Children's home run by The Forge Nuneaton Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 1 Registered provider: The Forge Nuneaton Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider and is registered to provide care for up to six children who have experienced trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is one of four homes on the same site. This home is one of two that are registered with Ofsted and share the same registered manager. The other two homes have applied to register with Ofsted. The home is part of a community that embraces the sanctuary model of therapeutic care.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

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

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: Not previously inspected

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 3

p.2

inadequate

This is the home’s first inspection since it was registered in June 2022. One child moved into the home in August 2022. Two children have moved out. Four children currently live in the home.

p.3

inadequate

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that a serious incident that occurred at the setting since the home registered is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements. The organisation has worked openly with all professionals and has taken prompt action from the learning carried out. They have acknowledged that staff failed to keep children safe. As a result, children have suffered serious harm, and this is reflected in the inadequate judgement .

p.3

inadequate

Children make varied progress from their starting points. For example, one child’s emotional health and well-being has deteriorated since moving in as some self- harmful behaviours have developed as a result of copying another child. In contrast to this, other children are making good progress. For example, one child’s emotional well-being has improved, their self-harm has declined, and they are now taking part in therapy. This is starting to have a positive impact on them.

p.3

inadequate

Poor communication about important day-to-day things is a barrier to ensuring children have positive experiences in the home. For example, children do not know what day the advocate is going to visit them. Staff are not fully aware of events taking place at the children’s school. For example, two children raised concerns that staff had not topped up their snack fund. Staff did not offer any explanation for this to the children. This lack of understanding has directly impacted on children’s experiences not only in the home but also at school.

p.3

inadequate

More positively, children told inspectors that they liked living in the home. They know how to make a complaint and could name someone they could talk to. Children’s independence skills are developing due to the support they receive from staff. For example, children are developing their cooking skills. Another child is working towards moving into the homes independent flat and another child is being supported to care for their hair. This is something that they have previously found difficult to do.

p.3

inadequate

Individualism is supported and celebrated. Children take part in discussions and activities to help them learn more about the world around them. As a result, children feel confident to be themselves within a supported environment. Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 4 The home is all new and nicely decorated throughout. Children have personalised their bedrooms. Art activities are thoroughly enjoyed by children. Children enjoy a range of personalised activities, from visiting the Christmas market to going to the ice cream parlour.

p.3

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

Staff have failed to follow children’s plans and risk strategies to keep children safe. As a result, a serious incident occurred, and children have been harmed. One child had to move out in an unplanned way. Furthermore, staff failed to report to managers that children had been left unsupervised together. Managers took swift action once they were alerted to the concern. Learning has taken place, and new strategies have been implemented to try and prevent this from happening again. Appropriate investigations by safeguarding professionals are underway.

p.4

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

Both employed and agency staff are safely recruited. However, there is no clear procedure in place to ensure that agency staff are working within the necessary timeline to obtain their level 3 qualifications. For example, one agency worker has worked in residential care for four years. The registered manager was unable to tell inspectors if the member of staff was qualified.

p.4

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

Staff have training to help them to understand and support children’s complex needs. A clinical team supports both children and staff to provide a consistent approach for children and to ensure the model of care is embedded. The independent person has also taken part in the training to help her fully understand the model of care.

p.4

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

There have been times when children have left the home in an unplanned way. Staff are proactive in helping children to safely return. On doing so, children are welcomed back into the home and staff support children to try and prevent this from happening again.

p.4

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

Managers follow safeguarding processes appropriately when children have raised concerns about staff’s practice. Information is promptly shared with other professionals, investigated and appropriate actions taken.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers accept that they are on a journey. They are keen to continue to learn and develop, and they want to offer an excellent level of care to their children. However, this inspection has identified a number of shortfalls they need to address.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The monitoring of the service is not yet fully effective. For example, records when children have incidents do not capture the events leading up to the incident. This impacts on the manager’s ability to understand what strategies are working and if staff are consistently using them. This also impedes the manager’s ability to fully monitor the staff’s practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 5 Managers and staff do not always keep records of important information. For example, work with children and social workers is not always recorded. The clinical team keeps records, but these are not accessible and not transferred into children’s plans. Furthermore, staff rotas to demonstrate what hours staff have worked do not capture the full names of agency staff or managers working in the home, and rotas before November 2022 are not available at all.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A lot of planning goes into considering if the staff can offer the right care to children before they move in. However, managers have only considered the children living in this home and not the children living in the other home that is located on the same site. The model of care works on a community model, with everyone working and interacting together. Managers state that they will consider this moving forward.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team meetings are used as a forum for learning. Managers are not afraid to challenge and address staff practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Overall, staff speak positively about the role, and they enjoy working in the home. Staff feel supported by each other and the management team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted will continue to closely monitor the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff communicate with children about their day-to-day care, such as when the advocate is visiting, and that they understand what children need for school. 10 February 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)) This specifically relates to ensuring that staff follow risk management strategies as set out in children’s plans. It also 10 February 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 7 relates to staff sharing safeguarding concerns with the management team in a timely way.

p.6

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the management team is aware of agency staff’s qualifications, that the management team has effective monitoring tools to help their members have oversight of incidents, that children’s records are clear for the reader to understand, that adequate recording takes place to demonstrate work done with children, that conservations are held and that children’s plans are clear.

p.7

Requirement Due date

It also relates to staff working together to share information to ensure that children’s needs are met and that, when children move into the home, the home’s community is considered. 10 February 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; 10 February 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 8 ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all of the staff that work in the home are on the rota, that agency staff’s full names are recorded and that all rotas are available.

p.8

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: 2673408 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Forge Nuneaton Limited

p.9

Inspectors

Louise Battersby, Social Care Inspector Sharon Bourne, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2673408 10 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.

p.9

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10