Children's home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 1 Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has commenced in post and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 3

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improvement to be good

This was the home’s first inspection since registration on 30 August 2022. Since opening, two children have lived at the home. The previous registered manager served notice to both children’s respective local authorities within weeks of their admission. This was because staff were unable to meet the children’s needs. The notice was withdrawn for one child. At the time of this inspection, there was one child living at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s overall care requires improvement. The previous registered manager failed to complete thorough assessments of children prior to their admission, and care plans were not put in place quickly enough to be effective. Children’s care plans were developed. However, these were basic and did not provide staff with clear information on all aspects of the children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children are not encouraged to read or contribute to their care plans. This is a missed opportunity to include children in the key decisions that inform their care. Staff complete key-working sessions with children, however, these lack focus on the key areas in which children need support.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to attend activities that keeps them occupied and engaged in interests and hobbies. Staff have been proactive in trying to identify a suitable school for one child who has been out of education. Staff have worked closely with virtual schools to make suitable arrangements.

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improvement to be good

The staff team has changed since the home opened. Five staff members, including the registered manager, have left. The remaining staff have picked up additional shifts and, on occasion, staff from other homes have been brought in to cover gaps in the rota. Despite the changes in the staff team, the child told the inspector that he likes living at the home; he gets on well with staff and would like to remain until he is 18. The child feels listened to and well supported by staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide children’s care in a clean, comfortable and family-like environment. The home is newly refurbished to a high standard and is well maintained.

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improvement to be good

The previous registered manager failed to adequately assess children before their admission to the home. Children’s compatibility was not robustly considered. Weak admission planning also negatively impacted on children, and one child’s placement was ended abruptly. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 4 The previously registered manager failed to consider children’s risks or put in place detailed risk assessments to help keep children safe. This means that staff do not have all the information they require to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

There have been no physical interventions since the home opened. However, on occasion, staff have physically prevented one child from leaving the home. Staff have removed one child’s shoes as a deterrent to stop her going missing from care. These interventions were not risk assessed or care planned and are inappropriate. In addition, managers and leaders have failed to identify and address staff practice issues following such incidents.

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improvement to be good

When children return home from a period of being missing from care, staff have not always ensured that children are offered the opportunity to speak to an independent person. This is a missed opportunity to explore with the child why they placed themselves at risk. Staff were unclear about who is responsible for completing these interviews.

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improvement to be good

Staff have put in place an incentive plan to help children achieve their goals. These plans are not yet focused on the key areas in which children need support. Additionally, the plans are not regularly reviewed and amended to promote further progress. There is currently no system in place to recognise and record children’s achievements and positive behaviours. Equally, staff do not use consequences to deter negative behaviours. These shortfalls do not support children to understand their behaviour or encourage positive choices.

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improvement to be good

The managers have ensured that new staff are safely recruited. The relevant checks are completed, which means that staff have been suitably vetted to work with children.

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improvement to be good

One child told the inspector that he feels safe living at the home and that he can talk to staff if he has any worries or concerns. Staff spoken with during the inspection understood the child’s risks and how to support him.

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good

The registered manager left the organisation in October 2022 after concerns were raised regarding her practice, decision-making and oversight of the home. The lack of consistent leadership has impacted on the quality of recording, monitoring and oversight. A new manager commenced in post in January 2023 but has not been in post for long enough to drive forward improvements and enhance the quality of care for children.

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good

Managers have not ensured that the home’s statement of purpose is up to date or shared with Ofsted within the required timescales. This prevents the regulator from having oversight of the home between inspections. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 5 There is a comprehensive range of training available to staff. Staff have completed mandatory training. However, there are significant gaps in other training that they require to meet the needs of the children. Staff have not completed training on topics including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attachment and bonding, caring for traumatised children, or missing from care and child exploitation.

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good

Despite the shortfalls identified, the new manager and the staff team are passionate about their roles and are motivated to make improvements. Staff feel supported in their roles and enjoy their work. Staff receive regular supervision. New staff benefit from a good induction and probation process. One professional said that communication from the staff has been good, staff know the child well and she has been impressed with the level of support provided by staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that there are robust and accurate risk assessments in place for each child and that staff follow these assessments. This also relates to ensuring that staff have regular conversations with children to help them reduce their risk behaviours. 6 March 2023

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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; 6 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 7 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)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that staff complete the necessary training to have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of children living at the home.

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Requirement Due date

This also specifically relates to ensuring that there are effective monitoring systems in place to improve care to children and support them to make progress.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that children’s admissions to the home are well planned and that the key information required to direct the care of children is in place.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to ensuring that staff support children to contribute to their care plans. 6 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and 6 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 8 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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that Ofsted is provided with the statement of purpose within the required timeframes.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns home after being missing from the home, they are provided with an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 2688690 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 118 Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent DE13 0UW

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688690 10 regulates and inspects 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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