Children's Home run by Amicus Residential Care Ltd in Reading

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 1 SC059221 Registered provider: Causeway Care Homes Limited

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children aged between 12 and 16 years, for short and long-term placements. The children may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection on 11 and 12 October 2022, the home was judged inadequate, and a compliance notice was served in relation to leadership and management. Following this inspection, a restriction of accommodation notice was served on the provider. The purpose of this visit was to assess the provider’s response to the steps set out in the compliance notice and monitor the notice restricting accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

This visit identified that the provider has not met all of the steps that were set out in the compliance notice. No children have been admitted to the home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. The standard of care falls short of the expectations outlined in the statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has failed to improve the risk assessments used when children move to the home. Although the referral process has improved, a failure to fully assess the combined risks of children living together, places children at potential risk.

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This monitoring visit

The managers and staff have failed to implement acceptable food hygiene standards. There is no guidance for the staff to prepare food hygienically. The staff do not encourage children to enjoy meals together. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 2 A child’s bedroom furniture has signs of wear and tear. The manager has not agreed to the child’s request to decorate his bedroom. This does not encourage the child to feel positive about the home and develop a sense of belonging.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have not supported children to learn independence skills. Although staff have learning resources to support independence, these have not been implemented. Therefore, children are not learning valuable skills in preparation for adulthood.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has worked with the child’s social worker and educational staff to identify a suitable school placement for a child. The child attends an alternative education placement two days a week. Staff do not offer structured educational opportunities for the remaining three days. This lack of structured activity or informal learning does not prepare children for increased reintegration into school.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has shared learning outcomes following a serious safeguarding incident with the staff, and since then recording has improved. However, staff have not had reflective supervisions and discussions to reinforce the lessons learned. Other serious safeguarding concerns have not been reviewed, and therefore there is no additional learning for staff.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to identify gaps in staff’s knowledge or address these with additional training. One member of staff was delegated responsibility for assessing fire safety risks, without the training to undertake this task.

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This monitoring visit

The staff facilitate children’s meetings and have discussions with children. They respond to some of the requests made by children, and there is evidence of some meaningful conversations with them. However, the manager has failed to consult with children to ensure that they can share their views about their experiences.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to address the safeguarding concerns outlined in the compliance notice. Staff have not recognised or taken responsibility for these shortfalls. Consequently, a number of shortfalls remain unmet, and children continue to receive a poor standard of care.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has provided training to staff in relation to drug misuse. However, she has not evidenced that she has undertaken reflective supervisions to test the staff’s knowledge, in order to demonstrate improvement in their understanding and practice.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is due to leave the service imminently. The provider has not identified another individual to undertake this role. This fails to ensure future leadership and oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 3 Staff have updated care plans in respect of how to care for the children. There have been no instances of children going missing from the home nor any serious incidents. The requirement in relation to fire safety has been met. The manager has taken positive steps to ensure that the fire safety concerns have been addressed.

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This monitoring visit

The two requirements made at the full inspection on 16 February 2022 remain unmet. The provider and manager have failed to take effective action to address these shortfalls, despite the timeframes. The four recommendations raised at the full inspection have not been reviewed and have been restated.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not met the steps set out in the compliance notice in respect of leadership and management, which Ofsted served in October 2022. A further notice in respect of leadership and management was served in November 2022.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/10/2022 Full Inadequate 16/02/2022 Full Good 06/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 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 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 overall 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 ensure that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 ((1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)) 1 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 1 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 5 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to ensuring that staff take effective action if they become aware that a child has been misusing a substance.

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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 the staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 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.

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Requirement Due date

*(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(f)(h)) 1 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 1 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 6 In particular, a responsible individual should be appointed who has the capacity to oversee the management of the home.

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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

This is with specific reference to ensuring that staff undertake training relevant to the individual needs of children. 1 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being, and particularly challenge the use of a vape. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)  The registered person should ensure that records are kept, detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This is with specific reference to ensuring that records of missing-from- home episodes are written in respect of the individual child and their circumstance. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This is with specific reference to ensuring that all regular visitors or maintenance contractors have an up-to-date Disclosure

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Recommendations

and Barring Service certificate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records (regulation 36) are kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 7

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Causeway Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 118B Oxford Road, Reading RG1 7NQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Michelle Humphries

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC059221 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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