Children's home run by East Midlands Care Matters Limited in Amber Valley

Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 1 SC381522 Registered provider: East Midlands Care Matters 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 company. The home provides care for children who may have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. They may also have a learning disability or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and sensory and communication difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is experienced and qualified.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/01/2022 Full Good 19/02/2020 Full Good 09/10/2018 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Children do not yet receive consistently good care. Improvement is required in some areas. One child’s bedding was found to be stained and had not been changed. They had slept on a bed with no sheet. A bathroom was dirty and had not been cleaned. In other areas of the bedroom and bathroom, there were hazards that could cause harm to children. This is unpleasant for children and not in keeping with a homely environment.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are not confident when describing how they support children’s mental health. Staff had received conflicting advice from external health professionals, and this means they are confused about how to meet children’s mental health needs. As a result, staff are not consistent in their approach to supporting children to manage their complex mental health needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children’s families spoke highly about the progress their children make, and said that their children feel part of a family at the home. They said that they could finally relax in the knowledge their children were being cared for. When children become older and leave the home, they remain in contact with the manager and staff. The manager and staff are interested in their progress, and how they are settling into their new home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to do well at school. When they are at important milestones, for instance taking exams, additional tutoring is provided. This is because the manager and staff are ambitious for children and want them to remain motivated to be successful in their education. Children speak confidently about plans for their future, including going to university.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff are responsive, and actively encourage children to explore their identity. Additionally, when children show an interest in learning, the staff support this. For example, if a child wants to play an instrument, lessons are provided. This means children develop educationally, socially and creatively in a supportive environment.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s individual risk assessments contain sufficient detail. They identify areas of risk for children, and the strategies that staff should use to minimise the identified risks. However, when significant risks are known, measures have not been taken to reduce these risks. This means the assessment of risk is not yet effective, and children remain at risk of harm.

p.3

improvement to be good

Lack of management oversight has meant that some areas of children’s bedrooms are a hazard. For example, in one bedroom, there was an electric socket coming off Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 4 a wall. In the same bedroom, there were several electronic smoking devices. Lack of monitoring has meant hazards have remained, and children’s safety is compromised.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers ensure that people who want to work at this home go through a safer recruitment process. Relevant checks are undertaken, meaning only safe people work with the vulnerable children. However, managers have not ensured that they have undertaken all additional checks for potential new staff.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager has ensured that the location risk assessment is thorough and detailed. This assessment takes into consideration risks in the proximity of the home, and how these risks will be managed. Managers have gained local information and statistics to ensure that this assessment is sufficiently accurate and detailed.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children can make complaints about their care. Some children have advocates. Children who use alternative methods of communication can make their needs known through an electronic device. There are paper forms for those children who can complete these, if they have any concerns. This means children can raise any concerns that they might have.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management monitoring systems are currently poor. Leaders and managers have not identified shortfalls in care practice. Risk-reduction strategies have not been followed through and this has increased risk to children. This is because leaders and managers are not always present at the home. Some weeks, the manager is at the home only one or two days and so does not have day-to-day oversight. This has meant that poor care practice has been left unchecked.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The oversight and support for the manager are not effective. Leaders are not confident in how often the manager has supervision. When the manager does receive independent supervision, the effectiveness of this is uncertain because records are not available. It is unclear how well the independent supervisor understands the care needs and risks of the children currently accommodated.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive training in all aspects of children’s care. Most staff have not had any formal training in supporting children with self-injurious behaviour, despite this being a significant risk for one child. Staff have not received formal training in communication methods such as Makaton or picture exchange systems. This lack of training in alternative communication prevents staff from being able to ensure that children who do not use speech can express their needs, wishes and feelings.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has ensured that children are cared for by an established and stable workforce. Some staff have been with the home for several years. This means the care provided to children with differing and complex care needs is more consistent.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers ensure that their care staff receive regular supervision. This is often delegated to a deputy manager or team leader. This means that managers have Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 5 opportunities to speak to staff about their care practice, raise any concerns and review their professional development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Three recommendations from the last inspection are met. At this inspection, four requirements and two recommendations have been made in response to the shortfalls found. Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 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 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to a child’s bedroom that was unsanitary and had hazards that put the child at risk of harm. 9 March 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

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)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to most staff not having any formal training in self-injurious behaviours. 9 March 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 9 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 7 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers failing to ensure that measures are put in place to reduce significant risk to children.

p.7

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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to leaders and managers not having effective oversight of the children’s care. 9 March 2023

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31–33. They must ensure that recruitment of new staff minimises potential risk to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.7

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 Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 8 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: SC381522 9

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: East Midlands Care Matters Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 58 Brackendale Road, Swanwick, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 1DX

p.9

Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC381522 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

Inspector

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

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10