Children's Home run by Hampshire County Council in Hampshire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 1 Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by the local authority. The home’s statement of purpose states that the setting is designed to improve children’s life chances and outcomes by enabling them to rebuild relationships with their families and/or to achieve a stable living situation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 22 July 2020.

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Inspection date: 6 October 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 6 October 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

One child has recently moved into the home. The registered manager completed a good assessment of the child’s needs, including considering their risks and vulnerabilities in relation to the children already living in the home.

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The care of children

The staff listen to the children about what is important to them, including their wishes and feelings. Staff have supported one child to buy a new outfit for a special occasion and another child to buy tickets to a nationally recognised horse event.

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The care of children

One child has recently started a new school suited to their needs and vulnerabilities. The child told the inspector, ‘I love my new school.’ Another child attends school on a full-time basis and continues to make educational progress. For the one child not in school, managers are advocating for them to secure the right educational placement.

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The care of children

The staff ensure that they request children’s education, health and care plans. When children’s plans are not promptly provided, staff are good at escalating their concerns over the delay.

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The safety of children

Staff talk to the children about how to stay safe and provide them with the necessary tools to help them to make safe decisions. One child has recently completed an accredited qualification in online safety.

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The safety of children

There has been a decrease in one child’s behaviour both in the home and in the community. Staff have worked particularly hard with the local police to ensure that the child has the wraparound care they need to stay safe.

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The safety of children

Children have individualised behaviour management plans that capture their preferred support and intervention strategies. This helps the children to feel in control of situations when they are at their most angry and/or upset.

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The safety of children

The staff report safeguarding concerns quickly and follow guidance. The registered manager keeps good audit trails of any contact with safeguarding professionals and the subsequent outcomes.

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The safety of children

The registered manager has suitably vetted agency staff working in the home. Staff carry out regular inductions for agency staff, inviting them to handovers and asking Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 3 them to read the relevant plans for the children. Consequently, children are supported by staff who understand their needs, risks and vulnerabilities.

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The safety of children

The staff regularly review and update children’s risk assessments. These assessments include clear strategies to help to reduce identified risks. Although the children’s risk assessments and missing-from-care plans are regularly reviewed, managers have failed to review the home’s location risk assessment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager is suitably qualified. She has recently been on extended annual leave and during this period the deputy manager has been in charge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager had identified gaps in staff training in relation to the care of one child. Although the manager has now arranged for staff to receive this training, the delay has left some staff without the necessary skills and knowledge in how to meet the child’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

All staff are trained in the home’s physical intervention technique and first aid.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff receive safeguarding training during their induction and have a further safeguarding webinar once this initial training is completed. However, there is no formal process for staff to refresh their safeguarding training. Senior leaders have identified this shortfall and are piloting a new residential learning and development scheme from October this year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager keeps the home’s statement of purpose under review. However, the staff appendix attached to this document is out of date. Managers working in the home are not included on the day-to-day duty rota. This makes it difficult for the staff, external professionals and the regulator to review which staff are working in the home and when.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager has met all the requirements from the last full inspection, apart from those relating to regulation 13.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 4

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

ensure 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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure the staff have the training and skills to meet the needs of children, including regularly refreshed safeguarding training. The registered person must also keep up-to-date details of the experience and qualifications of staff as set out in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 7 January 2023

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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 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)) 7 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 5

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Recommendation

 Those with a leadership and/or management role should be visible and accessible to staff. Their working hours should be documented on the staff rota. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hampshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hampshire Council, 3rd Floor, Elizabeth II Court North, The Castle, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8UG

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Inspector

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2508451 7 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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Inspector

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

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