Children's Home run by Dorset Council in Dorset

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 1 Registered provider: Dorset Council-Social Care, Children’s Homes Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is located in a seaside town and is close to local amenities. The home provides short- to medium-term care for up to three children between the ages of 12 and 18. These children may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in place since the home opened in October 2022. This is the first inspection that Ofsted has carried out at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account:

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard, providing a comfortable feel. Spacious communal areas housing inviting sofas and large dining areas allow for practical tasks, activities and relaxation. Children’s rooms are large and well furnished, and children are provided with en suite bathroom facilities. However, the home, including one child’s bedroom, lacks personalisation. One hallway area provides limited privacy for children using the space. The responsible individual reported that initial actions to address this took place during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in the home have made progress. Before living at this home, a child spent a substantial length of time in hospital, which was deemed to be the only way to keep them safe. The child is now beginning to make progress and restrictions of their liberty are reducing. Missing episodes for another child living at the home have reduced. Children have expressed that they like living in the home and feel safe there. This is likely to have contributed to their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers and a parent spoke positively about the care provided to children. A parent noted the level of progress that their child has made. Everyone spoken to identified that carers maintain good levels of communication with them. Everyone spoken to also noted that children receive the care and support that they require. Carers support children’s identity needs. Carers nurture children’s interests and support children to attend activities, recognising the benefits of this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Carers are not supporting children sufficiently to engage in education. None of the children living at the home are in education. Where home learning has been identified, carers have not supported children to complete it on a regular basis. Carers have worked tirelessly with the aim of securing formal education or tutoring for children; however, their goal has not been fully achieved. Mock papers and a venue for one child to complete their exams have been secured. Efforts to secure the right educational support for children are ongoing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. When concerns have been raised in relation to mental and physical health, staff have endeavoured to gain support and advice from other agencies and professionals. When children choose to work with professionals, carers support them to attend necessary appointments. When children have chosen not to work with outside agencies, staff have had sensitive and informative conversations with children. One carer has researched a course that will support them to complete targeted healthy lifestyle work with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are comprehensively managed. Managers utilise information, support and guidance from a wider multi-disciplinary team, but also consider individual carers’ strengths and experience. Carers continue to draw on this additional expertise throughout the time that the child lives at the home. This allows carers to plan the right package of care and support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 4

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improvement to be good

Generally, documents devised to provide carers with information and strategies are good. However, known risks in relation to cannabis use for one child are not risk assessed. A checklist developed to direct carers when completing room searches would benefit from being more detailed. A behaviour support plan devised to allow carers to support a child does not provide carers with vital information and direction in relation to managing the child’s behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Risks in relation to and connected to illicit drug use by the child are not effectively managed. In an attempt to reduce risk, carers have had many sensitive and informative conversations with the child. Carers have shared information with other agencies to devise risk-reduction plans. Despite this, carers report that they do not know whether the child is safe while spending time in the community.

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improvement to be good

A child living in the home has significant need for care and protection. Carers have gone above and beyond to provide this child with consistency, love and guidance with the aim of keeping the child safe. Carers have maintained boundaries during very challenging periods, acknowledging that this is best for the child.

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improvement to be good

When children are missing, action is taken to find the child in a timely manner. Carers follow missing protocols and support the child on their return. The quality of reports following a child going missing are inconsistent. Some reports provide a thorough account of actions taken, others provide a small paragraph.

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improvement to be good

Responses to self-harm are thought out and managed well. Carers support the child to access and receive medical treatment. When a child has injuries, appropriate revisions are made in relation to the appropriateness of restraint and alternative care plans are implemented where necessary.

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improvement to be good

There have been 10 incidents of restraint since the home opened. Agency staff are employed to carry out restraint and have, at times, been an integral part of keeping a child and carers safe. On one occasion, agency staff have used restraint against clear management instruction. The staff’s actions led to a significant incident, which may have been avoided. The quality of recordings when restraint has been used is inconsistent, and some recordings do not specify the type or length of restraint.

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improvement to be good

Debriefs with children and staff are well written and contain relevant information. Before January 2023, debriefs were not routinely completed and recorded. Where a decision has been made not to complete a debrief, the rationale for this decision- making has not been recorded.

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good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 5 The management team is passionate about the home and the children who live there. Managers want children to achieve the best outcomes possible. The registered manager has clear aims for the future, acknowledging that it is a new home and that there is always room for development. The manager is open to advice and guidance, welcoming constructive feedback.

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good

The registered manager is proactive in monitoring incidents and requesting multi- agency meetings with the aim of keeping children safe. The manager is developing ways to monitor incidents and the circumstances surrounding these with the aim of providing more focused care and support. Incident reports and, where required, critical conversations receive management oversight. Where actions are identified, these are acted upon.

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good

Language in documents and reports is not always child focused. Some recordings refer to a child as ‘she’ rather than their name. Acronyms are used and not explained. One document is written as if it were the child’s words, when this was an interpretation of the child’s words. At times, generalised words are used to describe something that has happened rather than an explanation of what has actually happened.

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good

Carers spoken to during the inspection were positive about the leadership and management team. They state that supervision meets their needs and report that there are positive relationships with management and co-workers. Carers know how to find updates and changes to children’s plans that may have occurred while they have been off shift. Carers report that the home is a good environment in which to work.

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good

Following practice-related concerns in respect of agency staff, the registered manager has not sought assurance that concerns have been dealt with. Concerns in respect of agency staff practice are dealt with by the agency. The manager has reported concerns to the agency. However, they have not sought to follow up the outcome of any investigations, or to find out whether an investigation has taken place. In not following up, the manager has not gained assurances that those staff are safe to work with children. Where there are concerns about internal carers, they are dealt with promptly and appropriately.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly and carers receive regular supervision. Recordings of team meetings and supervision require improvement. Recordings are brief and lack reflection. There are limited details of discussion in relation to children and practice. Any actions resulting from these important meetings are not identified and recorded.

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good

The registered manager is proactive in keeping carers updated. Carers are regularly sent emails providing updates in relation to changes in care plans and within the general working environment. Where important information is received from other professionals, the manager disseminates this to the team via email. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 6 Recruitment of staff is managed safely. All required checks are carried out before staff are employed. Where additional information is needed to satisfy the manager that a prospective carer is safe to work with children, this is gained and reviewed before continuing the recruitment process. All carers receive training which aims to support them to care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 7

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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 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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that debriefs are completed with children. If the decision is made not to complete a debrief, the rationale for this should be clearly recorded. 15 June 2023

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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— 15 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 8 that staff—

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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

In particular, ensure that, if children are not attending an educational provision or receiving formal tuition, carers support children to complete educational activities and/or tasks within the home environment or in the community on a regular basis.

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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; 15 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 9 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

and are familiar with, and acting in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that each risk is fully assessed and clearly documented within a plan.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, where it is acknowledged that a child is not safe, ensure that plans to address and reduce risk are robust and effective.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that carers are provided with thorough guidance when completing room searches.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that plans written to support carers in supporting children’s behaviours and keeping them safe detail clear strategies for carers to use when working with that child.

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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

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; 15 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 10 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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that team meetings are reflective and have a focus on the children living in the home. Ensure that minutes provide the reader with a clear overview of discussion, identified actions, timescales for the completion of actions, and who should complete the actions.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that staff receive reflective supervision which includes a focus on practice and care of children living in the home. Ensure that written records provide the reader with a clear overview of discussion, identified actions, timescales for the completion of actions, and who should complete the actions.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(b) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must assure herself that when practice concerns related to agency staff occur, the agency deals with these concerns appropriately and that staff are safe to work with children. 15 June 2023

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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. 15 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 11 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

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

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 (1)(a) (2) (3)(a)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all restraint records detail the length and type of restraint used.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home provides a nurturing, supportive and homely environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, carers should ensure that children’s bedrooms and communal spaces are personalised and homely. In addition, ensure that children are provided with privacy in all areas of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep, and encourage children to keep, appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. In particular, carers should ensure that personalised memory books are completed for any child who lives in the home, no matter the duration of their

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Recommendations

stay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, carefully consider the appropriateness of recording the child’s information using first-person narrative. In addition, ensure that acronyms are not used on children’s paperwork. In addition, ensure that, when recording events, these are described so that a child can understand the entirety of that event. In addition, ensure that Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 12 there is consistency when completing reports. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2682502 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dorset Council-Social Care, Children’s Homes

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Dorset Council, County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester DT1 1XJ

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Inspector

Carla Simkiss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2682502 14 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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