Children's Home run by TS Children Services Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 1 Registered provider: TS Children Services Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in January 2024. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 2

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inadequate

The manager admits children to the home without consideration of all the children’s needs and how these will affect each other. Additionally, there is no consideration of whether staff have the right skills and training to respond to the children’s needs at the point of admission. A child was settled until the manager moved in two other children at the same time. This unsettled the child and they were moved out of the home with no notice because staff were unable to manage their behaviour. As a result, this has negatively impacted on the children’s experience and well-being.

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inadequate

Children’s health needs are not met. For example, for one child, managers and staff have failed to ensure that they have access to the relevant health professional advice in relation to emotional health. This lack of action means that the child’s health needs are not assessed or addressed. Consequently, the homes health care records do not reflect children’s health needs. This means that staff are without essential information that is required to support and promote children’s good physical and emotional wellbeing.

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inadequate

Education in the home is not promoted. One child has not attended any education since November 2022. Although a school has now been identified for this child to attend, there is a lack of action to support the child with this transition. Consequently, a child spends the majority of their day with no routine or encouragement to participate in any form of educational activities.

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inadequate

Some children take part in activities with staff that they enjoy. This provides children with the opportunity to gain new experiences and have fun. For example, some children have enjoyed horse riding, go karting and trampolining.

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inadequate

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them, and staff work with families to ensure that this is a positive experience for children. Children live in a well maintained, comfortable and homely environment.

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inadequate

There are significant shortfalls in the assessment and management of risks for children living in the home. The manager and staff do not demonstrate that they have the skills and experience to keep children safe. Managers do not ensure that they consider all information about children to manage their risks and risk assessments do not provide staff with clear guidance to follow.

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inadequate

Managers and staff fail to follow procedures designed to support children’s welfare and safety. For example, children who are particularly talented with online systems Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 3 are at risk because managers and staff have failed to put in measures to reduce this risk, such as, checking children’s phones for inappropriate access to online material.

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inadequate

Managers have failed to ensure that the environment is a safe place for children to live. One child came to live at the home with a history of fire setting. The fire risk assessment has not been reviewed to ensure that there are arrangements to safeguard all children living there. This lack of action by the manager to ensure the safety of the premises, leaves children at unnecessary risk of harm.

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inadequate

Staff do not do all they can to reduce the risks to children who harm themselves or show unacceptable behaviours. For example, they do not proactively undertake checks of children’s rooms when they know children are particularly vulnerable to harming themselves. This does not show that staff are alert to risk and respond appropriately to try and remove items that children have that they use to harm themselves with. The manager’s and staff’s inability to identify and act upon signs a child is at risk of harm at an early-stage, places children at a greater risk of harm.

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inadequate

Children who are at risk from overdosing themselves on medication are not protected from this risk. Medication was found hidden in one child’s bedroom. Medication is a known risk for this child. The manager took appropriate action. However, the manager failed to investigate how this had occurred. Furthermore, they did not take the necessary steps to address staff practise to ensure that administration of medication to children is safe.

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inadequate

Records of restraint are not fully completed. For example, not all records include the antecedent and the duration of the hold. In addition, there are no records that staff have had a debrief about an incident or that the debrief has been with someone independent of the incident, to reflect on what has happened. The manager has not identified these shortfalls and taken steps to address them. As a result, it is not clear whether restraint practice is safe and proportionate.

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inadequate

There have been two incidents of conflict between children, resulting in children harming one another. These incidents have not been responded to appropriately by staff and managers. Children have not been supported to repair these relationships. This means that patterns and trends in behaviours and incidents are not identified, and children are not helped to learn about positive behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Poor leadership and management and a failure to take effective action to improve the quality of care in the home have compromised children’s safety, experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s monitoring, and oversight of the operation of the home is poor. Managers fail to oversee that children’s day-to-day care is safe and promotes their wellbeing. For example, incident records do not identify any shortfalls in staff practice or any follow-up work to be undertaken with children following incidents when they Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 4 are at risk of harm. This means that patterns and trends in behaviours and incidents are not identified, and children are not helped to learn about positive behaviour. Failure by managers to give due diligence to reviewing incidents leaves children vulnerable to harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual for the home provided Ofsted with an audit completed on the 17 March 2024 monitoring all areas of the home since registration was granted in January 2024. However, this failed to identify and address shortfalls in practise and make improvements. The responsible individual said they have not been present in the home for three weeks and that she is concentrating on the sister home, despite no children currently living there. As a result, senior leaders are not providing the manager with the required level of support to improve the management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not have the required skills to keep each child safe and protect them from harm. For example, staff have not had training in key areas such as ASD, ADHD, self- harm, online safety and sexual harmful behaviours. Staff are not trained in the therapeutic model of care that the home states it offers to children living there. Shortfalls in training in these areas mean that managers and staff are not equipped with the necessary insight, curiosity and skill to support the child’s safety, experiences and wellbeing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recruitment of some staff working in the home is not safe. Checks on staff suitability to work with children have not been undertaken before staff have worked in the home. This means that the provider has not assured themselves that employed staff are safe to work with, and care for, children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The shortfalls highlighted at the visit are serious and widespread and demonstrate that safeguarding practice is not sufficiently robust and does not promote the safety and welfare of children. Poor leadership and management practice and a lack of ability to take effective action to improve the quality of care in the home have compromised the safety, experience and progress of the children living in the home. As a result, a notice of suspension has been served on the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(vi)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that education in the home is promoted and children are supported to engage and attend education in line with their plans. 26 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 26 May Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(c)

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that children’s health needs are met in line with local authority plans, that professional advice is sought about children’s health needs, that children are provided with a healthy diet and that children are supported with their daily routines to promote their emotional wellbeing.

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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

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;

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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

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. 26 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 7 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that risk assessments and children’s plans are in line with local authority plans and give clear guidance to staff to help them manage risk. Additionally, the registered provider must ensure that safeguarding procedures must be followed in line with the homes policies and that safeguarding records are comprehensive and include any actions or outcomes.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child,

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that they have sufficient staff, with skills and experience to meets the children’s needs. They must also ensure that they have effective oversight of the home to improve the quality of care provided in the home. 26 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 8 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 26 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)) 26 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (7)(b)) 26 May 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). 26 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 9 The requirements are that—

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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

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Requirement Due date

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

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 26 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 10 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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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: 2729820 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: TS Children Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 11 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4DJ

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Inspectors

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Carl Wilton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2729820 12 regulates and inspects 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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