Children's home run by Plymouth City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 1 SC454900 Registered provider: Plymouth City Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home operates as a short-breaks service and is run by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to six children with complex needs and who require at least one-to-one care and support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 9 June 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 16 February 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/07/2019 Full Good 12/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 3

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inadequate

The quality and suitability of the home environment are poor. This includes areas of the home being unhygienic, poorly decorated and furnished. There are restrictive and physical adaptations in place that are not required for any of the children attending the home. These features create an institutionalised environment. Children’s progress and experiences are not measured effectively. The manager has developed a system to measure specific aspects of children’s needs to ensure that support in the home is focused on where children need the most help. However, this system has not progressed across practice, and children’s achievements and experiences are not well recorded.

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inadequate

The quality of daily diary records is mixed. While some records reflect children’s time at the home and how they have been supported, others do not. Some daily diary records include incidents that do not show the intervention techniques staff have used to support children, including at times when behaviour has been difficult to manage.

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inadequate

The inspector found records relating to one child having prolonged seizure activity. There is no record of medical attention being sought, and the manager was not informed about this event prior to the inspection. This presents a potential risk to the child’s welfare.

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inadequate

Many children who attend the home for short breaks have done so for years. The inspector observed warm relationships between children and staff. Staff are proud of the children they care for and refer to them as ‘fun’ and ‘amazing’. One child was happy to see the manager and hugged them when they entered the room.

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inadequate

Staff understand the needs of the children they care for. Key workers spoke to the inspector about attending multi-disciplinary meetings to ensure that they have up- to-date knowledge about children’s needs. One key worker described visiting the child’s school to ensure that specific communication resources are used consistently between school and the home. This has helped the child to increase their ability to make choices in the home.

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inadequate

Children enjoy activities in the home. At the time of this inspection, staff had planned baking activities for the children. Children’s positive experiences have started to be captured in photos. The manager said that it was planned for these photos to be collated in a way that reflects children’s journeys at the home so that they can be shared with children and their families. However, staff have not ensured that these documents are kept up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 4

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Recruitment procedures to ensure that adults working in the home are safe are not sufficiently robust. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that Disclosure and Barring Service checks are recorded for all staff. No agency workers or temporary members of staff work in the home. This is to ensure that children receive continuity of care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Fire safety risk assessments relating to the home environment are not up to date, it was unclear if required fire safety work had been carried out. A fire safety visit was booked during the inspection to ensure that immediate action is taken in response to this concern.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Children’s evacuation plans fail to reference their specific needs. For instance, they fail to include how staff should respond in the event of a fire if a child is having a seizure. The manager does not demonstrate knowledge about what action should be taken at these times to ensure that children are evacuated safely.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Since the previous inspection, one incident has been notified to Ofsted when safeguarding procedures were not followed relating to a potential disclosure of harm. The manager said that staff have been provided with safeguarding policies and training since this incident to ensure that procedures are always followed in response to safeguarding concerns.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

There have been errors relating to the recording of medication stored at the home. While action has been taken to address this concern, the independent person found further errors during a recent visit to the home. There have been no errors recorded relating to medication administered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite repeated shortfalls in the home environment being identified in previous inspections, leaders and managers have failed to take sufficient action to improve the home environment for children. Compliance action in relation to the home’s environment has consequently been taken following this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is limited management oversight of records and care is not reviewed effectively. Important information is not available, including education, health care plans and medical reviews. While some plans are clearly recorded, others include duplicated information or do not include strategies used to support children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff told the inspector that they enjoy working in the home. Some have worked in the home for many years. Staff receive training to support the care provided to Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 5 children with complex needs. Experienced staff members say that they would benefit from additional training that equips them with advanced knowledge and skills needed to continually improve children’s care and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the previous inspection, staffing arrangements have been challenging. Staff shortages have led to cancellation of short breaks for children. The responsible individual said that there is a current recruitment drive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive formal supervision from the manager. The manager recognises the strengths of the staff and praises them for their hard work. However, records do not demonstrate reflection, learning and challenge, which are required for professional development and good-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager accepts the shortfalls identified during this inspection. Frequent changes in leadership and management arrangements have negatively affected the support that they require to develop in their role and manage the home effectively. The day-to-day running of the home is supported by an efficient administration officer. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 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 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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(vii)(viii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must review all aspects of the home environment so that it is clean, decorated, furnished and as homely as possible.

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Requirement Due date

Restrictive and physical mobility adaptations that are not required for children attending the home must be removed. Sensory rooms should be designed and furnished in line with children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is subject to a compliance notice following this inspection. 16 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 24 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 7 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers ensuring that care planning records are kept up to date and clear guidance is provided to staff to meet the current needs of the children. This includes planning that is informed by up-to-date education, health and care plans and multi-agency reviews.

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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;

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

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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 the care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met;

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Requirement Due date

and 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)(d)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must have sufficient oversight of staff practice and records to ensure that care is monitored effectively and children receive good-quality care. 24 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home— 1 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 8 the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that the home’s fire risk assessment is updated and action is taken to provide adequate protection for children from the risks of fire.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, evacuation plans must include how to evacuate children safely if they are having a seizure.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This directly relates to leaders and managers ensuring that necessary checks are recorded as part of safe recruitment procedures. 1 February 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 children’s life-story records are kept up to date and are collated in a way that is meaningful for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs and should understand the key role Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 9 they play in the training and development of staff in the home. In particular, consider staff’s training relating to autism spectrum disorder. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: SC454900 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth PL1 3BJ

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Inspector

Louise Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454900 11 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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