Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicester

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 1 SC488930

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Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited

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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 five children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is currently vacant. There is an experienced senior manager in place.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 6 September 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This visit was undertaken following the last inspection. The purpose of the visit was to review any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Information about this inspection

At these inspections, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Registered persons failed to safeguard children.  Registered persons have failed to ensure staff work in line with children’s risk assessments.  One child was at increased risk of going missing from care, and incident reports do not provide staff with clear guidance.  Recommendations from the independent visitor’s reports were not addressed in a timely manner.  Registered persons have failed to ensure that children’s risk assessments are detailed and reviewed.

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The care of children

The home has been without a registered manager since 7 March 2023. However, there was an experienced senior manager who was supporting the deputy manager. Since the last inspection, conducted on the 6 and 7 September 2022, there has been a deterioration in the safeguarding and quality of care provided to children. This has resulted in the children being moved from the setting.

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The care of children

During the inspection, children and staff were seen to spend time together. However, the children say that they do not feel listened to or supported by staff. Children do go missing from care. They state that they leave the home without permission ‘because they are bored’. Children are not supported to engage in activities or to develop friendships away from the home. This means children have a great deal of unstructured time and become frustrated.

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The care of children

Children are not encouraged to express their wishes and feelings through regular meetings with staff. As a result, children’s views are not captured, and they do not feel valued and listened to.

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The care of children

When children share concerns with staff, these are not responded to quickly or thoroughly by managers and staff. There is a lack of a coordinated multi-agency approach to the concerns of children. Children do not always feel that they have a trusted adult to talk to about any worries or problems. As a result, plans designed to keep children safe lack clarity and focus from all the involved professionals in their care.

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The care of children

Staff do not support or encourage children to engage in education. Children often make their own decisions on when to attend school. During the inspection, one child was taken to school and said that they wanted to attend one lesson. Another child who was not receiving education said, ‘I want to have a maths tutor.’ This means Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 3 that staff are not implementing boundaries or setting their expectations of children as a good parent would.

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The safety of children

The staff have received safeguarding training. However, not all staff have received specific training to meet children’s individual needs, putting them at an increased level of risk. Leaders have not ensured that staff demonstrate a thorough knowledge of safeguarding and child protection, and that they are all fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities toward the children in the home.

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The safety of children

When serious incidents happen in the home or community, appropriate action is not taken to protect children, and the placing authorities are not always informed. For example, a concern was not escalated within appropriate timescale when a child who was not a resident of the home was found in a child’s bedroom.

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The safety of children

Staff were not provided with guidance to manage the risks associated with children spending time in each other’s rooms. The advice given to staff by the manager, and decisions made in professional meetings were not included in children’s risk assessments. For example, minutes from multi-agency strategy meetings are not contained on file. As a result, this information is not included in plans, so staff lack the required direction, guidance and support, and this exposes children to potential risk.

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The safety of children

Staff do not support children to understand the impact of alcohol, smoking and vaping. As a result, children are not helped to manage harmful behaviours. Referrals are not made to request the specialist support required from external professional agencies.

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The safety of children

Leaders, managers and staff do not understand the risks to and from children. Risk assessments are not clear and do not reflect all known risks. As a result, staff are not provided with strategies to minimise risk to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Several statutory requirements and a recommendation were set at the last full inspection. None of the requirements or recommendation are judged to be met at this inspection. Leaders and managers have no plans to improve the quality of care to children. Consequently, there are significant weaknesses in management, monitoring and oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The communication between leaders and managers is poor. During the inspection, it proved difficult to understand what information regarding safeguarding concerns had been escalated to leaders in the organisation. This confusion means it remains unclear what action was taken to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are not providing staff with the direction, guidance or support they need. There is a lack of oversight of children’s plans and safeguarding Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 4 needs. The systems designed to monitor the quality of care are not yet sufficient or embedded in care practice. This means children are increasingly vulnerable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff have regular professional supervision but not all staff are positive about the support they receive from managers. The current leadership, management and staffing arrangements are not sufficiently robust to manage the accommodation of children currently. As a result, children have had to leave the home and Ofsted are considering further regulatory action to support the home to get back onto an improvement trajectory. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/10/2021 Full Good 01/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/03/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 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 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

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to having plans regarding the child’s education and structuring days for children who are not in school so they continue to learn. 14 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet 14 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 7 their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences;

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supporting children to participate in activities and encourage children’s engagement.

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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 14 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 8 expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; and

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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)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supporting children to have positive relationships in the home and community.

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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; 14 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 9 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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to children not having the support to understand appropriate relationships and staff not understanding their roles to keep children safe.

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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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 14 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 10 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; and

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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)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to leaders and managers having oversight and maintaining records to reflect children’s current needs and risks. It also means ensuring that all staff have the required training and skills to meet children’s individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the child’s care plan is accurate and up to date. 14 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the missing child policy”) setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission;

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff having the required training to meet children’s individual needs. 14 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 14 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 11 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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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to all records being available, especially incident reports. It is important that they are signed and kept up to date, with updates and outcomes recorded with the records.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of the information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that if they identify gaps in qualifications, they should act to ensure relevant units or qualifications are completed in a timely manner at an appropriate level. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 68, paragraph 1.4) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Coach House, Drinsey Nook, Lincoln, Nottinghamshire LN1 2JJ

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Inspectors

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC488930 13 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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