Children's home run by Park Blue Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 1 Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector observed interactions with all the children living in the home during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021. However, there are interim management arrangements in place as the manager has recently resigned.

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 December 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/04/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s overall experiences of living in the home are variable. Children are settled and enjoy positive relationships with the staff. However, the home has seen a significant turnover in staff including the registered manager since the last inspection. This means that the children have faced disruption and have been cared for by unfamiliar carers.

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improvement to be good

The home is furnished and decorated to a good standard. Photographs of the children are displayed around the home. The presence of children’s toys and artwork throughout gives a nurturing and homely feel. The children’s bedrooms are individualised to their specific likes and preferences. However, shortfalls were identified including outstanding maintenance tasks, a fire door not closing correctly and the continued use of an electrical appliance which had failed electrical testing. These shortfalls could potentially place children at risk.

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improvement to be good

Children are not consistently offered choices or opportunities to provide feedback about their care. Key-work sessions and children’s meetings do not take place. This does not provide the children with the opportunity to express their views with staff.

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improvement to be good

A lack of care planning and direct work with the children has resulted in delays and poor transition planning. One young person who lives in the home and who is now over 18 years old, does not have a transition and moving-on plan in place. Another child’s experience of moving on from the home was poor. This means that children and young people are not adequately prepared for moving on to their new homes.

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improvement to be good

When shortfalls in the children’s care planning are identified by the staff, there is a lack of evidence of challenge and escalation to the relevant local authority. This lack of advocacy for the children leaves them with ineffective planning for their futures.

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improvement to be good

Children are offered a wide range of activities both in the home and during outings in the community that reflect their individual needs and interests. This provides the children with opportunities to socialise in the wider community and to broaden their experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children are making good progress at school and have excellent attendance. Staff attend all education meetings and communicate with the school daily by way of a physical handover or emails. One education professional described this as being very helpful as it allows the school to understand in advance any issues, which they can then respond to accordingly.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the children’s health needs are met. Staff support children to attend all health appointments, including specialist appointments. Staff ensure that the children have all the adaptations and aids in place that they need. This enables the children to be more mobile and independent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 4

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improvement to be good

Children are settled living in this home. However, there is a lack of experienced staff caring for the children. Staff do not all have the necessary levels of knowledge of safeguarding procedures. As such, the staff do not always follow safeguarding procedures and respond to the immediate safeguarding concerns. For example, a child’s bedroom was not searched to ensure that items which could be, or had been, used to self-harm are not in the room. On another occasion, an accident record was not completed for a child who had sustained injuries. The lack of knowledge and experience by some staff means that children are placed at risk of potential harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff follow the missing-from-home procedures when children go missing. Staff search the local area for the child and appropriately report them missing to the police. However, when children return, there is not always a return home interview record on the child’s file. This can hinder accurate risk assessments for the child.

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improvement to be good

Previously raised shortfalls about the recording of physical interventions remain unmet. Staff debriefs are not consistently carried out following a physical intervention. There was a lack of evaluation of the effectiveness of any holds used by the previous manager. This means that the safeness, necessity and proportionality of any holds used by the staff cannot be established.

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improvement to be good

Before children move into the home, an impact risk assessment is completed. Potential risks and impact on the child moving into the home are considered. However, no analysis has taken place on the potential impact on those children already living in the home. This lack of analysis means that the children have been matched without consideration of how the behaviours of other children may affect them.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are clear and easy to read. They identify all the known risks and have a detailed plan of how the risks will be managed. These reports provide the staff with a detailed plan of how they should support the child when risks occur.

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good

A new manager has recently been appointed who intends to apply to become the registered manager. The new manager has a clear understanding of the home and was already aware of several of the shortfalls found during the inspection. The manager has a realistic vision of how the service needs to develop and to improve. He has a strong presence in the home and spends time with the children. While some changes have already been made for the better, the manager has not had sufficient time to address all the shortfalls he has identified.

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good

Staff do not always receive regular supervision and the quality of supervision varies. Some supervisions lack reflection on practice, professional scrutiny and challenge, as well as discussions around professional development. This means that the staff are Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 5 not consistently being provided with opportunities to reflect and develop to improve their practice.

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good

Training records are kept up to date and identify when training needs to be renewed. However, some staff have not completed the provider’s mandatory training and not all the staff have received training specific to the individual needs of the children. This means that not all the staff are appropriately trained to care for the children currently living in the home.

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good

Some children’s files do not contain the required information. This affects the quality of information that the staff have available to meet the children’s needs.

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good

The children’s guide is out of date and the current format makes it inaccessible to the children currently living in the home. This shortfall means that the children are not being provided with the information about the home that they need.

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good

The statement of purpose does not meet regulations. It does not identify how a person, body or organisation involved in the care or protection of a child can access the home’s child protection policies, the behaviour management policy, or the complaints policy. This means that parents, Ofsted and other professionals cannot access the information to ensure that the home provides care in line with the statement of purpose.

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good

The location risk assessment does not include evidence of consultation with the police and wider community and how this feedback has then been considered when updating the document. This means that the manager cannot be assured that they are aware of and have considered all the known risks within the local community.

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good

The manager has implemented some new management systems to help him to monitor the care that the children receive. However, the tools are not embedded and therefore have not identified all the shortfalls raised during this inspection. This demonstrates that the while the manager is aware of the improvements needed, these have not been fully addressed.

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good

A wealth of positive feedback was received from families, social workers and other professionals as part of this inspection. One family member said, ‘I’m over the moon, I couldn’t be happier with the home.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 5 (c)) 6 November 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 7 child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(c)(h)) 6 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 6 October 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; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 6 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 8 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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the physical intervention records.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 6 October 2022

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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 6 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 9 calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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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))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s 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. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.11).  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide is age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 24, paragraph 4.21)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the

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Recommendations

responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place so that all the staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision so that they can reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Park Blue Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fairfield Lodge, Evenwood Gate, Bishop Auckland DL14 9NH

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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2509892 11 and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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