Children's home run by Manuel Cornwall Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 1 Registered provider: Manuel Cornwall Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home provides care for up to three children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager. The acting manager has submitted their application to register 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: At the last full inspection, the registration of the home was suspended. Monitoring visits were conducted on 6 June 2022 and 9 August 2022 where improvements were identified. The home started operating again on 8 September 2022 after a further monitoring visit concluded that the children could be safely cared for by the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 3

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improvement to be good

The home is well presented and reflects the warmth of a family home. The child has decorated their room beautifully and to their liking. There are welcoming communal spaces both inside and outside of the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, changes in procedure have seen moves to the home being well planned and managed. Managers fully included the child in the decision-making progress about coming to live in the home. The child’s views are sought and considered as a valuable part of the plan. Managers ensure that moves progress at a pace that meets the child’s needs. All professionals and families are included in discussions to ensure that information about the child is fully considered.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are consistently included within their plans. The voice of the child can be seen vividly throughout their care planning. This helps staff to know the child, their likes and dislikes and what strategies work best for them.

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improvement to be good

There is evidence of the child building positive, warm relationships with staff. Displays of physical and emotional affection were seen by the inspector. The child told the inspector that they were happy living at the home and felt safe.

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improvement to be good

The home has detailed procedures in place for the storing and administering of medication. Staff have been appropriately trained and there are safety checks in place to reduce errors. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection. However, during the inspection the procedure was not followed accurately, leaving the record incomplete. This had no adverse effect on the child.

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improvement to be good

The child has raised issues about being cared for by males. Records of manager discussions with the child show that the child is not yet comfortable with males, but does like the male staff members. However, males are undertaking waking nights with the child. There are female members of staff sleeping on shift during these times, but this means that the first person to respond to the child during an incident at night is likely to be male.

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improvement to be good

The child is currently not attending school. Staff provide clear routines for the child so that they are up in the morning at the usual school time and begin online learning. This regime is consistently followed and there is a clear expectation that learning is an important part of the daily routine.

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improvement to be good

The home has good health and safety protocols in place that are generally managed effectively. Staff complete fire drills with the child and provide them with ear Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 4 defenders during the evacuation to protect them from the intensity of the alarms due to their sensory needs. It would be beneficial for the ear defenders to be accessible to the child on lower levels of the house, as at present they are only located in the child’s bedroom. Fire door tests have not been completed as regularly as required in the home’s plan due to staff absence.

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improvement to be good

Children have not gone missing from the home since the last inspection. Procedures for responding to children when they go missing are clear and appropriate.

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improvement to be good

Restraint has not been used in the home. There are clear strategies in place should restraint be required. Staff have undertaken training in this area. They know what restraint is and how it should be recorded. Staff know that this should only be used to keep a child or adult safe.

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improvement to be good

Most plans are now thorough and detailed and provide staff with appropriate strategies to respond to the child. They also consistently include the child’s views. However, not all known risks are present in the child’s behaviour plan. A historic behaviour of self-harm was not assessed despite the child only recently moving to the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff spoken to have shown knowledge of the plans in place for the child with regard to self-harm. However, staff refer to body maps in plans, but these are not completed.

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improvement to be good

Staff responded swiftly to a significant incident of self-harm by the child. Staff were calm and caring in their approach. They carefully persuaded the child to accept medical help, despite the child being reluctant. However, staff do not display professional curiosity or exploration in order to better understand triggers and events. These are missed opportunities to prevent or reduce self-harm incidents.

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improvement to be good

Room searches are not being completed after significant incidents, despite the child reporting to staff that they have hidden items that could be used to injure themselves. Known risk items are still in the house, despite managers being aware of the dangers.

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improvement to be good

Visits between the child and their family are supported by the home. However, staff do not always follow the local authority plan for supervision. This has placed the child in an upsetting situation.

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good

Staff receive regular and useful supervision. They report that it helps them improve practice. Records of supervision are detailed and accurate.

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good

The home does not currently have safe recruitment practices. Reference checks are weak and no international safeguarding checks were made for one member of staff who had worked abroad for a significant period. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 5 Staff have access to good-quality training. The skill and training deficits identified in the last inspection have been rectified. This has helped staff respond to the needs of the child in a safe and child-centred way.

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good

The home has a useful complaints policy. However, the child’s version does not provide details about when the complaint will be acknowledged as received by the manager. There is also no route for the child to make a complaint without approaching a member of staff.

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good

Managers advocate for the child and are robust in their challenge to external agencies. They work well with other agencies so that the child’s needs are well understood, and appropriate resources are made available when required.

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good

Management oversight is inconsistent. Some reviews and reflections of incidents are thorough and help staff to improve practice; others are limited or missing. There are examples of good reflective discussions between leaders, managers and staff, through training and team meetings. This has supported the staff to make significant improvements in their skills and knowledge, and the quality of care that children receive. Other records are less detailed, and it is unclear if the information has been disseminated effectively. Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 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; and

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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;

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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 develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vi)) 28 February 2023

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(e)) 28 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 7 This relates to ensuring that there is management oversight of safety plans for children and that they are reviewed regularly, particularly when significant incidents occur.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the home having risk assessments and care plans that understand children’s needs, and provide staff with clear and consistent strategies to respond to children’s needs and keep children safe. In particular, staff should show professional curiosity when working with children. 28 February 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 promotes their welfare. 28 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 8 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 staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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 care provided in the home.

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the home having sufficient staff to provide female waking night staff when required.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c)) 28 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; 28 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 9 are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home complies with relevant health and safety legislations. In particular, they should ensure that fire door tests are completed as per the home’s policies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children know about the home’s complaints procedure, and that making a complaint is a straightforward and accessible process for them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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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: 2662998 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Manuel Cornwall Ltd

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Inspector

Penelope Kutz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2662998 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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