Children's home run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 1 Registered provider: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service provides short breaks for up to four children who may have sensory impairment, physical disabilities or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The service is dual registered with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is a qualified learning disability nurse and holds the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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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 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 09/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home provides short breaks for children. Currently, there are nine children who use the short-breaks service. At this visit, two children were enjoying a short-break stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a consistent staff team whose members know the children well. Staff are knowledgeable about the children, understand their care needs and likes and dislikes, as well as any health needs the children may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and can pick up on the subtle cues and understand children’s individual communication needs. Staff are attentive to children’s needs. Staff ask their permission and seek their choices through verbal question, signing, and showing objects of reference and pictures. As a result, children feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite this being a short-breaks home, children do make progress. For example, children settle well, and staffing levels are reduced as children progress. Children develop their social skills and have become more independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to have enjoyable stays. Staff encourage children to take part in activities in the home, such as arts and crafts, playing games, using the sensory room and playing outside. Staff also take children out on trips to local parks, shops, swimming at the hydrotherapy pool and on train rides. This develops children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are creative in finding opportunities for children to socialise with others, for example going for tea or play days with children in the neighbouring short-breaks home. This helps children to learn to socialise with others, make new friends and have lots of fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and promote the health needs of children. Qualified nurses oversee the health plans and care for each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have food intolerances are supported well. Staff are proactive in making sure that appropriate foods are available before each child’s stay. Staff also consider how they support children who are on healthy eating plans and encourage portion control and snacks which are healthy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take great pride in the home and make sure that it is child-friendly and welcoming. Staff ensure that children’s bedrooms are personalised with bedding and items the children like. In addition, staff make sure that toys and games are readily available for each child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Moves to the home are well planned following detailed assessments by the manager. Children have visits to support them to look around the home, join in with activities Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 4 and meet other children. This reduces children’s anxieties and enables children to settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the home is the positive working relationships that staff have with families and professionals. Feedback is positive about communication and the support provided to each child.

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

Children are kept safe by high staffing levels and staff who understand children’s needs.

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

Managers develop plans that identify risks along with clear strategies for staff to follow. This ensures that staff provide a consistent approach and understand the actions they need to take to keep children safe. Managers regularly update these plans so that staff always have up-to-date and accurate information.

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

Staff use their knowledge of the children to defuse situations which may escalate. As a result, staff have not needed to use physical intervention to help keep children safe.

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

Children do not go missing from the home. If incidents were to occur, staff understand the actions they are required to take and the missing-from-care plans are clear.

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

Managers have made improvements to the way staff record marks and bruises that they see on children. Staff are recording in greater detail, using their professional curiosity, and there is clear management oversight.

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

The home uses monitoring equipment such as visual and audio monitors, high levels of staffing and waking night staff to help keep children safe. However, for one child there may be an overuse of visual monitoring by staff during the night. This level of monitoring may affect the child’s privacy and be overly intrusive.

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

New staff to the home are recruited following safer recruitment procedures. However, one worker has been employed without having a full employment history. This omission means the manager does not have a full understanding of the worker’s skills and knowledge from previous employments or if there are concerns about their suitability.

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

Actions arising from the fire risk assessment are completed by the home’s estates department. The manager was not clear if all outstanding actions in this assessment had been completed. Fire records also lack sufficient detail. This is a missed opportunity to demonstrate that the home is safe and well maintained. Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has worked hard to make improvements to the home. She has been instrumental in improving the home’s placement plan for children and ensuring that each child has achievable targets in line with their education, health and care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they are well supported, receive regular supervision and attend a variety of training courses. The manager has planned more specialised training for staff over the next few months. This will further develop staff skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff receive support from professionals within the organisation. There is a good support system where the manager can seek additional advice and support when needed. Staff also have someone outside of the home to talk to if they have concerns or suggestions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has introduced a system for monitoring the quality of children’s placement plans and how children progress with their individual targets. As a result, there is greater consistency and accountability by staff and children are progressing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager seeks feedback from children, families and professionals. However, when completing the quality of care report the manager has not included how she has used feedback to improve the quality of care or developed an action plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Independent visitors conduct monthly visits to the home. However, the reports are not sent to each child’s placing authority. Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 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, 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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that monitoring of children during the night is only used when absolutely necessary. 12 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and 12 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 7 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that there is a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1) (7)(c)) 12 April 2024

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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 feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain 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)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person considers views from children and other stakeholders and includes an action plan to improve the quality of care. 12 April 2024

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Recommendation

Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 8  The registered person should ensure that they comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.). Specifically, that actions from fire risk assessments show that the works have been completed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2587315 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2, Kings Court Business Park, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester, Worcestershire WR5 1JR

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2587315 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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