Children's Home run by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Cornwall

Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 1 SC432404 Registered provider: Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is managed by an NHS Foundation Trust. It offers short breaks for up to two children with complex health needs and a learning and/or physical disability. Some children have life-limiting conditions that significantly affect their activities and daily living.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was having an overnight stay at the home during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Good 12/11/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming, bright and colourful. Staff have tried to create a homely space for children that is clean and well maintained. The bedrooms are child focused and decorated with a theme of the circus or aquarium. There are photos on the walls of happy children having fun. There is an outdoor space for children to use, with a trampoline and a garden swing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make some good progress in this home. Staff know the children well and understand their individual needs. They communicate well with the children and give them meaningful choices about the things they might like to do or what they may like to eat.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy their short breaks and seem happy during their stay. Parents report that their children very much look forward to visiting the home. They enjoy taking part in a range of activities both in and out of the home. This means that they can spend time with other children who are familiar to them, which helps children to make friends. Children are given colourful journals from their breaks that include photos to help bring their memories to life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly. Their health needs are met by the staff who care for them, but they are not always provided with home-cooked meals. During the inspection, one child was given a ready meal for their dinner. Staff said that they do prepare home-cooked meals for children most evenings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported by staff, who have access to detailed information about them. This helps staff to know the best way to support the children. Care plans are detailed and up to date. They provide staff with important information about children’s needs, communication styles, and routines. Before children come to stay at the home, staff call the children’s family to see if anything has changed since their last visit. This helps staff to obtain important information about each child, to ensure that their needs are well met during their stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers think carefully about the other children who will be staying at the home. This supports children to have positive experiences in an environment where they feel well cared for. Positive feedback was received from social workers and family members. One parent said, ‘[The home] is an amazing place. It took my child a while to settle but staff provide him with a really structured stay, which he enjoys. He feels safe and well cared for at [the home]. Staff give him lots of choices about the things they do and take him out to lots of different places, which he really enjoys.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are some improvements to the home that are required, which were acknowledged by the manager. The roof in the conservatory is leaking and needs to Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 4 be repaired. There is a sensory room in one of the exterior buildings, but staff agree that this room can be cold in the winter months.

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improvement to be good

The help and protection of children is inconsistent. Although staff took strong and decisive action on one occasion. The same strong decision-making was not made when staff raised a concern about a professional from another agency. A referral was made to the local authority designated officer. However, the registered manager did not obtain an outcome to inform care planning and promote safeguarding.

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improvement to be good

When children’s health needs deteriorate, staff are prompt in communicating with health colleagues to seek advice and obtain urgent medical treatment for children. During inspection, a discrepancy was identified around a child’s medication, and this was addressed promptly. The nurse who works at the home spoke to the parents and sought medical advice. When medication errors are identified, they are evaluated and reviewed thoroughly by the manager. This is fully addressed in order to improve staff practice and to ensure that no patterns are forming. Refresher training has been provided to staff when needed.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of risk and how to keep children safe. When they are worried about children, they know how to address this. There is regular communication between staff and social workers. Record-keeping is clear and detailed. Safer recruitment practices are used in the home in line with regulations. This helps to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Care plans and risk assessments are clearly documented and kept up to date. Managers review and change children’s care plans regularly in line with their changing needs. Physical interventions have not been used in this home. Staff use praise and positive parenting approaches with children, which help them to feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a suitably qualified registered manager in post, who knows the children well. She has a good understanding of the children’s needs and spoke positively about the children. The manager has developed strong and caring relationships with children and is regularly involved in their day-to-day care arrangements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the care that children need. Procedures and policies are detailed and relevant. Care plans are reviewed and revised regularly. There is a good level of management oversight in most areas, ensuring that staff continue to be knowledgeable and skilled in meeting the needs of the children. Specific training was identified and implemented to enable staff to care for one child who had specialist needs. This meant that this child was able to access a short break, and support at home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 5 Staff have regular supervision and training. They say that they feel well supported by their manager. When issues are identified in the home, these are discussed openly with staff during team meetings, at handover, and in supervision. This enables staff to develop their skills and practice. Specialist training is implemented in line with children’s additional health needs. There are positive links between the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

home and community nurses who work in the local area. Community nurses often attend the home to deliver specialist training to staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that the home has a stable staff team. Most staff have many years of experience working at this home or its sister homes. There are currently two vacancies, and the manager is working hard to recruit new members of staff. Although some short breaks have been cancelled, one parent commented that this has much improved over the past year, with less cancellations than before. Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager and staff must report any concerns about other professionals directly to the local authority designated officer and understand the outcome of what action has been taken. 31 January 2024

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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

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)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the roof in the conservatory needs to be repaired so that it does not leak. 29 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 7

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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: SC432404 8

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Children’s home details

Registered Provider: Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trust Head Office, Carew House, Beacon Technology Park, Dunmere Road, Bodmin PL31 2QN

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Inspector

Sarah Sheffield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC432404 9 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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