Children's Home run by ARGF Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 1 Registered provider: ARGF LIMITED Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties. The home was registered in January 2022. The registered manager position has been vacant since June 2022. A home manager has been appointed, and she has applied to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

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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 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: 25 October 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following an assurance inspection on 23 November 2022, compliance notices were set in relation to Regulations 12 and 13. Ofsted also restricted admissions to the home for a three-month period. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 3

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improvement to be good

Children living in this home have mixed experiences. One child appears to have developed positive relationships with staff. However, staff are not always able to positively influence the child’s decision-making and behaviours. This means that the child has poor daily routines that impact on their education participation and sleep routines.

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improvement to be good

One child has benefited from an updated personal education plan and an updated education and healthcare statement. This means that multi-agency information is available to inform the child’s education plans and targets. Unfortunately, there continue to be delays in ensuring that the child has a placement in an appropriate education setting. There have also been delays in providing increased resources to support this child’s home education. These delays have impacted this child’s routines, confidence and motivation to study at home. There has been limited progress in this child’s education.

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improvement to be good

One child’s health has improved due to good compliance with medication routines. However, the child is not responding to all primary health and specialist health services that are available to them. Not all information about the child’s health needs is known or confirmed by the manager.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager have worked well with one child’s social worker and family to ensure that safe arrangements are in place and the child experiences positive visits and telephone calls.

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improvement to be good

There have been improvements to the home and to the maintenance of the home to ensure that it is a nurturing and safe environment.

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improvement to be good

There is an effective, enhanced safety plan for one child. There is multi-agency oversight of risks and concerns associated with this child’s known risks and behaviours. This has resulted in reduced safeguarding incidents for the child.

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improvement to be good

Managers have improved guidance for staff regarding the recording and reporting of safeguarding concerns. There is also improved management oversight of safeguarding practice in the home.

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improvement to be good

Of the small number of concerns known to staff, staff and managers have adhered to child protection procedures and reported them promptly to the police, social worker and parent. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 4 One child’s social worker is positive about staff cooperating with the enhanced safety plan.

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improvement to be good

There has been one occasion when the child has not responded to welfare calls by staff. On this occasion, staff did not follow staff guidance and report to the on-call manager. The manager has reviewed and addressed this. There was no impact on the child on this occasion.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not managing children’s behaviours effectively. This has resulted in very limited cooperation with education arrangements for one child, poor sleep routines and very limited participation in activities. This is not supporting the child to achieve and develop self-esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

Staff require training in behaviour management and therapeutic parenting skills. Staff have not been able to influence one child’s choices and decisions in respect of their daily routines and habits, such as smoking tobacco. There is also a concern about the child sourcing cannabis on one occasion since the previous inspection. This was found and reported to the police.

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improvement to be good

Services have been arranged to support work with the child, such as the child and adolescent mental health service and a specialist service that works with substance misuse, but the child has not responded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a significant improvement in the home environment, quality of records and management oversight of practice since the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers know the child’s needs and risks well. They know staff skills, strengths and areas for improvement. Staff have received regular supervision and training, which was recommended at the previous inspection. This has resulted in improved safeguarding records and practice. Previous safeguarding and leadership and management requirements, that were subject to compliance, are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have developed daily handovers to support purposeful and up-to-date information-sharing regarding the child. This ensures that essential daily tasks are completed to maintain a nurturing, comfortable home environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Experienced staff have been recruited. All staff have participated in an in-house induction training package, which included mandatory training such as first-aid and safeguarding training. Staff have received reporting and recording training. They have attended a safeguarding course that was provided by a consultant safeguarding trainer. Staff and managers are undertaking the relevant qualification courses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers recognise that staff require training to enhance their skills and confidence in behaviour management and building effective positive relationships. Staff also Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 5 require training in therapeutic parenting approaches to meet the needs of children being referred to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that managers provide support, training has been useful and team cohesion and morale have improved. Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that staff receive training, guidance and oversight to provide effective interventions so that children develop positive behaviours and relationships and are supported to reach their potential. 5 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 7 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that children are encouraged and supported to undertake purposeful, assessed education activities during the school day, while they are awaiting a school placement. 5 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they organise each child’s attendance at necessary primary and secondary health services. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12) Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 8

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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: 2639538 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Grosvenor House, Office 1, 5th Floor, George Street, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 1QB

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Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2639538 10 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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