Children's Home run by United Children's Services Limited in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 1 SC489036 Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to six children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in place who has not yet applied to Ofsted to become registered.

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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 inadequate

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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: SC489036 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2022 Full Good 07/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 3 out

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improvement to be good

Children do not always have positive nurturing relationships with staff. One child said that they do not like living in the home. They spoke about their relationship with one member of staff and said, ‘They are always upsetting me.’ The child said that they do not feel that leaders and managers always listen to their concerns.

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improvement to be good

The manager says that children will approach staff if they are hungry, but children do not always have access to the kitchen, which restricts their freedom of choice and their ability to move around their own home freely. Children say they rarely eat together. Children are not always given opportunities to develop relationships with their peers in the home or to socialise with each other.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to develop their independence. One child enjoys playing rugby in the community and is supported to attend a club on a regular basis. However, staff do not consistently support children to get involved in community activities or to develop hobbies or interests.

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improvement to be good

Some children attend education and make good progress. Children who are not in full-time education are not encouraged to engage in educational activities. Staff do not show curiosity to understand children’s barriers to learning.

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improvement to be good

Children are confident when making formal complaints. Children’s concerns are recorded but not fully understood or responded to. For example, the managers spoke to one child about their complaint. However, the complaint was not formally investigated, leaving the outcome unclear.

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improvement to be good

Children receive their medication according to their prescription. However, the manager has not ensured thorough oversight to ensure that there are no discrepancies.

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improvement to be good

One placing authority commented on the positive support that staff had provided to encourage and promote one child’s contact with family and friends. However, they also reported that there are times when the child’s holiday allowance money is being substituted for their travel costs.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always understand children’s needs and risks. In one incident, a child informed staff that they had self-harmed. Documents in relation to the incident were poor and some information could not be found. This hinders leaders’ ability to properly oversee incidents, to assure themselves that children are safe. However, leaders confirmed that the child was safe and had been supported. Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 4 Staff have undertaken safeguarding training, which provided them with the knowledge to safeguard children. However, none of the staff have had training in how to physically restrain children safely, should this be required. One child has been subject to a physical intervention. It was unclear how the restraint was managed, as documentation was not made available to the inspector.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from care, there is not a consistent and coordinated multi- agency response. Leaders have not provided effective management oversight of this. They have not ensured that a representative from the placing authority completes a missing-from-care or statutory visit to children when they return home. This is a missed opportunity to understand the reasons children went missing, where they have been and who they were with.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not support children to understand the impact of smoking and vaping. As a result, children are not helped to manage the risk to their health. Referrals are not made to request the specialist support required from external professional agencies.

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improvement to be good

Staff sometimes use judgemental language when speaking to children. As a result, there are times when children are not given opportunities to have conversations with staff where they feel safe to express themselves fully.

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improvement to be good

Children are given inappropriate consequences for everyday behaviours. For example, staff have been advised to deduct money from children’s allowances for ‘shouting, screaming, swearing, bad behaviour, missing from the home, touching food and eating from a packet’. Children say that they are confused about staff’s reasoning for applying consequences. A placing authority said, ‘I do not believe they [the home] are therapeutic when things are not going well.’ the child’s activity ‘has been used as a sanction, which has not helped their emotional well-being’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are weaknesses in the manager’s monitoring and oversight of risks, which has led to shortfalls. There is a lack of rigour in internal monitoring systems. During the inspection, several documents were missing and unavailable to the inspector. Leaders and managers were unable to acknowledge where improvement was needed. Therefore, the plans that are required to drive improvement forward are not yet in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The standard of recruitment practice is poor and leaders and managers have made poor decisions. They have recruited staff when concerns have shown up in pre- recruitment checks. For example one staff was employed without sufficient evaluation of references. Leaders and managers do not always address poor practice. Staff say they feel unsupported and do not want to be recruited to senior positions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has ensured that staff attend monthly team meetings. However, they have not ensured that concerns identified in relation to staff practice are discussed Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 5 in staff’s individual supervisions. Staff have not had regular supervision meetings with their manager. Supervision is poorly organised and the manager has asked staff to attend supervision on days when they are not in work. Records of supervision meetings that have taken place lack detail, content and evidence of meaningful discussions. This prevents staff from having opportunities for reflection and for development and learning from their care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is aware that there are divisions in the staff team which have impacted on team morale. Children are also aware of the difficulties in the staffing team. There have been occasions when staff have discussed children’s personal and confidential information with other children. As a result, children have become guarded in the information they share with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

One placing authority said that there is good communication and the home was meeting their expectations to help children make progress. However, the home did not provide the children with consistent therapeutic care. Another authority said, ‘Following the changeover of management, decisions made were not in the best interest of the child.’ Leaders have not ensured that children receive consistent good-quality care. Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 6

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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 enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences;

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the home not supporting children to engage in in activities. 9 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

that staff— 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 7 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(v)(x))

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to ensuring that records of incidents are clear and detailed and demonstrate management oversight, reflection and learning. 9 June 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 promotes their welfare.

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 8 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;

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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)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to monitoring how risks to children are managed by staff, including the reasons for the kitchen being locked and ensuring children’s money is spent correctly. This is also in relation to ensuring robust quality assurance and monitoring systems are in place, used regularly and recorded.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience;

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to supervision of staff taking place and a written record of supervision being available. This is also in relation to staff not sharing children’s confidential information with other children. 9 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the missing child policy”) setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission;

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring staff understand the policy and that independent return home interviews are arranged following a child being missing from the home. 9 June 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 9 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to all records being available, signed and kept up to date, with updates and outcomes included in the records. 9 June 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming, supportive, and which provides appropriate boundaries in

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Recommendations

relation to children’s behaviour. Homes must also meet children’s basic day-to-day needs and physical necessities. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. Doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 10 procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.13)  The registered person should improve the arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. This specifically relates to ensuring that there is management oversight of medication administered to children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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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: SC489036 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: United Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Coach House, Drinsey Nook, Lincoln, Nottinghamshire LN1 2JJ

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Inspector

Corline Parker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC489036 12 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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