Essex Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private organisation runs this home. It provides care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

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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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/10/2019 Full Inadequate 10/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 3

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improvement to be good

There were four children living at the home at the time of the inspection. Children have lived at the home for several years and are settled. Parents’ feedback is positive. Parents say that their children have made progress because of living at the home. However, the judgement of requires improvement overall reflects several shortfalls found in help and protection and several gaps in managerial monitoring and oversight.

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improvement to be good

Staff support a range of activities that reflect the children’s interests. Children enjoy art and craft sessions, dancing and baking. The home has its own swimming pool, which the children make good use of. Children benefit from trips to the coast, soft- play centres and the cinema. However, these trips are infrequent due to staffing constraints and limited numbers of staff who can drive. This means that opportunities to broaden children’s social experiences are reduced.

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improvement to be good

Children have developed trusting relationships with the staff and enjoy spending time with them. The staff know the children well and can communicate with them using their preferred method of communication. However, records fail to demonstrate that children are actively involved in the day-to-day or more-complex decisions about their lives.

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improvement to be good

Some improvements have been made to the home since the last inspection. Despite these improvements, there are still locks on children’s bedroom cupboards, windows without curtains and doors that slam loudly. The garden is untidy and has overgrown bushes that obscure the views from the windows. As a result, children are not provided with a homely environment.

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improvement to be good

Children’s attendance at school is good. Effective communication between the home and school ensures that there is a joint approach to problem-solving when a child is experiencing difficulties. Therefore, children benefit from a coordinated approach to education.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are up to date and contain risk-reduction strategies. However, records fail to show that staff have kept themselves up to date and informed of important issues relating to the children. Staff are inconsistent in their understanding of individual children’s health and dietary needs. This shortfall means that not all staff have the necessary knowledge to respond to the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment processes are not consistently implemented. Full employment history, gaps in employment and reasons for staff leaving previous roles have been Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 4 explored for newly appointed staff. However, managers have not ensured that these checks have been made for agency staff. This could lead to unsuitable adults working at the home.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions are used to keep children safe. Records are generally thorough; however, several records are illegible. On two occasions, the manager has been directly involved with the restraint. On these occasions, the records have not been signed by an authorised person to confirm that they are accurate. This lack of oversight means that emerging concerns or issues relating to the restraint were not responded to promptly.

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improvement to be good

There are few recorded conversations with children. Staff do not routinely talk with the children to help improve their understanding of risk. Therefore, children are not routinely supported to understand and manage their behaviour safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is child centred and has a good understanding of the children’s needs. Children enjoy spending time with him. One child proudly displayed photos of a fishing trip that they had enjoyed together. Such activities create positive memories and enrich children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managerial monitoring and oversight need improvement. Children’s plans are not consistently monitored. Staff use restrictions to keep children safe. These restrictions limit the children’s access to parts of the home and their belongings. However, the restrictions are not consistently reviewed to ensure that they are proportionate and justified. This lack of managerial oversight reduces the opportunity to make continuous improvements to the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Communication at the home needs to improve. Team meetings are poorly attended. This means that staff are not kept informed of areas of concern or changes to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager writes a six-monthly review of the quality of care provided for the children. However, the manager has not demonstrated how he has responded to children’s feedback and has failed to produce a plan of action to improve the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On one occasion, the responsible individual failed to take immediate and appropriate action in response to a safeguarding concern. They failed to notify Ofsted of the concern. Such delay reduces Ofsted’s capacity to monitor safeguarding arrangements at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Fire doors require attention. Records show that a child’s bedroom door has failed to close properly for several months. Despite being repeatedly reported, the fault has not been rectified. Fire evacuation procedures are not routinely discussed with new staff. The fire evacuation meeting point is situated near a busy main road. This does not consider the dangers posed to children who may have limited road safety Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 5 awareness. Poor procedures relating to fire safety mean that the risk of harm to children has increased.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff access online training. The manager was unable to show if staff have completed training in relation to online safety for children. Several staff have not achieved a relevant level 3 diploma within two years of commencing a care role. Failure to ensure that staff are appropriately trained and qualified means that staff are not equipped with all the skills they need to meet children’s needs. Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the garden is well maintained and views from windows are not obscured by bushes. 7 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; 7 October 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 7 help each child to develop socially aware behaviour. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have regular conversations with children to help to develop children’s understanding of safe and socially acceptable behaviour.

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that serious safeguarding concerns are responded to effectively. 17 August 2022

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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 home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that locks are removed from children’s cupboards. 7 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that immediate action is taken when a fault is recorded, that new staff are made aware of the home’s fire evacuation procedure and that the suitability of the home’s evacuation meeting point is reviewed. 17 August 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 8 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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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) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that recruitment checks for agency staff are completed. 31 August 2022

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff achieve a relevant level 3 diploma within the required time frame. 31 December

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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”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)) 17 August 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 9 In particular, ensure that the authorised person signs the record once they have spoken to the user about the restraint.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 17 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45 (2)(c) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the quality of care review contains actions taken and intended actions as a result of children’s feedback. 7 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about their care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. In particular, ensure that all children are included in decision-making about the home and that their wishes and feelings are recorded. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities inside and outside of the home. In particular, ensure that each child is supported to access community-based activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child at the

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Recommendations

home and to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential. In particular, ensure that all staff read and Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 10 understand the children’s plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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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: 1272657 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Inroads Essex Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suffolk House 7 Hydra, Orion Court, Addison Way, Great Blakenham, Suffolk IP6 0LW

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Inspectors

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Paula Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1272657 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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