Children's Home run by Cumberland Council in Cumberland

Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 1 Registered provider: Cumberland Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home, which is operated by a local authority, provides care for up to six children who may have social and emotional difficulties. The home provides care for those who require respite and outreach work.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 2

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improvement to be good

Children’s experiences of living in this home, and of moving in and out, are mixed. Children are admitted in an emergency, leaving little opportunity for planning for them or for preparing the children who are already living in the home. One child was admitted in an emergency and left the home very quickly as the staff could not keep the child, or other children, safe. The register of admissions and discharges does not always contain full information, which is essential due to the emergency nature of the placements.

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improvement to be good

Once children are living here, they quickly develop relationships with the staff, who offer nurturing care delivered in line with the provider’s preferred model of intervention. However, the short-term nature of some of the placements means that children living here are exposed to a range of risks and behaviours, some of which can be violent in their nature, on a regular basis. The relationships between children are therefore complex to manage and develop.

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improvement to be good

The staff manage behaviour in line with the preferred model of intervention but restraint is also used. On two occasions, children have been held face down on the floor. Consequences are used in response to poor behaviours. However, these are not always recorded to ensure that there is a clear evaluation of what does or does not work, so that changes to behaviour can be made.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational experiences are mixed, with some children attending well and achieving, while for others attendance has varied. For one child, no education placement was identified at the start of their time in the home. Staff are advocating on behalf of the child to gain a suitable school place. The staff use tools and exercises from the internet to provide home learning for this child while a placement is sought. This limits opportunities for children to learn and progress.

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improvement to be good

Children are consulted on a regular basis about food and activities. Healthy living is promoted and a range of activities are on offer that give children new experiences.

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improvement to be good

Family time is supported where appropriate. External professionals say that the staff interact well with families, to support the children to develop relationships that offer stability for them in the future.

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improvement to be good

There are positive working relationships with external professionals. One professional said, ‘I feel this period of stability has given me the opportunity, because of the way they have managed [name of child], to be clearer about the plans for his future.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 3

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improvement to be good

Children said they feel safe and can talk to the staff caring for them about any worries or concerns.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans and care plans are individualised and contain relevant risks. However, they often include information that relates to previous placements rather than being current. Staff said they felt this was because the children were not ‘living here’ but were at the home until another placement was found. Situations are managed, but positive outcomes are related to the transitions from the home rather than achievements while living here.

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improvement to be good

There are a high number of incidents involving violence towards the staff, and occasionally towards other children, and damage to the home environment. This affects everyone living in the home. Children are sometimes taken out or asked to go to their bedroom, not because they want to, but to limit the effects on them while a situation is managed.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home there are strategies and protocols in place which the staff follow. However, records do not often detail what leads to an incident of going missing from home, and there is little evaluation of patterns and trends to prevent further incidents.

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improvement to be good

Some records include judgemental language and opinions rather than facts.

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improvement to be good

Investigations into allegations are thorough and children are kept safe. However, on one occasion, an allegation was not reported to Ofsted, preventing the regulator from ensuring relevant steps were taken to safeguard the child.

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good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and is valued by the staff working in the team. He was not in the home during this inspection, which was supported by his two deputies, who were available throughout. The manager is very visible in the home, however, he is often involved in managing incidents rather than using his oversight of incidents to develop practice.

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good

Staff are suitably qualified or are working towards their qualifications in residential childcare. There is a training programme in place to ensure that they have the necessary skills to meet the complex and challenging needs of the children in their care. However, their understanding of what care they are providing does not match the details in the home’s statement of purpose, and this in turns affects their ability to put into practice their training and skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 4 Supervision and team meetings take place regularly. However, they concentrate on the other part of the team’s work, which involves outreach work. Debriefs take place following incidents, however, incidents are not explored in supervision to offer opportunities for staff to reflect and learn.

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good

The locality risk assessment is reviewed and updated, in regular consultation with others. However, it does not include an evaluation of risks in the local area and strategies to manage those risks, such as the nearby main road. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 5

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv)) 19 January 2024

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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) (2)(a)(b)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that supervision includes discussion in relation to the children living in the home. 18 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 6 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.

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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 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 18 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records use non-judgemental language and are factual. 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the admissions and discharge register includes all relevant information. 18 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 29 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the 18 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 7 purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46(1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure there is an evaluation of the risks to children in the local area.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff develop clear plans for children’s care throughout their stay and make provision for their input into these plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.8)  The registered person should ensure that any consequence because of behaviour is recorded as such. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should review the use of prone floor restraints. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.56)

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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: 2729821 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cumbria House, 117 Botchergate, Carlisle CA1 1RD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Elizabeth Curtis

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Inspector

Susan Atkinson-Millmoor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2729821 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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