Children's Home run by 1848 Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 1 Registered provider: 1848 Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2023 Full Good 11/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children generally make good progress from sometimes difficult starting points. Staff have developed positive relationships with two children living here. These relationships have helped children to settle and to feel at home. One child moved out after living here for over a year. Staff supported this child to made good progress and their move on from this home was planned and successful.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite two children having good experiences, care and support this has not been the same for another child. Staff struggled to respond appropriately to their needs meaning the start of their time in this home was not always a positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education for children. When children are not in education, staff support them to maintain regular routines and access educational activities. Staff and managers advocate strongly for children to be provided with appropriate education and, where possible, return to school or college as soon as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to access a range of activities and trips outside the home. One child recently went on holiday abroad with a member of staff which was a positive experience for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well supported to keep in touch with family, friends, and other important people. Managers and staff have a strong understanding of the complex feelings visits with family can raise for some children. Visits are well planned, and staff provide both children and family members with support to ensure time spent together is positive and enjoyable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Areas of the home have recently been redecorated and remodelled to better reflect the needs of the children and give them more space. For example, an office has been turned into an additional space for children to use, with beanbags, coloured lights and a tent being added. One child said that they like this room and enjoy spending time there.

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improvement to be good

Moves to and from the home are planned well. Before children move to the home their risks and needs are considered in detail alongside the needs of children already living here. However, following their move into the home, one child’s needs presented as significantly more complex than initially understood.

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improvement to be good

This child’s experiences have not always been positive, staff have not provided this child with consistent care or responses. A high number of incidents and restraint occurred over a four month period. In some instances, restraint has been used Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 4 inappropriately or has not been a proportionate response. Staff have not always been able to effectively support children to manage difficult feelings or to de- escalate situations before a restraint is used.

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improvement to be good

Records of restraint are not of consistent quality and do not always contain necessary detail. This has made building an accurate picture of some incidents and considering the proportionality of staff actions more difficult.

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improvement to be good

Consequences used by staff in response to children’s behaviour have not been proportionate. Several staff have used unauthorised restrictive practices with one child. There was a delay in recognising this and challenging poor practice until senior managers identified the concern and took immediate action.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not been able to effectively manage or support the relationship between the children living in the home. One child spoke about witnessing the other child being restrained by staff and that this had impacted negatively upon them. It is not always clear whether children are spoken to and asked if they are okay, following them witnessing incidents involving other children.

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improvement to be good

Managers have identified and acknowledged shortfalls and have taken action to address these. For instance, greater clarity has been provided to staff around the use of consequences and appropriate behaviour management. Additional support and training has been provided and staff report feeling increasingly confident in supporting children when they are distressed. There has been a steady decrease in the number of incidents and restraints over the past two months. When incidents do take place, the responses from staff to children are now more age appropriate and nurturing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced manager. However, the recent use of restrictive practices within the home have led to concerns about staff practice, professional boundaries, and the culture within the home. However, effective and robust monitoring and governance systems are in place and the responsible individual maintains good oversight of this home. As a result, these concerns were quickly identified by a senior manager and the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Due to the decisive action has been taken to address identified shortfalls care has noticeably improved more recently. Children are having much better experiences and their need are being met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Guidance provided to staff on how to best support them has been developed and clarified with input from the organisation’s therapeutic service. A member of the therapeutic team is now more present in the home and available for staff. This has provided staff with additional space to reflect upon and improve their practice. Staff were positive about these measures and report that this has helped them to better understand children’s behaviour. As a result, the number of restraints and the frequency and seriousness of incidents has reduced. Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 5 Staff report that they find supervision helpful and that this provides them with space to reflect upon their practice and learning. However, supervision has not previously taken place regularly for some staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Appropriate safeguarding processes have been followed with regards to concerns raised about staff. Specific training and support provided to ensure they have the skills to improve their practice. An independent review of culture and practice within the home has been commissioned and the responsible individual has been providing additional oversight at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home manager has acknowledged concerns and is reflective of the circumstances that led to poor staff practice. She has a good understanding of the potential impact of this on a child and is motivated to improve practice and culture within the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home's child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are helped and supported to keep safe, that staff use approved behaviour management strategies and model appropriate responses, that staff effectively prevent children from harming each other and that staff are clear and confident in raising concerns about practice of colleagues. 25 April 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 7 Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); serious damage to the property of any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(2)) 25 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

Receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that agency staff working in the home have the appropriate training and skills to ensure they are able to fully support children in line with their care and support plans. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations, including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.16)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records of restraint are of sufficient detail and quality to enable effective review of staff practice and that consideration is given to how recording of other children witnessing restraint is detailed. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 49, paragraph 9.49)

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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: 2592531 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Old Bank Buildings, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AJ

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Inspector

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2592531 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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