Children's Home run by The Ryes College Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 1 SC429748 Registered provider: The Ryes College Limited

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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 home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been in post since April 2024 and is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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 for children’s home: SC429748 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/07/2023 Full Good 12/07/2022 Full Good 02/12/2021 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 3

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improvement to be good

The home is going through a period of change. There is a new manager, who is working alongside the responsible individual. Over a short period, two quick changes in managers have led to instability for children and staff. Several shortfalls have been identified in the leadership and management of the home. Two of these shortfalls were previously raised and have not been addressed.

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improvement to be good

At the time of inspection, there were two children living at the home. One child has moved out in a planned way.

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improvement to be good

The first-floor hallway, landing, and office door require maintenance work. This has already been identified and the work has started. The ground floor communal rooms are comfortable and welcoming. The children seem relaxed and at home.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to achieve in their learning. Staff listen to children, and encourage them to attend education. One child was unhappy at school and did not want to attend. Staff worked with the social worker to identify another mainstream provision and the child moved schools. This child said that since the move they are enjoying school. Staff liaise well with educational professionals to ensure that children’s views are heard and their learning continues.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they like it at the home. They can identify staff who they like and feel supported by. There are high staffing ratios, which enable staff to spend time with children.

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improvement to be good

Children have regular clubs that they take part in, including karate and horse-riding. They attend these each week and are becoming accomplished and skilled. One child has received a yellow belt for Karate and another child is beginning to develop their horse- riding skills to a new level.

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improvement to be good

Children are offered a range of activities, such as ice-skating, the cinema, visiting local parks, and going on long walks. Offering a range of opportunities enhances children’s physical and mental well-being.

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improvement to be good

The staff do not always manage missing-from-home incidents effectively. One incident shows that the on-call manager and staff did not follow the child’s plans or implement safeguards quickly enough. The record gives varying times about how long the child was missing. The management review was inaccurate. Another child’s missing-from-home plan did not include enough information, and did not include dates or detail for previous Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 4 missing-from-home episodes. The home does not have a missing-from-care protocol with the police. Having effective strategies for children when they go missing from home help to keep children safe. This was a requirement at the last inspection and will be raised again.

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improvement to be good

The staff have, on occasion, needed to physically intervene to protect children. Appropriate records have not always been kept. The manager has not reviewed the measures effectively and the records do not always make sense. One physical intervention was not recorded by the staff. The new manager has since captured this information. This does not meet regulatory requirements and reduces the level of safeguarding that is intended.

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improvement to be good

Some children’s plans have inconsistent information. This means that staff may not always have the most-up-to-date information. This was identified previously as a shortfall and has not been addressed. This has been raised again.

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improvement to be good

At times, children use self-harm as a way of expression. These incidents have decreased. Staff are good at supporting children when these incidents occur. The records for these incidents offer an insight into what has happened and the support that staff offer children.

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improvement to be good

Staff have access to specialist support from a range of professionals in the wider organisation. The specialist for self-injurious behaviour has attended the staff team meeting to offer advice and support. A therapist visits the home weekly to provide support and consultation for the staff. This is helping the staff to support children and develop a trauma-informed approach.

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improvement to be good

Staff are implementing a new system of positive incentive and reward. Children are offered praise and encouragement for positive behaviours. These include being kind, walking the dog, making a cup of tea, and cooking. Children are working towards having their own guinea pigs, and are excited about this. Positive reinforcement and praise help children to build their self-esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

One child has made an allegation about a member of staff, which is currently with the local authority designated officer. The new manager has effective oversight of this and is working with the relevant professionals. There are further investigations happening alongside this that relate to staff practice concerns. These matters have not been concluded and are ongoing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager retired in September 2023. Another manager was appointed quicky and left after a short amount of time. The organisation quickly appointed another manager. She is highly experienced and has the appropriate qualifications. The senior managers recognise that there are several shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. They have appointed a new manager with the experience and knowledge to address these and improve the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 5 The previous manager failed to monitor events or provide records that allow incidents to be referenced for review. The limited information available is difficult to understand, and details are not accurate. This illustrates that the previous manager did not have effective day-to-day oversight of incidents at the home. In addition, the previous shortfalls raised at the last inspection were not all addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff have not had any appraisals during this review period. The new manager has a plan in place to ensure that this happens within a reasonable timeframe. Ensuring that staff have effective and supportive appraisals was raised as a recommendation at the last inspection and will be raised again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home was taken over 18 months ago by a larger organisation. Some of the records and paperwork have not transferred to the new company’s system. The manager is helping staff to understand the new system and how to record information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have been open and transparent about the challenges that they have recently faced. They have developed an action plan to address the shortfalls in the day-to-day running of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 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

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a missing-from-home protocol with the police and follow individual plans for individual children. This requirement has been restated. 14 May 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)) 14 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 7 In particular, ensure that there is a system to oversee incidents, and that the accuracy and detail in regard to these are correct.

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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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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

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Requirement Due date

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") 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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) 14 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that annual appraisals take place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, decorate the hallway and landing, and fit a new office door. (‘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: SC429748 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Ryes College Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen B63 4AH

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Inspector

Mary Costello, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC429748 10 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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