Children's home run by Peterborough City Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 1 SC058778 Registered provider: Peterborough City and Cambridgeshire County Councils Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by the local authority and provides short breaks for up to five children and long-term care for a further three children. The home provides specialist care for children with physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2007.

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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 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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2022 Full Good 13/07/2021 Full Good 04/02/2020 Full Good 30/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, two children were staying at the home. The home currently supports 20 children for short breaks and shared care. Six children have started to stay at the home since last inspection, and four children no longer use the service. The children have a range of needs and most have limited verbal communication.

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improvement to be good

The home requires repair and refurbishment. There have been some improvements made. However, there is a hole in the lounge carpet and a damp patch in the shower room that has damaged the ceiling. This means that not all areas have a homely feel.

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improvement to be good

Records are all handwritten. Some records are difficult to read due to the handwriting. Children’s records are not easy to understand, which limits staff’s monitoring and knowledge of what the children have been doing at the home. The children have limited verbal communication, and this does not enable the staff to have knowledge and insight about children’s day-to-day experiences.

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improvement to be good

Children are asked about their views regarding the activities they would like to do. Staff support children to use communication systems that they understand. Children are supported to choose from a range of activities when staying at the home. There are activities including a new sensory room and garden. Interactive play resources that are colourful and tactile provide sensory experiences that children can use independently.

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improvement to be good

There are clear transition plans for children moving into the home. Staff go to meet the child and family as part of the assessment. Staff visit children at school, and the child visits the home. This allows staff to gain information about the child before they stay at the home. Transition plans allow children to become comfortable with the routines by increasing their time at the home gradually. Children are given their own copy of the children’s guide, which is tailored to their needs and presented in a way to support them to understand.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding procedures are defined but staff do not always implement these. When children arrive with bruising that is explained by parents as self-injury, these injuries are not routinely reported to children’s social workers. This limits the exploration with parents and carers regarding the injuries. This could mean that children are not being safeguarded effectively. The manager explained that the safeguarding procedure should include recording a body map and raising any concerns to social workers if there are any questions about injuries. The children are Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 4 extremely vulnerable and not always able to verbally communicate. The staff do not always follow clear safeguarding systems designed to protect the children.

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improvement to be good

Some consequences are used but are not recorded separately. These are included in the daily records. For one child, to help them calm, they are left alone in a communal room with the door locked and staff observing. However, the recording of these incidents is minimal. These incidents are not recorded as environmental restraints despite being the measures of control used. There is limited explanation of why the measure was required and how the child responded. There is no management oversight of these consequences or their effectiveness. This could mean that inappropriate consequences are being used.

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improvement to be good

Restraints are infrequent. There have been three in the last year. There are limited details about why one restraint was used. The manager comments on restraints but does not identify any lessons learned or changes to staff practice. The managers are aware of the reasons why actions are taken, but these are not clearly recorded.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour support plans are detailed. The plans give staff strategies to use which are personalised to the child. Staff have good relationships with children, which supports their response to unsafe behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment is followed for new members of staff. Temporary staff are not used at the home. This enables children to build good relationships with staff who work consistently, which helps them to feel stable and secure.

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good

The manager is experienced and qualified. However, the management oversight of the home is not effective or of good quality. The learning from incidents is limited and there are no clear records of incidents to allow managers to monitor any trends or patterns.

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good

Managers do not investigate concerns effectively. Following an error involving a child’s gastrostomy tube, managers failed to investigate the concerns. The social worker was not informed about this incident. There has been no learning from this incident, which could leave children at potential risk.

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good

The manager’s quality of care review does not include feedback from families or professionals. The manager has not carried out the reviews every six months. These shortfalls limit the effectiveness of identifying and driving improvements.

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good

Managers have not carried out appraisals with staff. Most staff have all worked at the home for over a year and have not had their performance appraised. This limits staff’s ability to develop their skills, knowledge and performance.

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good

There is no workforce plan to review staff’s training needs. This means that managers are not fully aware of any training needs that staff may have. Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 5 The shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been fully addressed. One requirement has been restated. This fails to demonstrate a drive to improve children’s experiences.

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good

Staff supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. Managers provide staff with detailed supervision sessions. This gives staff opportunities to discuss the children, their roles and identify any learning.

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good

Families and professionals are positive about the home and the support offered to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 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 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

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s injuries are reported to managers and professionals and that records are completed. 20 October 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

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 10 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers have oversight of incidents in the home by reviewing these and identifying any lessons learned. Ensure that social workers are informed following any concerns about children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; 10 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 8 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”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that consequences given to children and measures of control are appropriately recorded and that there is oversight of the effectiveness of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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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)(c)) 20 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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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 (1) (2)(a) (5)) 24 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and homely environment. In particular, ensure that the worn carpet is replaced and the shower room ceiling is repaired. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that there is a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce-related requirement of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 9 and 20). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Handwritten records must be legible and easy to read. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC058778 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Fletton Quays, Peterborough PE2 8TY

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC058778 11 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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