Children's Home run by 1848 Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 1 Registered provider: 1848 Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to care for two children. At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home, having moved there in August 2020 and July 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the home opened, two other children have lived there from October 2022 to November 2022 and from October 2022 to February 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in October 2022 and currently has no registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 3

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improvement to be good

Progress made by children at this home is mixed. Leaders and managers have previously not given enough scrutiny to how children’s needs and associated risks could be safely managed at this home before they move in. As a result, the quality of care given to children has not been consistent.

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improvement to be good

One child was only at the home for a short period before returning to live closer to their home area.

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improvement to be good

One child’s needs were complex, and staff did not have the necessary skills or experience to meet their needs. This resulted in the child having to move out of the home prematurely following an increase in violent incidents and the use of restraint.

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improvement to be good

Children do develop positive relationships with staff at this home, which has contributed to some children making progress. For example, one child is in full-time education, has a part-time job and is a member of a local sports team.

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improvement to be good

Another child has begun to develop trusting relationships with staff, with one professional reporting that this child now seems calm and more settled than they have seen them previously.

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improvement to be good

One child is not yet in full-time education, although a suitable provision has been identified for them. While not attending school, this child is supported by staff to maintain good routines and to engage in educational activities.

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improvement to be good

The home is a comfortable and homely environment, and children can personalise and decorate their bedrooms. One child loves animals and has plans to study animal care at college in the future. They have several pet hamsters, a rabbit and a guinea pig at the home, which they care for with the support of staff.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding incidents at this home have not previously been responded to in a timely manner, and appropriate procedures have not been consistently followed.

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improvement to be good

For example, when concerns were raised regarding one child being at risk of exploitation, the home manager did not open a safeguarding log or complete a risk assessment. They did not inform senior managers or Ofsted about an open safeguarding investigation, and information-sharing with external agencies was not done routinely. Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 4 Management oversight has been inconsistent and not evidenced clearly in children’s records. Important information about children has not always been shared promptly with staff.

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improvement to be good

As a result, staff have not always understood children’s specific risks and needs and have not had clear and consistent guidance on how best to support children.

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improvement to be good

The home is currently being managed by the organisation’s operations manager, who has taken action to address the identified shortfalls in practice.

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improvement to be good

This home specialises in supporting children with additional mental health needs, and there are frequent incidents of self-harm. These incidents are managed appropriately, and staff now have a good understanding of how to support children when incidents take place.

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improvement to be good

Twenty-one incidents of restraint have taken place since the home was registered. When restraint is used, it is appropriate and used to prevent serious harm.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing, staff respond appropriately by following them, looking for them and reporting them missing. Management oversight is evident in the most recent missing-from-home incidents, and debriefs with children and staff take place.

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improvement to be good

Practice is underpinned by appropriate risk assessments and care plans. Under the leadership of the current acting manager, these plans have been updated and are reviewed regularly with input from external professionals following significant incidents. However, input from medical professionals has not yet been included in a plan for one child around the threshold for seeking medical advice after incidents of self-harm.

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improvement to be good

Professionals told inspectors that they felt safeguarding incidents are now well managed by the home and that effective strategies are in place to support children and minimise risk.

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improvement to be good

Risk management meetings with relevant professionals are now taking place weekly for each child. Professionals spoken to by inspectors reported that communication from the home is good and that this has improved significantly in recent weeks.

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good

A registered manager was working in the home until February 2023. From this point, the organisation’s operations manager has been in the role of acting manager.

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good

The acting manager and responsible individual have acknowledged significant prior concerns about leadership and management at this home. Examples of this include the home manager not maintaining accurate or up-to-date records and safeguarding concerns not being managed in line with relevant statutory obligations. Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 5 Managers have not always robustly considered how the home can meet the needs of children prior to them moving in. Challenge to local authorities and other professionals has also not been robust, and concerns about practice have not been escalated appropriately.

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good

In the case of one child, an impact risk assessment was not completed in full, and relevant and up-to-date information was not received from the local authority prior to them moving into the home.

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good

This child’s needs were found to be significantly more complex than initially thought. Information provided by the local authority remained inaccurate and incomplete until the recent escalation by the acting manager.

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good

As a result, leaders and managers did not fully understand this child’s needs and risks, preventing appropriate support being put in place for them until several months into their time at the home.

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good

For another child, shortly before they moved into the home, deprivation of liberty safeguards were put in place, requiring all external doors and windows in the home to be kept locked. Managers did not challenge the local authority around this and did not consider how these restrictions would impact the other child living in the home.

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good

The decision was later made to place another child in the home while these restrictions remained in place, again without proper consideration being given to the impact on this child.

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good

Leaders and managers have identified these concerns and taken steps to address them. Management oversight is now evident in recent records, and the home’s admissions documentation was recently reviewed and updated.

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good

The acting manager has a good understanding of the specific needs and risks of the children living in the home. She effectively and robustly challenges external professionals, and there are multiple examples of her advocating strongly on behalf of the children.

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good

Agency staff are currently regularly used alongside permanent members of staff, and children can find the lack of continuity of care difficult.

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good

Managers acknowledge this issue, and some action has been taken to reduce the impact on children by using the same agency staff for repeated and block bookings. Several new members of staff have also recently been recruited.

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good

A clear plan for the development of the staff team is now in place, including training specific to the needs of the children living in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 6 Staff were positive about the support from the acting manager and responsible individual. Supervision is held regularly and is reflective. Debriefs with staff are of good quality, and lessons learned after incidents are now recorded consistently. Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 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 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 has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; 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)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 19 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 19 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 8 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.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(e)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 19 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 9 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all agency staff have the necessary induction prior to starting work at the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)  The registered person should ensure that appropriate expert advice is sought and included in children’s plans around the threshold for seeking medical advice following incidents of self-harm. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.7)

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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: 2650345 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Old Bank Buildings, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AJ

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Inspector

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2650345 11 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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