Children's Home run by Roundhouse Care in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 1 SC404983 Registered provider: Roundhouse Care 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 and is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably experienced and is working towards their qualification. The registered manager has informed Ofsted that they are leaving their position as of 13 July 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 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

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2022

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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: SC404983 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2022 Full Good 29/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 3

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improvement to be good

Inspectors identified significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. For example, the environment is in poor condition and has not been well maintained for children. The registered manager has identified the shortfalls and raised them with senior managers. However, the shortfalls have not been addressed and have therefore been left for a significant period. This means that children are not provided with a warm and homely environment, which has potential to impact on their day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

Two children live in the home. They have lived here for a significant length of time. No children have moved into or out of the home since the previous inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always ensure that children attend school. One child has maintained good attendance and is making progress. However, in contrast, another child has been out of education for a substantial period. Staff and the manager have not acted swiftly or effectively to advocate for the child. Furthermore, concerns have not been escalated to the most appropriate person to secure a new school for the child. This means that children are not always making positive educational progress.

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improvement to be good

Despite the shortfalls, children make progress. This is because core staff have positive relationships with children, which helps children to develop. The inspector observed children sharing humour and laughing when interacting with staff and the registered manager. In addition, children told the inspector they like living in the home and feel safe. These relationships help children to make progress and feel settled.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that children’s physical health needs are met. Children are registered with local health services and attend appointments when needed. A therapist works alongside staff and the manager. They provide advice, guidance relating to children’s presenting behaviours and offer psychological support to staff if required.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. For example, children regularly spend time with their families and friends. Furthermore, staff work with children and their families to overcome any barriers or problems. This approach helps children to stay connected and reconnect with people who are important in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children’s hobbies, interests and talents. Staff arrange for them to attend local clubs. One child attends training with a local rugby and football club. Children also enjoy activities with staff. Staff capture these moments with photos and place them in memory books. Children are provided with their memory book when they leave. The supports children to keep positive memories and helps them to feel a sense of belonging. Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 4

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improvement to be good

Staff do not always assess risks effectively. For example, on one occasion, an agency staff member provided a child with money to purchase a gift card despite it stating in their plans they should not have money without staff supervision. This led to the child going missing for a period of three days. Furthermore, the manager failed to address this shortfall, which means that there is limited learning and reflection for the staff member. The lack of knowledge around the risk management plans left this child vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

Despite this shortfall, when children have been missing, staff have taken appropriate action and followed protocols. They ensure that they actively search for children and use methods such as contacting friends and family to help locate them. Additionally, staff contact appropriate agencies, such as the police, to report children missing. On their return, children are welcomed back to the home in a positive manner. Return home interviews take place on occasions.

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improvement to be good

Following the inspection in October 2022, the provider installed a new smoke alarm where the boiler is located. No assessment of fire safety has been carried out by a competent person to determine whether the alarm system is appropriate. In addition, the area was full of combustible items which present a potential risk to staff and children.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are not always restorative in nature. Some consequences observed were proportionate. However, the main theme around consequences given to children is restricting their use of the internet or electronic devices. Staff seem to have adopted this approach due to its effectiveness. This approach does not support the home’s ethos or help children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children or staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not always safely vetted prior to working in the home. The manager has failed to secure a written reference from one staff member’s previous employer. Additionally, gaps in employment are not explained and right to work documents were not available during the inspection. Managers have not taken reasonable steps to ensure that they follow safer recruitment practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has informed Ofsted that she will be leaving her role on 13 July 2023. Senior managers have been aware of this for some time; however, they have not been proactive to implement a plan to oversee and ensure the safety of the home when the manager leaves. Ofsted has not received a registered manager’s application and no interim arrangements were in place at the time of the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staffing arrangements are not always sufficient. There has been a dependency on the use of agency staff and staff from other homes for some time. Where possible, Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 5 the manager has tried to ensure that staff supplying cover are known to children to ensure minimal impact on children’s attachments. However, three members of staff and the manager are due to the leave in the coming weeks. This will further weaken the staffing team as they are not all skilled and experienced to carry out their role and lead the day-to-day care as planned.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are not always receiving the relevant training to provide them with essential skills to care for children. One member of staff has not completed their safeguarding training, despite working in the home for the past five months. Other staff have not had their training refreshed to develop their skills. Additionally, not all staff have completed training relevant to the specific needs of children or to ensure that they deliver care in line with the ethos outlined in the statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring systems are not effective to aid leaders and managers to identify the shortfalls and improve. While the registered manager identifies concerns, such as the poor environment, she does not have the resources to rectify these promptly. The independent person is not effective in their monitoring. They do not identify shortfalls or receive feedback from the important people in children’s lives. The statement of purpose updates have not been shared with the regulator as required. These all limit the capacity to improve the quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite these shortfalls, the inspector received positive feedback from external professionals. One professional said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

‘The manager and staff have provided exceptional support to my child. They have facilitated and supported positive time with their family, and this is now a more positive experience and can be unsupervised.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisals of their performance. Supervision records are well recorded. However, they do not contain actions to improve staff’s knowledge, skills and practice. Despite this, staff speak highly of the manager and say that they feel well supported in their role. Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 24 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 24 August 2023

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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

that staff— 24 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 7 help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training, and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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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 a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training, or employment and to prepare for future care, education, or employment;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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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— 24 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 8 that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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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;

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 24 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 9 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 24 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2) (a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d) (8)) 24 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 10 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 24 August 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 11

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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: SC404983 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Roundhouse Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o Phil Bessant Limited, Agincourt House, 14 Clytha Park Road, Newport NP20 4PB

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Inspector

Carl Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC404983 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 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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