Children's home run by Total Care Matters Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: SC449954 1 SC449954 Registered provider: Total Care Matters Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children’s home cares for up to four children presenting with emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC449954 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2023 Full Good 16/11/2021 Full Good 15/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC449954 3

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improvement to be good

Four children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Three of them have lived at the home for a significant period. Staff help children make progress in different areas of their lives. However, shortfalls in relation to how effectively children are helped and protected, and in the leadership and management of the home have reduced the overall quality of care.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children make good progress in their education. Two children have gained GCSE’s and one has now moved on to a college course in which they are achieving well. Changes in education provision for children are well supported by staff, which helps to reduce their anxieties and settle quickly into their new provisions. When there have been challenges for children in education, staff have worked closely with them and staff at their schools to help overcome these.

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improvement to be good

Careful planning takes place when children move in. One child recently moved to the home and the manager ensured they had all necessary information from the placing local authority. This information was used to carefully consider how they could meet the child’s needs, while also taking into consideration the needs of the children already at the home. The child said they were provided with a good level of information before they moved in, and that staff made them feel welcome.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to see people who are important to them. For one chid, they were previously unable to see a parent without supervision. However, the staff have worked with the child’s social worker to put plans in place for this to be able to happen. The child now has regular time with their parent and staff support this well.

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improvement to be good

Some paperwork includes language which is not child friendly and implies a lack of understanding from staff about some of children’s needs. Children reading this could feel that staff do not fully understand how they feel in certain situations.

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improvement to be good

Several allegations have been made by children against staff members. Some of these allegations have not been managed in line with the home’s safeguarding policy. One allegation was not shared at the time it was made with managers. When managers were made aware, there was a further delay in them reporting the concerns to the local authority designated officer (LADO) and other relevant professionals, as well as putting in immediate steps to safeguard children. Furthermore, following an internal investigation, some information was not shared with LADO, the child’s social worker or Ofsted. This failed to ensure that professionals had the necessary information needed to consider how effectively risks were being managed. Inspection report children's home: SC449954 4 One other safeguarding concern was not shared by staff with managers promptly, leading to a delay in actions being taken in response to it. While managers did then

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improvement to be good

take appropriate actions, this highlighted a lack of understanding from staff of the need to report such concerns without delay.

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improvement to be good

Children said they feel safe at the home and that there are staff there who they can talk to if they are worried. There are clear and detailed risk assessments in place for children which contain appropriate strategies to manage and reduce risks.

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improvement to be good

There have been some incidents of children going missing. Staff have responded proactively to these and worked in line with children’s plans. They have worked with other professionals appropriately both during incidents and following them to ensure risks are being well managed.

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improvement to be good

Staff work with children to help them stay safe online. There have been some concerns in this area and staff have undertaken regular and detailed keywork sessions with children. This helps children understand online risks and develop strategies to stay safe.

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good

Some monitoring systems have not proved effective. Senior managers have identified some shortfalls in relation to the management of allegations and taken some steps to address these. However, they have not undertaken a thorough review of this area and had they done so further shortfalls could have been identified. In addition, systems in place for internal monitoring are not always used on a regular basis. This has mean that some shortfalls which could have been identified have not been.

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good

Most staff said they feel well supported by managers and that managers in the home, and more senior managers, are available for support and guidance. However, some staff have gone significant periods between supervisions. Supervision records show that the quality of supervision is mixed. While some evidence detailed discussions of children’s needs and how these are being met, others contain very limited information. A failure to provide regular, practice related supervision means that staff are on occasion missing out on the individualised support that supervision provides.

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good

Staff are provided with a good range of training. This includes training related to the specific needs of children. Staff said that they find training beneficial, and it helps ensure they have the skills needed to meet children’s needs.

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good

Children have made several complaints about the care that they receive. Managers respond appropriately to these concerns and ensure that they are properly looked into. Children are provided with written responses outlining what actions have been taken. In addition, regular house meetings ensure that children are provided with forums to share their views about the home. Inspection report children's home: SC449954 5 Managers have not always informed Ofsted, or provided full information, in relation to some significant events. This affects Ofsted ability to have effective oversight of the home. Inspection report children's home: SC449954 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular that any safeguarding concerns are shared with managers without delay and that allegations are managed in line with the home’s safeguarding policy. 01 April 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 22 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC449954 7 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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 22 April 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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 01 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff should be familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 children's home: SC449954 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Total Care Matters Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 230 Bathley Street, The Meadows, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 2ER

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Inspector

Joe Matkar-Cox, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC449954 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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