Children's Home run by Flourish Children’s Services Limited in Rotherham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 1 Flourish 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

A private provider owns and manages this home. It provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is vacant. A new manager has been appointed and is in day-to-day charge of the home. The manager in post has not yet submitted documentation with Ofsted to become the registered manager of this home.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 14 and 15 March 2023. Inspectors found significant breaches in regulations relating to the safety and protection of children, the leadership and management of the home, the use of physical interventions and deprivation of children’s liberty. As a result of that inspection, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation and issued three compliance notices under regulations 12 (The protection of children standard), 13 (The leadership and management standard) and 20 (Restraint and deprivation of liberty).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the compliance notices and the restriction of accommodation. Since the last full inspection, one child has moved out of the home and no new children have moved in. The inspectors concluded that all steps in compliance notice 12 and 20 were met. The inspectors concluded that compliance actions under regulation 13 were not fully met. As a result, an updated compliance notice under regulation 13 has been re-issued. The notice restricting accommodation remains in place and will be reviewed at a later date. Requirements raised at the full inspection were not reviewed as part of this monitoring visit and have been restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 2 Children now have up to date and thorough risk assessments and behaviour support plans. Children’s plans contain relevant information about their past experiences which helps staff understand children’s presenting needs. Information about

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This monitoring visit

children’s lived experiences is used to recognise potential triggers for children. Identified strategies for staff to follow help children regulate their emotions and are supportive to the children.

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This monitoring visit

Children rarely go missing from the home. Children have a missing-from-home plan which contains information about children’s needs and vulnerabilities. Clear plans provide actions for staff to follow, should a child go missing. Training has enhanced staff knowledge around missing procedures to reduce any risks to children. Staff understand the importance of following missing-from-home plans and reporting children who go missing to the police and relevant parties promptly.

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This monitoring visit

Children have developed trusting relationships with staff. Children speak positively about the newly appointed manager. One child said they feel the manager has taken the time to get to know the children. Children say the home is calmer and happier. Children have been involved in decisions about the home’s décor which gives them a sense of belonging.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is largely made of staff with minimal experience of working in a children’s home. The responsible individual has taken steps to ensure the majority of staff are enrolled onto a relevant qualification. In turn, this should help to improve staff knowledge and the quality of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership team acknowledges the importance of improving staff knowledge and are committed to training and learning. Training opportunities and reflective discussions refresh staff knowledge and can lead to improvements in the care that children receive. The leadership team embraces opportunities to gain knowledge from relevant organisations such as children’s services. Where the learning is embedded and monitored in practice, the quality of care children receive should get better.

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This monitoring visit

Physical holds are rarely used as a behaviour management strategy in this home. A recent physical intervention was appropriate and recorded correctly. Staff have received refresher training and supervision around the risks associated with inappropriate holds. However, some staff were unable to describe what constitutes an inappropriate hold. Risks to children are increased because training is not fully embedded in practice.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s day-to-day experiences are captured and recorded by staff. However, inconsistencies in recording are prominent. Some recordings are child-friendly and use sensitive language. Other recordings are brief and less personalised. Recordings that represent children’s voices and feelings can help them understand their experiences and the care they receive. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 3 The responsible individual and leadership team have developed monitoring tools and audits to ensure oversight of the home. Some tools, for example, staff confirming they have seen and understood key documents are in place. A lack of date on the tool hinders the ability to ensure that any recent changes are understood by staff. This could mean that staff are without key information to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Other tools developed by the responsible individual and leadership team are not yet embedded in practice. This includes monitoring of any incidents, accurate recording, and staff practice to make continuous improvements in the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/03/2023 Full Inadequate 15/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply with 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)) 4 June 2023

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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 4 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 5 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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) The registered person must ensure that—

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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 name of the child; 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;

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Requirement Due date

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)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (iv)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 4 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 6 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first-aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1) (2)(a)) 4 June 2023

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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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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; 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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(xii)(b)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must— 4 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 7 satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(a)(b)) In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; 4 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 8 any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (2)(a) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(b)) 4 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children. They will, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 9 in most cases, be homely. In particular, the registered person should consider the purpose and necessity of any locks used in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 13.9)  The registered provider should that the children’s guide helps children to understand: what the day-to-day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’), and the care they can expect to receive while living there. In particular, photos used to show areas of the home should be a true representation of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Flourish Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flourish Children’s Services Limited, 96 Blacker Road, Birkby, Huddersfield HD1 5HN

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Inspectors

Cat Clasper, Social Care Inspector Ms Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2562678 10 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 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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