Children's Home run by 247 Bluebell Care Limited in Luton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 1 Registered provider: 247 Bluebell Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may have complex social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

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

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2022 Full Good 25/11/2021 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 3

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inadequate

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home. The children moved to the home in the month before the inspection. There was a significant lack of planning or preparation for either child. The children are not supervised in accordance with the agreement with their placing local authorities. The staff are not all aware of the children’s backgrounds or known risks. This does not enable staff to keep the children safe.

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inadequate

Two children have moved out since the last inspection. One child returned home after prolonged periods of being away from the home without agreement, and one child went into hospital. Neither child experienced a planned or prepared move.

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inadequate

Children have no routine. One child sleeps late into the day and stays awake all night. Sometimes, the child goes without sleep for two days. This affects the child’s mood and well-being. There are incidents of self-injurious behaviour that have not been responded to properly by staff. Medical help has not been sought, and most staff have had no first-aid training. The connection between low mood and lack of sleep has not been considered. The staff do not seek guidance on how to help children to develop good sleep hygiene and how to help children settle. Some children have experienced significant trauma at night and need a clear strategy to help them feel secure and build a good sleep routine. Staff do not provide this.

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inadequate

The staff have devised an extremely basic care plan for one child, and the other child has no care plan. Consequently, there is a lack of detail of how children’s care will be provided. Staff are not directed or guided sufficiently, and children’s views about how they would like to be cared for are not considered.

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inadequate

The children both need a school place. They have experienced significant gaps in their education. The manager has plans to arrange school places, but these are not moving at an appropriate pace. The manager and staff have not contacted the headteacher of the virtual school. Children do not take part in structured educational activity in preparation for a return to school. The lack of routine or activity with any educational element does not help to prepare them for school.

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inadequate

The home is in a town location, and the staff have no car available. Both children are keen footballers. One child likes fishing and cycling, and both children have asked about a games console. Despite this, there are no resources to support any of these activities. The staff rely on taxis to go out, and booking these at peak times can be difficult. Both children live a significant distance from their family homes. Visits to families are arranged using public transport and taxis. Having no vehicle reduces the staff’s ability to be spontaneous and provide regular outdoor summer activities that encourage physical health and well-being. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 4 The garden, although used by the children, is unappealing. The bins overflow, and garden waste is piled up in corners. A large tree blocks out the light. The walkway along the side of the house and the rear patio are overgrown with weeds, and the

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inadequate

Recent refurbishment work has made the ground floor of the home comfortable and cosy. There is a new ground-floor shower room. This was added to support an increase in the number of children. However, there is confusion among the staff about whether children are permitted to use the toilet in this shower room. One first-floor bedroom is unsuitable because the window leads to a large flat roof that one child is climbing up onto. The configuration of bedrooms is being reconsidered by the manager. There is also an institutional and unwelcome sign on the office door. These elements do not encourage children to feel welcome and relaxed.

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inadequate

Children appear comfortable with staff. Some staff have interests that they share with children, such as boxing and music. Staff play football in the garden with children. Children exchange witty jokes and good humour with staff. At mealtimes, staff sit with children at the dining table and enjoy home-cooked food.

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

The manager and staff do not keep children safe. One child is subject of a legal order. Despite this, the mechanisms and plans to fulfil this order cannot be implemented due to a lack of staff and staff training. The child has no risk assessment, and the staff are unclear about the harm-reduction methods. Therefore, this child is not being safeguarded by the staff. The referral documents for both children clearly state the reasons why the children need to be protected. Leaders and managers have failed to interpret this information accurately or integrate it into the care provided.

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

Children are at risk of significant exploitation. The location risk assessment identifies local risks that could result in harm to the children. This information has not been considered during assessments of whether children can safely live at the home. The evaluation and assessments that evidence the home’s suitability to provide care for the children are identical. These assessments do not consider the combined risks and therefore do not guide staff in how to reduce these.

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

Children do not have individualised risk assessments; the assessments are generic. Strategies to support children lack curiosity and depth. Assessments are not actively updated following incidents. Staff do not understand the children’s needs and have no instructions on how to respond to significant risks.

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

Children are not listened to or believed when they raise serious issues about the staff. The manager has failed to refer significant and concerning allegations to the local authority designated officer. This does not ensure that children are protected from harm or that practice concerns are addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 5 One vulnerable child has no missing-from-home protocol to guide staff’s responses and actions. A missing-from-home episode involving a child being away from the home for over a week was not classed as serious or notified to Ofsted.

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

Behaviour management plans are either not in place or of poor quality. Staff do not have clear guidance for meeting children’s emotional and behavioural needs. Children are not given the opportunity to develop skills to manage their emotions in healthy and socially acceptable ways.

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

Staff do not use consequences effectively. One record reflects a punitive consequence that focuses on limiting takeaway food and seeing family members. This is not restorative and does not support the child to recognise the effect of their choices on themselves and others.

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

When children have self-harmed, the staff have not sought appropriate medical advice. Staff fail to take the necessary steps to support the children’s welfare.

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

Fire safety is poor. Children are not given information about how to safely leave the home in an emergency. Some fire alarm checks do not routinely take place.

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

Staff recruitment processes have improved. Newly recruited staff have had relevant checks carried out before starting work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is new to management. The management of the home is not effective. Important systems that enable staff to safeguard children and understand their unique risks are not in place. The staff lack guidance and direction to provide safe and suitable care for exceptionally vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager agreed to specific ratios of staffing with the children’s placing authorities to reflect the high level of risk that children face. These ratios are not being provided. This is because there are not enough staff. The staff are inexperienced, and many are in their probationary periods. New staff work alone with children. Out of 12 staff, only three have first-aid training and four have physical intervention training, despite caring for children with highly complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to monitor the care provided effectively. There are very few checks or assurances to ensure that the staff report and record incidents. The manager does not follow up on incidents and guide the staff. This is despite some known staff practice issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is aware of staff who have been negative and unprofessional and has addressed some of these concerns. However, other concerns have gone unnoticed because they have not been reported or referred. This leaves children being cared for by staff who may have behaved inappropriately. Children’s concerns are not followed up. One child asked to make a complaint; there are no further details about this, and it was not recorded or investigated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 6 Records are poorly written and unclear. Some records are unprofessional, and others are identical to each other. Although the children have differing needs, strategies to support them are exactly the same.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager provides regular team meetings, and she has addressed unmotivated staff and negativity in the team. There is a focus on children and the introduction of a new child. However, these meetings are not well attended by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A parent and a social worker both said that the manager communicates well . Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 7

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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 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

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

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

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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

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)(i)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are aware of each child’s specific risks and take all necessary action to reduce risks for children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that records are updated, reviewed and communicated to the staff team. This is in regard to updating risk-management plans and local community risks.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the home’s manager and staff act in accordance with and implement safeguarding procedures. 1 September 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— 1 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 8 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 in a way 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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;

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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)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all incidents are reviewed by the manager and appropriate action is taken.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skill to meet the individual needs of children, with particular reference to physical intervention training, first-aid and self- harm training.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the children are supervised in line with the staffing ratios as agreed with the placing authorities.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff practice concerns are monitored and addressed.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure effective review, evaluation and monitoring of all records and documents to ensure they are accurate and reflect the individual children that they relate to.

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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. 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 9 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(v))

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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 the children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and wellbeing.

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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

understand and develop the skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, support children to improve their sleep hygiene and obtain medical advice for children with any injuries. 28 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

at all times, one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 1 September 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 employment), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 28 July 2023

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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 home; and 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 10 the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are able to use all of the home.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that consideration is given to the use of the third first-floor bedroom, and that the risks associated with the flat roof inform this decision.

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Requirement Due date

Provide the necessary resources that support children’s skills, ages and interests, and support the activities that stimulate and interest them. 1 October 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 28 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 28 July 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 28 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 11 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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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)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2611991 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: 247 Bluebell Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Aw House, 6-8 Stuart St, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 2SJ

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Inspectors

Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2611991 13 regulates and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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