Children's Home run by Support and Sustain Care Ltd in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 1 Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care 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 by a private company and is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been at the home since it registered in July 2021. She is working towards a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted undertook a full inspection on 14 and 15 June 2022. Due to concerns identified at that visit, Ofsted issued a compliance notice in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place on 27 July 2022 to review the progress made in meeting the steps outlined in the compliance notice issued under regulation 12. The compliance notice was not met and was reissued. Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2022 Full Inadequate 23/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 3

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improvement to be good

There is one child living in the home. She has built trusted and secure relationships with some core members of staff. The child informed the inspector that there are adults around who she can speak to if she is upset or worried. This helps the child to feel confident about her relationships with staff and supports her progress.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain relationships with people who matter to her. Staff enable the child to keep in touch with family through supervised community contact. Staff are sensitive in managing any difficulties in the child’s relationship with her family.

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improvement to be good

The inspector observed warm and friendly relationships between the child and staff. Staff have now been trained in the home’s therapeutic model of care. The model is reflected in the child’s plans and the home’s daily ethos. The child contributes to her care through targeted discussions and is encouraged to achieve positive outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The child has made good progress with her education. Staff have supported the child to manage the transition on to a daily timetable. The child has since received certificates for achievement and attendance, which helps her to build a sense of pride and accomplishment.

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improvement to be good

The child is currently exploring her identity and sexual orientation. Staff have not discussed this with the child. Furthermore, the child’s plans do not reflect that this is an area of support required for the child. This is a missed opportunity to help a vulnerable child to understand their sexuality, identity and feelings.

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improvement to be good

The compliance notice raised under regulation 12 at the last monitoring visit is met. Managers have ensured that all staff have received safeguarding training. Risk assessments have been updated and staff have an improved understanding of their role and responsibilities in keeping the child safe.

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improvement to be good

Managers have responded to, reported, and investigated an allegation made by the child. However, safeguarding procedures were not followed. The person subject to the allegation was allowed to begin investigating the allegation with the child. In addition, the local authority designated officer and Ofsted were not notified of the allegation. The child was not well supported throughout this process. This demonstrates that managers do not take appropriate action when a child raises serious concerns. Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 4 Staff have received training to help them to know how to respond to incidents of self-harm. Staff were able to explain to the inspector how to use this training should the need arise. When incidents have happened, they have accessed medical treatment for the child, and managers have increased staffing levels. This has helped to keep the child safe overall. The child’s health plan was missing a protocol

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improvement to be good

to be followed during self-harm incidents. The manager addressed this during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond to child’s challenging behaviours in a positive way. The use of restraints is kept to a minimum. The manager and staff review incidents that happen and consider ways of reducing risks. However, a restraint record was not completed within the required time frame, and staff involved were not spoken to in a timely manner. This is a missed opportunity for managers to learn from incidents and address any concerns with practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff have received training to raise their knowledge and awareness of how best to safeguard children in response to different risks. They use this learning in their day- to-day practice. This helps to promote the child’s safety. Staff use planned and ad hoc key-work sessions to talk through topics that are relevant to the child’s care and safety. Staff discuss with the child the risks associated with self-harm and injury.

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good

Managers have taken action to address the serious and widespread concerns identified at the last full inspection. Despite the progress made, two requirements relating to safer recruitment and the manager’s supervision have not been met and are restated. Furthermore, four new requirements and two recommendations have been raised.

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good

There has been a recent change of responsible individual. The new responsible individual started the day before the inspection. The provider has yet to make an application to Ofsted to change the name of the responsible individual linked to this home.

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good

Potential employees are subject to an assessment of their suitability to work with children. This includes references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. However, managers have not ensured that all staff have had their employment history explored and gaps explained. This increases the risk of unsuitable people being employed to care for children. This was a shortfall at the previous inspection.

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good

Progress has been made to provide staff with more regular and good-quality supervision. Staff speak positively about the support they receive from the manager. However, the manager has not had any form of supervision from the previous responsible individual. This means that the manager has not always received the support and guidance needed to make improvements to the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 5 Relationships between the manager and external professionals are generally positive. Professionals mostly speak well of the good communication and information-sharing between staff, the manager and themselves. Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children are supported to explore their identity and sexuality. 20 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; 20 November Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 7 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that suitable references are sought and gaps in employment are explained.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the registered manager receives practice-related supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 20 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to following the procedure to protect a child when there is an allegation of abuse against a person working in the home. 20 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 20 November Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 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

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that records of restraints and debriefs are completed within required time frames.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 20 November Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 9 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that any allegations against staff are notified to HMCI.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should challenge, under regulation 5(c), any placing authority which asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan. It is essential that staff in the home understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child’s placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. This relates to ensuring that local authority care plans are in place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children and administer basic first-aid and minor illness treatment. Specifically, there should be a clear protocol in place with regards to the response to self-harm and medical advice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’,

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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: 2603750 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Support and Sustain Care Limited

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Inspector

James Tallis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2603750 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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