Children's home run by Milton Keynes City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 1 SC052599 Registered provider: Milton Keynes Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a local authority. It provides short breaks and longer-term care for up to 10 children with learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since August 2021 and is undertaking a suitable qualification.

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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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 22 February 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/02/2023 Full Inadequate 10/01/2022 Full Good 22/01/2020 Full Good 30/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, the child living in the annex has moved on. There are currently 32 children being supported to access the home for short breaks. The registered manager ensures that the transition planning for children is well thought out. This means that children have built friendships, and there are positive relationships forming when children stay for their short breaks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Careful care planning for children ensures that everything is in place so that their visits to the home go smoothly. This includes creating assessments for specialist equipment and training for staff in children’s complex medical and health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views and wishes of children are important, and these are gained during their visits. This can be anything from the food that they would like on their next visit to the activities that they like to do. The staff ensure that they communicate and feed back with children when they have shared their views to ensure they feel listened to. Established staff know the children very well and have formed relationships with them. However, written plans do not always clearly guide newer staff on how to support a child with their preferred communication method.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Links are formed between the staff and children’s schools. For example, the registered manager worked in unity with a child’s teachers to support the child to understand significant changes in their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Targets are set for children to support their progress. These are reviewed by staff and celebrated on a tree mural that is displayed on a wall in the entrance hallway. However, for some children, these are quite personal. For one child, it said that they had not met their targets. While it is important to celebrate children’s achievements, this should be done sensitively, respecting children’s privacy.

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

The building is currently undergoing a refurbishment as part of the home’s development plan. This has been carefully planned so that it does not interrupt children’s stays, and it also means that they are safe during this period.

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

All staff have received training to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding children. The local authority designated officer (LADO) has also recently attended the staff team meeting. Consequently, staff are aware of the role of the LADO and how and when they should make a referral to them.

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

There is a comprehensive training package in place for staff to ensure that they have the skills needed to support children, including children with complex health needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 4 The staff know the children very well and use redirection and de-escalation to support children with their behaviour. Incidents with children are usually minor and are managed well by staff. Risk plans are built in conjunction with children’s families to ensure that risks for children are identified. However, written risk plans are not always updated in a timely way.

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

There is an alarm system in place that is risk assessed individually for each child based on the level of monitoring they require during their stay. However, the registered manager has not ensured that a written agreement from the local authority and children’s families is in place for all children, to agree the level of monitoring, ensuring it is appropriate to the children’s needs.

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

The registered manager ensures that staff are recruited safely and are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager met with senior leaders following the previous inspection. They spent time reflecting on how they can work together more effectively to ensure that good-quality care and support are provided to all children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are supported with their professional development and have the required skills and experience to support children’s care needs. Staff have regular supervision with managers to review their performance and plan their development. However, not all staff receive a formal annual appraisal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel supported by the registered manager and by each other. Staff say that the team is like a family. They feel managers and leaders are approachable and listen to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is currently undergoing some planned refurbishments to improve the environment for children. There are also plans to seek children’s views on personalising and enhancing the appearance of the home with artwork and updates to the decor. A community project group has also linked with the registered manager to decorate some of the bedrooms for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective monitoring systems in place to ensure that the registered manager has effective oversight of children’s care. Any tasks delegated to other staff are sampled by the manager to ensure that the quality and standards set are maintained for all children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 5

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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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk plans include measures to reduce risks. 30 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected. (Regulation 21 (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that information displayed on communal walls in the building maintains children’s privacy. 30 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that written consent is obtained for each child this relates to. 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, involving and responding to the children they care for. They should also understand how children might communicate their feelings through their behaviour or non- verbally, especially when the child has a disability which does not allow them to communicate as others might. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)  The registered person must ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC052599 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Milton Keynes Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Saxon Court, 502 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Courtis

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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC052599 8 regulates and 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 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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