Children's Home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 1 Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, two very young children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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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 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: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, a new child has moved into the home. Leaders and managers carefully considered the needs of the new child and the child already living there to make sure it was appropriate for them to live together. The children enjoy spending time together and the inspector observed their playful interactions.

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improvement to be good

Currently, there is instability in the staff team. Since the last inspection, one member of staff has left and a further three staff have resigned. New staff do not consistently have the same level of knowledge and experience as existing team members. This does not give the particularly young children in the home the benefit of ongoing sustained relationships with staff they know well and who they trust. Leaders and managers are aware of the current fragile staffing arrangements and confirmed that they regularly monitor the rota to ensure that an experienced and qualified member of staff works alongside the new and inexperienced staff.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have persistently challenged the children’s placing authorities and the head of the virtual school to secure appropriate education placements for them. However, despite their efforts, the children’s educational needs are not yet being met. One child’s journey to school takes over an hour, and consequently they are on a reduced timetable. The second child is not yet enrolled at a school. To support the children’s learning, the team has incorporated learning opportunities into activities in and out of the home.

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improvement to be good

Children have fun at this home and benefit from attending local clubs. One child enjoys going to Rainbows, and the second child has joined the local football club. Staff are very good at channelling the children’s energy, introducing the children to new and exciting activities. As a result, the children’s health, well-being and social skills have improved significantly.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a homely and comfortable environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and include their favourite toys and personal items. Children enjoy playing in the garden, which is well equipped with outdoor toys.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have worked closely with the staff team, providing them with improved mentoring and training opportunities. As a result, the staff are now more confident in recognising and responding to the children’s daily needs and behaviours. The use of restraint and physical intervention has reduced significantly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

At the last inspection, leaders and managers were required to review restrictive practices being used in the home. In response, action is being taken to reduce these Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 4 restrictions. Work is planned to remove the unsightly window restrictors and door locks. In addition, the continuing need for door alarms is being reviewed regularly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

All staff have completed safeguarding training and regularly attend refresher courses. Staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and implement their learning from the training in practice. A social care professional reported that they are satisfied that safeguarding concerns are taken seriously at this home and that the correct procedures are followed.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Safer recruitment processes are followed effectively for staff employed directly by the home. Currently, interview notes do not record how the interviewers have assessed candidates’ suitability when they have no previous experience of working in residential childcare. Leaders and managers are not able to demonstrate that they have assured themselves that staff recruited from an agency have suitable references and a full employment history. They do confirm that these staff have the required Disclosure and Barring Service check in place.

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good

Since the last inspection, the manager has registered with Ofsted. The registered manager is determined to create a culture that encourages staff to work cohesively as a team. The staff speak positively about the manager, her child-focused approach, and the support they receive.

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good

Management oversight and scrutiny of records require improvement. Leaders and managers recognise that the three electronic reporting systems are a contributing factor. The quality of information in restraint records has improved. However, information about the duration of the restraint and the location the child was held are not always recorded in this document. This information is available in another record but having restraint information split across records makes it harder to monitor patterns and trends and the effectiveness of the physical intervention.

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good

The registered manager has reviewed the children’s care and support plans. The plans provide staff with information they need to help them understand the children’s experiences, their current needs and any associated risks. However, these documents are extensive, making it difficult for new staff to locate important information easily. In addition, children’s care plan targets are too broad and do not maximise children’s progress. Leaders and managers agreed these documents require streamlining to ensure pertinent information can be easily located.

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good

All staff, including the registered manager, receive regular formal and clinical supervision. Topics of discussion are broad. When performance concerns have been identified, appropriate action is taken and support is provided. However, not all records detail what actions the supervisor has taken when concerns are shared by the staff member receiving supervision. This does not provide some staff with confidence that their concerns are taken seriously and appropriate action has been taken. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 5 Staff meetings take place weekly and in the main are well attended. Children’s presenting needs are discussed in detail and the team is supported to understand how children’s trauma has impacted on their current well-being and positive engagement.

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good

Systems are in place to obtain the views of staff who have resigned. However, this feedback has not yet been used consistently to improve staff retention. Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 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, The 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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff are suitably skilled and experienced to offer good-quality care to children. 18 August 2023

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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.

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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

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(ii)) 18 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 7 This particularly refers to simplifying internal care plans and children’s targets to make them easier to read and maximise children’s progress.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

a description of the measure and its duration; and

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(iv)(v)) 18 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. The registered person should seek, as far as possible, to maintain a homely and domestic, rather than ‘institutional’, impression. In particular, the registered person should continue to review the need for and use of door alarms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should assure themselves that all required recruitment checks are in place for agency staff, and that interview notes for permanent staff document the rationale for deciding the candidate’s suitability. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 8

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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: 2642842 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Five Rivers Childcare, 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2642842 10 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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