Children's Home run by Helpful Investments Ltd in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 1 Registered provider: Helpful Investments Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post, who has not yet applied 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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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection on 31 August and 1 September 2022. Following that inspection, three compliance notices were issued, under regulations 12, 13 and 14, and a restriction of accommodation placed on the home. A monitoring visit took place on 10 October 2022. At that visit, it was found that the compliance notices had not been met and an additional notice was added under regulation 10. A further monitoring visit was conducted on 21 November 2022. At that visit, all compliance notices had been met and the restriction of accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/08/2022 Full Inadequate 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 3

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improvement to be good

Since the inspection on 31 August and 1 September 2022, some progress has been made in addressing the previous requirements. However, further work is required.

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improvement to be good

Two children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. These were planned moves and ended positively. There is currently one new child living in the home. Staff have ensured that the child has been welcomed into the home through a series of visits. As a result, the child has settled in well and is building positive relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

The home is spacious and well furnished. The child who recently moved into the home said that she is happy and gave the home a score of 8 out of 10. There is a relaxed and happy atmosphere. There were encouraging interactions between the child and staff, who were observed laughing and doing arts and crafts together.

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improvement to be good

Staff make efforts to ensure that the child can spend time with her family, including family members visiting the home. The child values these opportunities and looks forward to the visits. This is helping her build on positive relationships with people who are important to her.

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improvement to be good

The child is making progress at school and is supported by staff to attend school daily. She enjoys school and has excellent attendance.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported to have her health needs met. She is registered with all general health services and has recently attended a medical review.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s risks. However, the quality of plans is variable. For example, the child’s risk assessment and missing-from-care plan were unclear. This was addressed with the manager and responsible individual during the inspection and sufficient action was taken to make changes to provide clearer guidance to staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff are working with the emergency services to ensure that there is the correct support available for the child at times of crisis. Working together is helping the child develop a good understanding of boundaries and how to keep safe.

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improvement to be good

The child said that she feels safe and knows how to complain. She can identity staff who she can talk to. The child said that staff have talked to her about the dangers of vaping. As a result, the child is no longer doing this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 4 Recruitment procedures and practices are safe and effective. All staff are checked and vetted prior to starting work at the home. These checks ensure that only suitable adults are employed to work with children in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff are suitably trained in the administration and recording of medication. Medication is stored safely, including controlled drugs. Furthermore, when it has been necessary to undertake bedroom searches, these have been completed respectfully and any unsafe materials found have been disposed of and recorded appropriately. This helps protect the child from harm.

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improvement to be good

Physical interventions take place only as a last resort. However, staff feel that the current model used is not effective. Staff are due to undertake further training to enhance their knowledge and be better prepared to help the child when she is distressed. Additionally, records do not routinely include a debrief with the child about the intervention. This does not provide the child with an opportunity to discuss her feelings.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are not clearly recorded or evaluated by the manager for their effectiveness and restorative nature. This is a repeat requirement.

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good

The new manager has been in place since September 2022. She is experienced and is undertaking her level 5 qualification in leadership and management. However, she has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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good

Management monitoring systems are not fully effective. Several recording shortfalls were identified during the inspection. This is a missed opportunity to quickly identify strengths and areas for development. The managers recognise there are areas for improvement and are working on developing their internal monitoring and reviewing systems.

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good

The quality-of-care review does not include an evaluation of the quality of care in the home. This requirement is repeated.

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good

Managers ensure that there are suitable levels of staffing in the home. However, rotas do not clearly identify the actual working hours, including those of the managers and agency night staff. This is not safe practice for children as there is no clear record of who was working with the children at any given time.

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good

One new member of staff has been recruited to the home since the last inspection. The manager ensures that safer recruitment principles are followed. When the home has used agency staff, there have been efforts to seek consistent staff to ensure that children receive continuity of care.

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good

Staff have recently received training specific to the child’s needs, such as around emotional well-being, autism spectrum disorder and deprivation of liberty Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 5 safeguards. However, due to the lack of management oversight, the manager has not identified that one member of staff has not completed training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and some staff are yet to complete training in trauma and attachment. Therefore, not all staff have the skills to fully meet the child’s complex needs.

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good

There is positive collaboration with other professionals and weekly multi-agency support. This ensures that there is effective communication sharing. Professionals have provided positive feedback about the manager’s commitment to the child they are caring for. Staff feel reassured by having fortnightly access to a clinical psychologist, as they can receive guidance of how to best support the child with her emotional well-being.

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good

The manager ensures that the staff team is supported. Staff report that they find the manager approachable and always available. There are regular team meetings, and supervision sessions are taking place. However, the registered person should ensure that staff receive supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. A recommendation has been made to address this. Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 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 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;

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that she has robust monitoring systems in place and that all staff receive training in ADHD, attachment and trauma, to meet the needs of the child. 7 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. 7 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 7 If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 7 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 8 within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that all debriefs with the child following restraints are recorded, and that any consequences given are correctly recorded.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all rosters contain all staff’s actual working hours, including those of the manager and agency night staff. 7 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 7 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 9 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff receive supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2645858 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Helpful Investments Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Bridge Street, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 1QB

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Inspector

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2645858 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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