Children's Home run by ARGF Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 1 Registered provider: ARGF Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in January 2022. The registered manager position has been vacant since June 2022. There is an acting manager in place.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 3

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improvement to be good

This was the first inspection of the home. The majority of the staff are new to residential childcare. The staff and manager spoke highly of the children. There are some positive relationships being built between staff and children.

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improvement to be good

The children live in a home that is small but comfortable. Shared living spaces are in a good condition. However, one of the bedrooms is in a state of disrepair. Leaders have replaced previously damaged furniture and acknowledge further improvements are required. They have already started work on the improvements needed.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans lack detail and are difficult to follow. Information is spread across several documents. There is inconsistency of records across children’s files. As a result, staff find it difficult to know the needs and plans for each child.

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improvement to be good

Children are currently not in formal education. Efforts have been made by staff to obtain school places for children. One child has some tutoring online for a limited number of hours a week and is engaging well with this. However, there is a lack of structured activities to encourage learning for other children who are without a school placement.

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improvement to be good

Children’s meetings and key-work sessions take place regularly. Children are involved in decision-making on ways to improve the home, what they eat and what activities take place. This ensures children’s voices are listened to.

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improvement to be good

There are clear plans regarding children spending time with family members. This is quickly arranged, even for those who do not live locally, and is encouraged and supported by members of staff. These visits helps children remain connected with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Children receive help from specialist services when required. There is support for children from children’s mental health services. Staff are proactive in encouraging children to attend appointments. Therefore, children benefit from consistent support from professionals they know.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not clear. Information on how to recognise and respond to children’s known risks is not adequately recorded. Information is spread across multiple documents and is confusing to follow. Therefore, staff cannot easily access one document that identifies triggers, behaviours and control measures for risk reduction. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 4 Since the new manager started, there has been a reduction in physical interventions during incidents. A new method of de-escalation and physical intervention has been introduced. The manager was able to identify that children’s behaviour has not always been managed well. De-escalation techniques were not used effectively, which led to some unnecessary police involvement. Consequently, incidents were not dealt with proportionately.

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improvement to be good

There are clear procedures in place for children who go missing from care. Children currently living in the home have not gone missing. A child who previously lived at the home did go missing on some occasions. Although process was followed, there was limited emotional warmth shown to the child on their return to the home. There was a lack of reflection on this behaviour by staff and the child was not discouraged from going missing again.

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improvement to be good

Records of incidents need improvement. There is not enough detail to fully understand what happened before and during significant events. There have not been debriefs with staff or children. Records do not show effective relationship- building following incidents. As a result, staff are not able to learn how to deal with future incidents better.

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good

The acting manager is reflective and honest about the strengths and weaknesses of the team and current practice. She has aspirations for the development of the team, to deliver the improvements required. Staff speak highly of the manager and the support they receive. Staff say they love working at the home.

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good

The manager has not ensured that supervisions have taken place in line with the home’s workforce development plan. Although this has improved recently, sessions have not been consistent. This means that staff have not had the opportunity to reflect on their practice with an experienced worker.

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good

The workforce development plan needs updating. The manager is well aware of the changes required to address the learning needs of the staff and is already gaining a picture of their skills.

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good

The manager has not completed sufficient quality assurance and monitoring of the home. This is despite an effective manager’s monthly audit tool being in place. The manager has identified positive changes to forms to add management oversight, but this is yet to be embedded in practice. As a result, the manager does not have effective oversight of the home.

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good

Team meetings are held regularly. They are good and constructive meetings. Children’s plans and needs are discussed. The manager is using these to cover important areas around safeguarding and recording. This helps the staff to learn and develop as a team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 5 The manager has good support from the responsible individual, who visits the home often and knows the children and staff well. The manager receives supervision regularly. The manager and senior leadership team acknowledge the improvements required. The responsible individual said, ‘We can work to improve and help the young people achieve better outcomes.’

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good

The manager has not provided Ofsted with updates of the home’s statement of purpose, in line with the regulations. This does not allow Ofsted to have a full overview of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 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 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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that records of incidents are clear and detailed and demonstrate management oversight, reflection and learning. 30 November

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to there being risk assessments and care plans in place that identify known and potential risks for each child, and staff being skilled and confident in challenging and dealing with inappropriate and risky behaviour. 30 November

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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 (3)(a)(b)) 30 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 7 This specifically refers to any revised statement of purpose being submitted to HMCI within 28 days.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supervision of staff taking place in line with the home’s policy of once a month. 30 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party

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Recommendations

information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2639538 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: ARGF Limited, Grosvenor House, Office 1, 5th Floor, George Street, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 1QB.

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Inspectors

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Louise Copping, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 9 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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