Children's home run by Connect Care Solutions Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 1 Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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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: 15 February 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 3

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improvement to be good

One child has lived at the home since the summer. They have moved a long distance and said that they felt ‘overwhelmed’ with the move and with the differences between the areas. Staff support visits to family and friends. However, the child has not been provided with an advocate to support them with their views, wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

The child said that they enjoy different activities with the staff team and that staff get involved with them. Friendships in the local area are encouraged and supported. This means that the child is having positive social experiences.

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improvement to be good

Time with family is supported by staff. The relationship between the child and parents has improved over time. They have spent special occasions together, such as Christmas and birthdays.

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improvement to be good

The child’s physical health needs are met and there is support in place for their emotional health. However, delays in assessments and identified therapy mean that there are missed opportunities to support the child further with their mental health.

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improvement to be good

Delays in investigations from college, and the manager failing to escalate concerns, have meant that the child’s further education plans have been disrupted. The staff have arranged alternative options for the child. However, these are different to the path that the child wanted to take. The staff have also struggled to create structure for the child while they have been absent from education This means that the child’s learning and future goals have been impacted.

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improvement to be good

The child said that they felt that the staff ‘did not understand’ them and the support that they sometimes need. The child’s education, health and care plan outlines strategies that have been identified as being useful. However, staff are not aware of all of them or using the strategies consistently. This means that the child is not always getting supported by staff in ways that are useful to them.

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improvement to be good

The child is regularly consulted with on their care. However, they are not encouraged to review and have input into their placement plans and risk assessments.

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improvement to be good

The child is helped to develop their independence skills, and the staff have important conversations with the child regularly so that they are supported to understand risks and keep themselves safe.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean and is well furnished. There are photographs of the child displayed, and books of interest to them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 4

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improvement to be good

There has been one episode of a child going missing since the last inspection. Staff took appropriate action and supported the child well on their return. However, the manager has not evaluated this incident or identified staff practice that may have prevented the missing episode.

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improvement to be good

Some of the child’s historic behaviours have stopped. This means that the child has found additional and less-harmful ways of managing their emotions.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans are reviewed and updated regularly. However, not all risks are known or understood by the staff team. On one occasion, staff had not followed the child’s risk management plan around the use of their phone.

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improvement to be good

When sanctions have been used, the child’s views have not been sought. This means that there is a missed opportunity to evaluate their effectiveness.

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improvement to be good

There have been no restraints, and incidents are rare. The child is encouraged to contribute to their behaviour support plan, which supports staff in being able to de- escalate incidents. Debriefs are completed with the child following incidents.

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improvement to be good

There has been one complaint made by a member of the public. This was addressed by the manager quickly and was resolved. Clear records evidence that the complaints process was followed. There has been one allegation since the last inspection. This was managed appropriately when received by the manager.

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good

The manager has submitted his application to register with Ofsted and has the appropriate qualification for his role.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and that they receive regular supervision. However, not all staff have the appropriate training required to support the child with their individual needs.

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good

The manager says that he feels supported in his role, and the responsible individual regularly visits the child and staff team. The staff team is consistent and agency staff are not used.

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good

Child-focused team meetings take place regularly. However, the manager does not review the previous actions set. This is a missed opportunity to keep the team focused and evaluate progress.

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good

The manager has not evaluated the use of negative consequence. His evaluations consider how incidents are managed. However, an evaluation of one incident did not Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 5 address the child’s feelings at that time, which was a missed opportunity to ensure that the child received additional support, if needed.

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good

The manager has formed good relationships with the child’s family and professionals, and ensures that there is good communication between them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 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, the 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all known risks to children are known and understood by the staff.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to staff following agreed risk management strategies consistently. 23 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 23 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 7 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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the oversight of incidents and addressing staff practice when necessary.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to all staff having the appropriate training to meet children’s individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

This further relates to the manager using systems in place effectively to monitor the care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person arranging for children to have an advocate.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to obtaining children’s views on any negative consequences that have been put in place and to 23 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 8 ensure that they feel supported and safe enough to raise concerns in relation to their care.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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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 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that children receive the appropriate therapy and assessments needed.

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Requirement Due date

This further applies to the manager escalating concerns where there is a delay in care planning for the child that is impacting on their future. 23 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively encourage children to read their records and add further information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are aware of whether a child has an education, health and care plan and the information in it. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children continue in education and training until their 18th birthday. While the duty is on the young person themselves, it is important that children’s homes’ staff encourage the young person to continue their education or training and support them to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the option they choose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.16) Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 9

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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: 2642400 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Connect Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Victoria Road East, Thornton Cleveleys FY5 5HT

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch-Mahoney, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642400 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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