Children's Home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 1 SC464809 Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number owned and managed by a private organisation. The provider states in the statement of purpose that they provide care for up five children with social and emotional difficulties, learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2022 Full Good 04/02/2020 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good 07/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 3

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improvement to be good

Children living in the home say they are settled and happy living here. They develop strong and trusting relationships with staff. Staff work hard to get to know children when they move in. Children receive a warm welcome when moving into the home. One social work professional said that the calm approach from staff supported their child to settle well when moving in. However, one child told the inspector that they had not received a children’s guide when moving in. Work had not been done to ensure the child had an understanding of what to expect living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a variety of activities in the home and the community. Children attend organised events with those from other homes in the organisation. This supports children to make new friends when they are new to the home. Staff take children on holiday to a caravan park in the summer holidays. Children have opportunities to try new hobbies and interests. Arrangements were made for one child new to the home to start boxing at a local club.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to engage in education. Arrangements are made for alternative methods of learning when there are difficulties in accessing formal education placements. An education professional said that the staff support one child well with education and suggest alternative strategies for her to use to promote engagement. However, education plans are missing from some children’s records. This means that staff do not have formal guidance on children’s educational needs. Furthermore, there has been delay in identifying a school placement for one child who is keen to attend a formal school setting.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children well to develop their independence skills. One child is preparing to move on from the home. Staff have worked hard to prepare him for the transition to live independently in the community.

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improvement to be good

There have been a number of changes to the staffing and management arrangements in the home which have impacted on the children. One child told the inspector that he had been upset when one member of staff who he had a good relationship with left unexpectedly. Furthermore, one child was unable to go out to celebrate on her birthday due to a shortage of staff. However, staff had previously planned a family visit and celebration to take place after the child’s birthday.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s relationships with their families. However, for one child, staff allowed contact to go ahead on a number of occasions with unauthorised family members. The child’s social worker told the inspector that she had not been informed of this or been provided with updates following any family contact.

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improvement to be good

There have been delays in registering children with local health services when they move into the home. Also, for one child, their additional health needs were not reflected in their records. Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 4

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improvement to be good

Staff have an understanding of children’s risks and work hard to understand their risks before they move into the home. There has been a reduction in risk-taking and challenging behaviours for one child new to the home. However, matching processes for new children coming to the home are not robust. In addition, placement matching documents for one child included information relating to a different child.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessment documents include clear and detailed guidance and strategies for staff to follow. Records demonstrate an understanding of children’s vulnerabilities. However, some documents include out-of-date information and information relating to different children. This means that new staff or those unfamiliar with the home do not have access to up-to-date and accurate information for the children. Furthermore, not all documents have been read and signed by staff.

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improvement to be good

The use of monthly key-work agendas support staff to identify specific areas of work to undertake with children. However, there has been limited work with children who are new to the home to support them in managing or mitigating their risks. One local authority professional said staff have not been proactive in undertaking work with one child in line with their risk assessment.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of physically holding children have significantly reduced. When incidents do occur, staff use physical interventions appropriately to safeguard the child and others. However, children’s records do not accurately reflect injuries suffered during incidents. Furthermore, there is a lack of managerial oversight following incidents. This means opportunities to learn from incidents and identify any additional support children may need are missed.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are managed well. Investigations are thorough and appropriate action is taken to ensure the safety and well-being of children involved. Managers inform external safeguarding professionals when concerns are substantiated. Resources for children to raise concerns or complaints are readily available and easily accessible in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff actively look for children when they are missing from the home. Staff communicate well with relevant professionals and family members to try to locate children. However, staff failed to respond in a timely manner when one child went missing from the home after telling them of a deterioration in her emotional well- being. Furthermore, debriefs have not been undertaken with children or staff following recent incidents or when children return home from going missing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 5

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good

The manager is new to the post and is not yet registered with Ofsted. He is currently supported in his role by the provider’s operational manager. He has adapted well to the role and has worked hard to support and reassure staff during the changes to the management team. Staff say that the new manager is supportive and approachable. He has worked hard to bring the team together and instil a strong focus on providing consistent care to the children. However, action has not been taken to rectify outstanding maintenance work in the home. One child’s en- suite bathroom had a strong smell of sewage.

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good

Reflective work is undertaken with the staff team following children moving on from the home. This provides staff with opportunities to reflect on challenges they faced and helps to inform future practice.

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good

There have been a number of changes to the staffing team since the last inspection. However, action has been taken to rectify shortfalls in staffing and recruitment of new staff is underway. When agency staff are used, efforts are made to use the same regular agency staff. This provides some consistency to the children.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and deputy, who is also new to the home. Staff say that they benefit from regular supervision. Appraisals for established staff are undertaken yearly. One member of staff commented that this had been a positive experience, due to her level of experience having been recognised. She felt valued and rewarded for her commitment to her role.

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good

Management oversight of the care being provided at the home is not robust. The manager has not consistently reviewed incidents or highlighted errors in children’s records. Not all staff have accessed training specific to the children’s needs. This means that the staff team may not have the level of skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children. However, the manager is in the process of developing new systems to monitor and oversee the running of the home more effectively.

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good

The manager is alert to the lack of up-to-date local authority documents for some children in the home. Attempts have been made to obtain some of these documents. However, this has not been consistently challenged or escalated. As a result, important information about children is lacking and therefore staff do not have up-to-date knowledge of the children’s needs.

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good

There has been delay in submitting the statement of purpose and notifications of serious incidents to Ofsted, and not all serious incidents have been notified. Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 6

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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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person ensures that school placements are identified without delay for children. 20 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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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 staff help each child to— 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 7 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children are registered without delay with local health services on admission to the home and that children’s additional health needs are reflected in their plans.

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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

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

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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)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children’s risk assessment documents include up-to-date and accurate information; that appropriate action is taken to ensure that children are spending time with authorised people; that staff undertake debriefs and return home interviews with children following missing-from-home incidents and that direct work is undertaken with children to manage and minimise risks. 20 January 2023

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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

promotes their welfare. 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 8 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’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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person ensures that children’s plans are read and understood by staff, children are cared for by a consistent staff team, concerns are escalated when there are delays in receiving children’s local authority plans, that debriefs with children and staff are undertaken following incidents, and that staff undertake training relevant to the children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 14 (a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children are provided with a children’s guide when moving into the home and that direct work is undertaken with them to help them understand this. In addition, that matching processes for children new to the home are robust, are individual to that child and include evidence of clear decision-making. 20 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 9 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. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 20 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should keep under review and provide a copy of the statement of purpose, including the staffing structure, experience and qualifications of staff and arrangements for supervision of staff practice, to HMCI within 28 days of any revision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.10)  The registered person should ensure that maintenance issues in the home are addressed without delay. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC464809 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: ROC Northwest Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC464809 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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