Children's home run by Real Care Support Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 1 Registered provider: Real Care Support Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, there was one child living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post who has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 18 and 19 October 2022. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued three compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Ofsted also issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. This notice had immediate effect, from 19 October 2022 to 11 January 2023.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices and the restriction of accommodation notice.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, the inspector found that the provider had complied with the conditions of the restriction notice. However, progress towards meeting the compliance notices has been limited due to changes in the leadership team.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The new management team has started to introduce changes to care practices in the home. However, the changes introduced have not yet been embedded in practice. There are continued shortfalls in safeguarding practice and oversight from Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 2 leaders and managers in the home. Progress has been limited due to changes in the leadership team.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Risk management plans have been reviewed and include some of the child’s known risks and vulnerabilities. However, further work is required to ensure that the text included in the document is factual and consistently clear for all staff. In the absence of clear guidance, staff action in response to safeguarding incidents may not be consistent.

p.2

This monitoring visit

There are shortfalls in how staff manage incidents of bullying that have taken place in school. Leaders and managers know about bullying incidents in school and incident records show some of the actions that staff have taken to help the child. However, due to the content of some records being unclear, the effectiveness of any actions taken cannot be properly evaluated.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff do not provide consistent help and support to the child around their self- injurious behaviours. There is a risk management plan for staff to follow in respect of self-injurious behaviour. However, this is not updated to include therapeutic input. It does not reflect all the child’s views about how they want to be supported when they are in crisis. Consequently, staff are not provided with clear guidance to ensure that staff practice is consistent.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Records of significant events are not clear about the actions that staff have taken to safeguard the child. The manager has provided some oversight of the incidents, however, there is a lack of evaluation of the actions taken by staff. As a result, incidents of self-harm and concerns around bullying do not consistently have an appropriate response to reduce risks.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff receive practice-based supervision. However, the actions identified in supervision, including in response to the views of staff, need to be embedded in practice to ensure that the skills and knowledge of each staff member are developed.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, staff have attended a variety of training courses. However, managers have not taken steps to assess the impact of this training. There has been no reflection with staff about the training they have received or how they can use this to inform their practice.

p.2

This monitoring visit

There has been some direct work carried out with the child. However, there has been no work with the child around relevant and current issues. For example, although the manager directed that staff should carry out work with the child about the dangers of vaping, this was not done.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made in management oversight of the home. A revised monitoring and audit tool has been implemented. However, this was only recently introduced, therefore, the effectiveness of this tool in evaluating recent concerns Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 3 could not be determined. An audit of recruitment files has taken place. Several shortfalls were identified, which have now been addressed.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are aware of the changes required in the home. However, due to the timescales, changes identified for documentation and care practices have not yet been fully embedded in day-to-day practice.

p.3

This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations made at the previous visit have not been considered as part of this inspection. Therefore, these are restated below.

p.3

This monitoring visit

A case review was held following this visit. It was the decision of the case review that the compliance notices in respect of regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, had not been met. Two further notices in respect of regulation 12 and regulation 13 were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The notice restricting accommodation at the home will remain in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2022 Full Inadequate 26/04/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)) 8 January 2023

p.5

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.5

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

p.5

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; 8 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 6 help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.5

Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand the impact that harmful and exploitative relationships can have on the child and help the child to recognise and withdraw from these relationships.

p.6

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and 8 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 7 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

p.6

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.7

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)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 8 January 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17 (1) (2)) 8 January 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

p.7

Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); 8 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 8 serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the child is not deprived of their liberty, such as not being allowed to leave the home on their own, without having the correct authority and justification for such a measure.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.8

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 8 January 2023

p.8

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. This relates to how leaders and managers respond to complaints of unprofessional relationships between staff members. The registered person should ensure that they address concerns fully so that children are not negatively affected by inappropriate discussions between staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.8

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.

p.8

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Real Care Support Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, West Wing, Derby House, Lytham Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 8JE

p.9

Inspector

Emma Thornton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2641767 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10