Children's Home run by GAC Family Services Limited in Middlesbrough

Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 1 Registered provider: GAC Family Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider and was registered with Ofsted on the 28 February 2023. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 5 May 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on the 27 and 28 June 2023. The inspector identified several regulatory breaches. Following that inspection, urgent conditions were put in place by Ofsted, limiting the number of children the home could provide care for to one child. Additionally, two compliance notices were served under Regulation 12 and Regulation 13. A monitoring visit took place on the 31 August 2023. Neither of the compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/06/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 3

p.2

improvement to be good

There is currently one child living in the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have made improvements to the way in which children move into the home. They have taken steps to ensure that a child’s needs are known before they come to live at the home, and alongside this, now consider if the staff team is able to meet the child’s needs. This has helped the child living in the home to receive individualised care from the start and settle into their new home.

p.3

improvement to be good

The home provides a safe, clean, modern and spacious home for the child. However, more could be done by the staff to help the child personalise the home and their bedroom. This would enhance the child’s sense of belonging, permanence and the feeling of being valued.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child is supported by staff to take part in a range of activities that are aligned with their specific interests. This has helped the child to continue attending events that they enjoy, has promoted their sense of identity and has enabled them to learn new skills.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff help the child to spend time with their family and friends in line with their wishes and feelings and in accordance with the local authority plan. This has supported the child to keep in contact with those that matter the most to them and to maintain a support network outside of the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child contributes to their home’s care plan. Their views are respected and recorded. However, the plan is not aspirational, forward thinking or dynamic. It does not help staff to support the child to make sustained progress over time. Additionally, it does not help the child understand the progress they have made and enable them to identify new goals. This does not align with the home’s statement of purpose.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child has access to local health services, and staff support the child to attend routine and emergency health appointments. Staff understand the individual health needs of the child and administer medication in a safe way. When the child has declined to take prescribed medication, staff have had focused conversations with them about the importance of taking prescribed medication to maintain good health.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff support the child with their education. They are working in partnership with the child’s social worker to help the child gain access to suitable education provision. In addition to this, the staff are creative in encouraging the child to take part in educational activities in the home, such as playing board games, taking part in focused discussions about world events and arranging cultural evenings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 4 The child currently living in the home has built relationships with staff and feels safe. The child knows how to make a complaint. However, the children’s guide does not give the child information about how they can contact the Children’s Commissioner should they wish to raise concerns about the care they receive. This limits the child’s ability to seek support outside of the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

The child feels safe in the home. The child said that staff help them to attend meetings and help them to contribute to decisions that are made about them. This will help the child to have a sense of ownership and self-determination in respect of their future.

p.4

improvement to be good

The child’s risk assessment and behaviour support plans are completed in full. They are reviewed and updated when changes to the child’s behaviours take place. This helps staff to tailor the care they provide to the child without delay.

p.4

improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, there have been improvements to the way in which staff respond when children go missing from home. Staff have received appropriate training, and the child’s missing-from-home protocol is evident in the child’s behaviour support plan and risk assessment. When a child goes missing from home, they receive a coordinated response that reduces the risk of harm to them.

p.4

improvement to be good

Management oversight in respect of missing-from-home incidents has improved, and staff receive debriefs to promote their learning. The child is offered return home interviews in accordance with statutory guidance.

p.4

improvement to be good

Improvements to the locality risk assessment have been made since the last inspection. However, it still contains some factual inaccuracies and would be enhanced through direct collaboration with external agencies.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have knowledge of the whistle-blowing policy. However, concerns are not shared by staff with leaders and managers in a timely way. Where there are concerns about a member of staff’s suitability to work with children, the action that leaders and managers take is not clearly documented.

p.4

good

Leaders have not been proactive in recruiting to the vacant manager post until recently. This has had a significant impact on the ability of the staff to deliver care in accordance with the statement of purpose and to progress change in the home.

p.4

good

Since the last full inspection, leaders and managers have made improvements to their oversight of the home. They are more visible, and audit tools have been developed to aid management oversight. The electronic case management system is Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 5 being used more effectively by leaders and managers to provide staff with feedback about the quality of their practice.

p.4

good

The recent interim management arrangements for the home are welcomed by the staff. They feel supported and value the support they have received through practice-based supervision and training, and they feel confident in meeting the needs of the child living in the home.

p.5

good

Staff meetings take place on a regular basis and help the staff to reflect on the care they provide to the child living in the home. Leaders and managers use these meetings to hold staff to account and provide staff with direction in terms of expectations regarding the quality of practice in the home and the day-to-day management.

p.5

good

The workforce development plan provides a structure for staff development. However, it would benefit from detailing the qualifications and continuing professional development needs of the staff team.

p.5

good

Although the statement of purpose has been reviewed and updated by the leadership team, it contains inaccuracies regarding the conditions of the home and does not detail the experience and qualifications of the staff team. This weakens transparency and does not assist placing authorities in making decisions about the suitability of the home for a child.

p.5

good

Leaders and managers value the feedback of the independent person in understanding shortfalls in the home and how they can remedy these. However, the position of the independent visitor has been compromised, as they have been commissioned by leaders and managers to provide training for staff. This was immediately addressed by leaders and managers during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—ensure that any care that is arranged or provided for a child that satisfies the conditions in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the registered person keeps the child's general medical practitioner informed, as necessary, about the progress of the care throughout its duration.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(2) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 1 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 7 The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 1 December 2023

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 1 December 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which— is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

sets out the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

p.7

Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

p.7

Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom are to report, without delay, any concerns of abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1) (a)(b) (2) (d)(f)) 1 December 2023

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person (‘the independent person’) to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider.

p.7

Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person— 1 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 8 if the registered provider is not a local authority, a person who is employed for payment by the registered person. (Regulation 43 (1) (3)(b))

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming. In particular, this includes the person and staff helping children to personalise their bedrooms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.7)  The registered person should have a workforce development plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). In particular, the registered person must ensure that the plan is updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working in

p.8

Recommendations

the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in relevant plans (see regulations 12 (2) (c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the home at least once a year. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the information relating to the review of the premises is accurate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 64, paragraph 15.1)

p.8

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: 2679276 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: GAC Family Services Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 29a, The Link, 49 Effra Road, London, SW2 1BZ

p.9

Inspector

Shirin Khan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2679276 10 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Inspector

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. 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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10