Children's home run by Empower Residentials Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 1 Registered provider: Empower Residentials Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care and accommodation for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children with social and emotional difficulties and/or for children with learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2022. Prior to the inspection, the manager submitted their resignation and is due to leave in November 2022. Recruitment for a new manager is underway.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 31/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 3

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inadequate

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. Since the last inspection, a number of children have moved into and out of the home. Leaders and managers did not think carefully enough about the skills and experience of the staff team and the needs of the resident child when making decisions for two children to move in within five days of each other earlier in the year.

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inadequate

The largely inexperienced staff team did not have the skills needed to meet the children’s complex needs. Consequently, senior leaders found that staff were not able to keep the children safe, so made the decision for one of these children and one other child to move on from the home. Although a necessary decision, this still resulted in disruption for the children as the ending was unplanned. Leaders, managers and staff recognise that more work is needed to ensure that future placement decisions are appropriate.

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inadequate

Staff changes since the last inspection have resulted in children being cared for by several adults who are new to children’s residential care. This meant that staff did not have the experience needed to manage children’s complex needs and associated behaviours, and to keep children safe when they were missing from home. For example, although staff followed the missing from home protocols, these documents did not tell them explicitly about how to search for children and where. Known intelligence was not used and, for two children, missing incidents increased.

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inadequate

Consequences for unwanted behaviour are rare, and those imposed have helped the children to recognise the impact of their actions. Records of these consequences are not well maintained; they do not always tell the reader what the behaviour was that resulted in the consequence being imposed.

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inadequate

Feedback from two social workers, including for a child who has since left the home, is very positive. They said that they receive regular communication about the children, and that leaders and managers work in partnership with them to secure improved outcomes for children.

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inadequate

The one child who currently lives at the home is making steady progress. His attendance at school is good, and he is working hard to meet his targets. The child enjoys a wide range of activities in the home and in the local community. A photo diary of activities he has enjoyed shows the child’s personal growth and enjoyment. Staff help the child to maintain positive relationships with his family.

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

Overall, leaders and managers’ understanding of safeguarding procedures is weak. This does not help to keep children safe. One child protection concern was dealt Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 4 with swiftly and appropriately. However, several other disclosures and/or concerns made by children were not dealt with, despite these shortfalls being identified by the independent person and appropriate actions identified. Two months later, the shortfalls have still not been addressed, meaning that actions to protect the children have not been taken, and that neither the regulator nor safeguarding professionals were notified. This is a serious concern. The inspector ensured that leaders and managers took immediate action to address these concerns.

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

Between the time of the last inspection and the recent departure of two children, incidents including damage to the home, self-harm and children going missing significantly increased. This was because staff lack the experience to put in place appropriate boundaries for children with more complex needs and respond protectively to high-risk behaviours.

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

At times, restraint has been used appropriately to keep children safe. Although staff and children are spoken to after incidents, discussions with children do not explore how they felt about being held or help them to identify why their anxiety increased. Discussions with staff do not help them to explore what alternative approaches could have been used.

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

Records of incidents often lack a clear and concise overview of what happened and of the outcome. In addition, the registered manager, who has been involved in incidents, has evaluated his own practice without the oversight of independent scrutiny. This does not provide an opportunity for an independent review to enable learning to be identified. At times, leaders and managers’ review of incidents has lacked sufficient scrutiny and professional curiosity. For example, in some records, staff have recorded disclosures or safeguarding intelligence shared by children. Leaders and managers had not identified these as potential safeguarding concerns and, therefore, no actions were taken in response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An experienced registered manager is in post. Prior to this inspection, they had submitted their resignation with plans to leave in November 2022. Recruitment for a new manager is taking place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring of the home by leaders and managers has not been effective. Shortfalls in practice have not been identified by the registered manager, resulting in poor matching decisions for children and delays in keeping them safe. The independent person’s monitoring is strong. They have correctly identified shortfalls in practice and set recommendations for the home to address. Leaders and managers have however failed to act on these recommendations, meaning that the shortfalls were still evident at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, several staff have left, and new ones have been recruited. Most of these new staff do not have experience of working in children’s residential care. Only two of the current staff team have the required childcare qualification. In Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 5 recent weeks, the registered manager and deputy changed their usual work pattern to provide more support to the new staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are well attended, and reflective discussions are encouraged. However, minutes of the meetings do not show the team using the opportunity to talk about triggers for children’s behaviour, to identify potential patterns or trends and to agree strategies to mitigate risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have received basic mandatory training and, in recent weeks, have attended a specialist course on a trauma-informed approach. Staff say that they now feel they have a better understanding of why children behave in certain ways. However, it is too early to determine the impact of the staff’s learning from this training. Not all staff have the training they need to enable them to meet the current child’s complex needs relating to autism, mental health and first aid.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff recognise there are many lessons to be learned from recent events. They told the inspector that they plan to improve their admission of children and their management of children’s needs. Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 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 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)) 11 November

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; 11 November Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 7 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with each child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotional can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(ix))

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 11 November

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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; 11 November Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 8 ensures that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 11 November

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 11 November

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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;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(e)) 11 November Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 9

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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: 2595791 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Empower Residentials Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2 Prockters Farm Offices, West Monkton, Taunton, Somerset TA2 8QN

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2595791 11 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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