Children's Home run by Care Haven (UK) Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 1 SC065374 Registered provider: Care Haven (UK) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home provides care for up to five children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in May 2023. She is appropriately qualified and experienced.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. Two children spoke to the inspectors about their experiences of living there.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 20 September 2022

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/06/2022 Full Inadequate 02/11/2021 Full Good 10/03/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 3

p.2

inadequate

Serious shortfalls were identified in relation to safeguarding practices, care planning and the leadership and management of the home. Ofsted took immediate action to suspend the registration of the children’s home, under section 14A of the Care Standards Act. Three compliance notices were also served, under regulations 12 (the protection of children), regulation 13 (leadership and management) and regulation 14 (care planning).

p.3

inadequate

The home environment is not suitable for children. The home was unclean and significant damage had been caused to furniture and the decor in communal areas and children’s bedrooms. There were numerous hazards which had not been identified prior to the inspectors arriving at the home. These included broken glass on some outside steps and planks of broken wood left at the side of the building. One child’s bedroom was in a very poor state. The child had been in hospital, but staff had not tidied the child’s room ready to welcome them back to the home. This does not provide a nurturing environment for children or evidence that they are well cared for.

p.3

inadequate

Care planning for children moving into the home is poor and does not consider risk management strategies to ensure that children will be cared for safely. Children have moved into the home whose needs cannot be met and their risks cannot be safely managed alongside those of other children already living in the home. Two young siblings were moved into the home despite an older child’s placement coming to an end due to staff being unable to keep them safe. The time that the children lived together was fraught with concerns and caused distress for all children involved.

p.3

inadequate

Children’s health needs are not understood or appropriately monitored by the staff team to ensure that medical treatment and advice is accessed when required. One child was regularly given over-the-counter medication for reoccurring headaches, with no medical advice sought to explore this further. There was no information recorded about the child’s health needs in their care plan. The child’s social worker was not aware of the repeat administration of pain medication to the child.

p.3

inadequate

There has been an improvement in some children’s engagement with education. Children told the inspectors that they enjoy school. They also said that they enjoyed spending time and having fun with the manager and some of the staff.

p.3

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are inadequate. Plans for children moving into the home do not consider any risk management strategies to ensure that children will be cared for safely while living together. Group living dynamics had not been considered and children’s risks and vulnerabilities had not been appropriately Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 4 assessed. As a result of this, children have been harmed. On one occasion, an older child took a younger child into an unsafe environment where adults were misusing drugs and alcohol. During this period of being missing, the younger child contacted the police as they were frightened.

p.3

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

Children frequently go missing from the home. The staff team has acted to try to prevent children from leaving the home and to return them home safely. However, children’s missing-from-home protocols do not include clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe.

p.4

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

When physical intervention is used, records indicate that not all holds used are safe or in line with training guidelines. One child was recorded as being held forwards in a seated position, which presents a risk of asphyxiation. The manager had not reviewed the record and had not identified this risk or discussed the incident with the child or staff. There are discrepancies in the records in relation to the reported duration of holds. Debriefs with children and staff do not always take place and, when they do, they are sometimes undertaken by the staff member who has held the child. This does not promote transparency or safe practice.

p.4

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

Safe allegation management processes are not being followed to protect children. The provider has not investigated all allegations or taken appropriate action to safeguard children. Some staff have remained on shift following an allegation being made against them. Another staff member returned to work in the home before an investigation into an allegation about them had been completed. This means that the provider, Ofsted and other relevant safeguarding agencies cannot be satisfied that staff are safe to work with children.

p.4

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

Children told inspectors that the way some staff speak to them has caused them distress. This had not been investigated by the provider until raised by inspectors. There are other ongoing investigations into concerns about staff practice that had been raised by other people. One of these concerns has not been satisfactorily addressed or notified to Ofsted by the manager. This limits opportunities for external scrutiny of practice in the home. Furthermore, due to the number of staff who are subject to allegations, there are insufficient staff available to care for children.

p.4

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

Children are not cared for by staff who have the skills and experiences to safely meet their needs. Staff have not completed training to develop their understanding of children’s individual vulnerabilities and risks, including substance misuse, ligature removal, missing from care, county lines and criminal exploitation, and have not had risk management and safer caring training. This leaves children vulnerable and compromises their safety.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers lack an overall understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This has resulted in unsafe practice going unrecognised and not being addressed. The arrangements for the monitoring and oversight of the home by the manager and senior leadership team are ineffective. Consequently, children Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 5 have not been adequately safeguarded and they have received a poor standard of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Incidents have not been reported to Ofsted as required by regulation. This means that the regulator has been unable to effectively monitor practice in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Oversight of staff training is ineffective. Requirements have been made at the last two inspections regarding staff being suitably trained to meet the needs of children in their care, and that all staff should have training in attachment and allegation management. Some staff still need to take these courses . The home’s workforce development plan does not give an up-to-date account of the training that staff have undertaken. Therefore, the requirement has been restated.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent visitor reports do not consistently obtain feedback from children or staff. This means that there is not full scrutiny of the care provided to children living in the home. Additionally, the responsible individual or a member of the senior leadership team does not always evidence that they have overseen the report. This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s review of the quality of care report does not include feedback from staff, children’s families or relevant professionals. Additionally, the manager does not have a robust plan in place to develop and make improvements to the service. This was also a requirement at the last inspection, and it has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that: all staff understand their responsibilities in safeguarding children and that prompt action is taken to remove any hazards in the home; that children’s records include up-to-date and accurate information in respect of all known risks for 9 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 7 children; that staff take action to address children’s risks and vulnerabilities in the home and in the community; that children’s missing-from-home protocols include clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe and that staff complete relevant training to meet children’s individual needs, including substance misuse, ligature removal, missing from care, county lines and criminal exploitation, and that staff have risk management and safer caring training.

p.6

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.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

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;

p.7

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)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that: robust systems are in place to ensure that there is effective oversight of practice in the home; that staff have completed training in attachment and allegations management and have the relevant knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs; that training records are maintained; and that internal and external monitoring systems provide effective scrutiny of the care provided to children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 9 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 8 *The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that plans for children moving into the home include an assessment of how their needs can be met safely alongside the needs of other children already living in the home, and that action is taken to review the care provided to children when they cannot be safeguarded or when their needs cannot safely be met in the home. 9 July 2023

p.8

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.8

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.8

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is clean and tidy and is decorated and furnished to a high standard throughout. 20 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 9 The health and well-being standard is that—

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.9

Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

p.9

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(c))

p.9

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that support is provided to children in respect of any health condition and that medical advice is appropriately sought. 20 July 2023

p.9

Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is an organisation, the organisation must ensure that the responsible individual undertakes such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the responsible individual has the skills needed for supervising the management of the home. (Regulation 29 (2)) 20 July 2023

p.9

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—

p.9

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.9

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration; 20 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 10 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.10

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.10

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.10

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.10

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.10

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

p.10

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.10

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 20 July 2023

p.10

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.10

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 20 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 11 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

p.10

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.11

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.11

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

p.11

Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b) (5))

p.11

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 July 2023

p.11

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.11

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: SC065374 12

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care Haven (UK) Limited

p.12

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Westminster House, 10 Westminster Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 1BX

p.12

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Swallow

p.12

Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Alexandra Pearson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC065374 13 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 who are looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.12

Inspectors

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.13

Inspectors

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

p.13

Inspectors

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

p.13