Children's home run by Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 1 Registered provider: Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides long-term care for one child with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager both registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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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 are not protected or their welfare promoted. 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: 2712049 2

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inadequate

The shortfalls identified in how well the child is helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers have affected the child’s overall experiences and progress.

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inadequate

The child enjoys school. Since moving to the home, the child’s attendance has increased. However, more recently this has reduced, and they are accessing minimal hours. This has limited recent opportunities to learn and socialise with other children. Leaders and managers are working with professionals to increase the child’s attendance.

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inadequate

Staff support the child to have a consistent care routine and use a ‘now and next’ system to help the child understand the daily routines and reduce their anxieties. However, on one occasion the child was not provided with this support; this resulted in the child becoming extremely distressed.

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inadequate

Staff understand the child’s individual and complex needs. One professional said: ‘staff are attuned to the child’s cues’, meaning they have a better understanding of the child’s needs. Staff attempt different approaches to encourage the child to share their views. They support the child to access the children’s guide but are not confident that the child understands how to make a complaint. However, the child regularly accesses an independent advocate for support.

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inadequate

Staff spend time with the child. This helps the child develop relationships with staff. Staff have recently found it harder to support the child to enjoy varied activities because of the child’s increased anxieties. However, staff continue to encourage the child by taking them on drives and promoting sensory play. Leaders and managers are aware that the child’s home environment limits opportunities for them to run around and have plans to address this.

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inadequate

Staff are meeting the child’s health needs by ensuring that the child is supported to attend all relevant health appointments. Staff and the registered manager are advocating for the child to access specialist emotional well-being support.

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inadequate

Staff support the child to have regular family time. The child’s parent said that staff help in a way that supports family time being relaxed. This means the child has the chance to see family in a relaxed and familiar environment. Staff also support the child to have photos of events and activities that they can keep and look back on in a memory book. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 3

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

The safeguarding procedures implemented by the registered manager are insufficient in ensuring that they have oversight of injuries to the child. The staff and the registered manager lack effective internal systems to share information about the child. The staff and registered manager do not always have a clear understanding of when and how the child has sustained injuries. This means that effective safeguards are not always in place for a particularly vulnerable child.

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

The child’s care plan is lengthy and does not provide staff with clear direction. Leaders and managers recognise this and have begun to take action to improve this. Recordings of some incidents suggest that staff may have failed to maintain sight of the child when retreating to the office as directed by a best interests meeting. Staff have not consistently offered the child support in line with their plans to reduce self-injurious behaviours. This has resulted in the child sustaining injuries.

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

Staff ensure that the child is held only when necessary, but staff have not always followed procedures. On two occasions, staff have held the child to prevent them from harming others, but these holds have not been recorded in line with regulations. The registered manager has not ensured that after significant incidents staff have consistent and timely briefings. There is limited evidence of attempts to speak with the child after an incident. These are missed opportunities to reflect on events and consider how best to support the child.

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

Staff communicate with the child to help the child feel safe and offer positive reassurance and support to understand aspects of keeping safe, such as road safety. The registered manager and staff work in partnership with the child’s social worker and other professionals and seek advice about the child’s care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of care provided and do not monitor the home effectively. They do not use internal auditing tools to identify and monitor shortfalls in the home. The registered manager does not consistently review the quality of care provided to the child. The lack of robust safeguarding systems and gaps in management oversight have failed to always safeguard the child and ensure that the child always has the necessary support to reduce harm to themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not always ensured that staff receive the support and guidance they intend to provide. One member of staff did not receive consistent supervisions during their probationary period and monthly team meetings do not consistently take place. These are missed opportunities for staff to explore and reflect on practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, a small number of staff had not completed important training. Two staff had not completed CPR training and one member of staff had not Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 4 completed physical intervention training. Some staff had yet to complete an update to their safeguarding training. The registered manager ensures that staff who have missed training are working with trained staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has undertaken a review of services and the local risks but has not embedded information from the child and other significant parties. The registered manager has also not ensured that the independent person has consistently provided Ofsted with a copy of their report. This hinders Ofsted’s independent oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has effective links with the local authority designated officers and the registered manager addresses any concerns regarding staff practice. Professionals said they have positive communication with the staff and the registered manager. The registered manager has proactively recruited staff; because of this, agency staff have not been used since December 2023. Staff say that they feel supported by the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are serious concerns about the effectiveness of leaders and managers and how well the child is protected. This has resulted in two compliance notices being made relating to the protection of children standard and the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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

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.

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vi)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have all the relevant support and information needed to 21 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 6 understand and respond to the child needs during significant incidents. In addition, ensure that systems are in place to review safeguarding incidents in a timely manner.

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have all the relevant training and team meetings to help them meet the individual needs of the children. In addition, ensure that the review of quality of care includes the views of significant others. 21 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out— 21 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 7 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

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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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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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the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 8 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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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

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 21 May 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure, when reviewing the appropriateness and suitability of the home’s location, that they include all relevant information which assists the identification of any risks and strategies for managing the presenting risks. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 66, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 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: 2712049 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Happy Futures Support Specialists Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Andrews House, 11 Dalton Court, Commercial Road, Darwen, Lancashire BB3 0DG

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Inspector

Gina Lightfoot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2712049 11 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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Inspector

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