Children's Home run by Absolute Children’s Services Ltd in North Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 1 Registered provider: Absolute Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022 and is suitably 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 requires improvement to be good

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

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 2

p.1

improvement to be good

Shortfalls in the help and protection of children and the effectiveness of leaders and managers have affected the overall experience and progress of the children. This is a new home that is experiencing some changes in the staff team, and the result is that the care provided by this home is not yet consistently good enough.

p.2

improvement to be good

Initially, staff were able to support the children with their care needs, and the children were making progress. Currently, children are spending a great deal of time in their bedrooms. Some children stay up all night and do not wake up during the day. This leaves them without stable routines. Staff are persistent in their attempts to support the children to engage in a range of positive experiences, but this proves difficult at times.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children living in the home said they do not feel they have been able to build trusting relationships with staff yet. Staff care about the children and are trying to build relationships with them. Some staff know and understand the children’s needs well, while others are still getting to know the children. The children would benefit from additional opportunities to develop these important relationships.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff support the children to attend any appointments and encourage them to be as healthy as possible. However, staff have experienced challenges in being able to consistently support some children to access specialist appointments. This means some children have not had their health needs met.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children are provided with home tuition sessions as staff are not consistently able to support them to access education. Staff value the importance of education, and one child has made progress. One education professional said that staff support the child during sessions and ensure the child has all the required equipment they need. The children would benefit from having appropriate educational placements provided that meet their educational needs.

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff support children to have activity plans and encourage the children to access safe, age-appropriate activities. This offers the children opportunities to build their confidence.

p.2

improvement to be good

Children are welcomed into the home in a supportive and planned way. The home is very well presented and well maintained. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Staff are not consistently implementing strategies in line with the children’s plans. Several incidents have escalated, resulting in children harming staff. This has resulted in staff requesting support from the police to manage children’s unwanted behaviours. This means that children are not consistently supported and are at risk of causing harm to themselves and others, resulting in potential criminalisation.

p.3

improvement to be good

Physical interventions are minimal, and not all staff are trained in accordance with children’s risk assessments. This means children are not effectively supported during times of crisis and in line with their care plans.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments and plans are clear regarding concerns and are regularly reviewed. Managers have taken the decision to end one child’s placement due to their complex needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

When children go missing from this home, protocols are in place to ensure that all professionals are notified. Staff take actions to find children in line with advice from the police. The manager has a good understanding of the associated risks when children are missing from the home and ensures that relevant professionals are aware of potential risks.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff offer children key-work support and meet with them to discuss important issues. However, staff do not consistently offer support in line with children’s care plans and associated risks such as criminal and sexual exploitation and online safety.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support the children to develop their independence skills. Children can spend safe, planned time away from the home with friends. This means children can safely work towards building their life skills and maintaining their identity.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff use rewards to help support children’s positive behaviours. This means children are encouraged to be proud of their achievements.

p.3

improvement to be good

Investigations into allegations are shared with the appropriate authorities. The registered manager ensures that any child who makes an allegation is taken seriously and has someone independent to talk to.

p.3

good

The home is run by a permanent and qualified registered manager. The manager is committed and has ambitious visions for the home. Shortfalls in the effectiveness of leadership and management have been impacted by the challenges associated with having a new staff team. Because of this, the registered manager has been required to offer direct care to the children. This has resulted in important management tasks slipping. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 4 Management monitoring systems are effective in tracking events and incidents but have not been successful in continuously reviewing the quality of care provided. This includes supporting staff to consistently implement children’s individual risk assessments and plans.

p.3

good

Some staff have not had essential training. This means they are not able to fully meet children’s needs and deliver the care detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. The registered manager arranges for suitably trained staff from another home to be part of the children’s care team. This impacts on the consistency of care offered to the children. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] doesn’t manage well with change and has been introduced to lots of staff. They were initially introduced to all new carers, then experienced changes of staff because some staff have not received appropriate training.’

p.4

good

The registered manager ensures all safeguarding concerns are reported to the appropriate authorities. The registered manager is proactive in recruiting for vacancies. Staff also have appropriate induction activities in place.

p.4

good

Staff talk positively about the support offered by the registered manager. The registered manager has promoted an environment where staff feel supported. One member of staff said, ‘I feel very supported by my colleagues and also by the registered manager, who will often go above and beyond her role to support the team and the children.’

p.4

good

The registered manager and staff have developed positive working relationships with social workers, professionals and families. The quality of communication and the commitment of the registered manager were both consistent themes among the professionals. One social worker said that the registered manager provides ‘good leadership to the team’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 5

p.4

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered persons must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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)(ii)(iii)(b)) 26 May 2023

p.5

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.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and 26 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 6 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(c)(e))

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff have the required training and provide continuity of care in line with children’s individual care plans.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 26 May 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vii)) 26 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 7 In particular, the registered persons should take action and make ongoing arrangements to support children to have appropriate educational placements and have a process in place to challenge unnecessary delays with appropriate agencies.

p.6

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: 2696593 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Absolute Children’s Services Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 98 Grove Street, Leek ST13 8DU

p.8

Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2696593 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9