Children's Home run by Azalea Care Ltd in Peterborough

Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 1 Registered provider: Azalea Care 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 owned by a private organisation. It provides care for up to five children with physical or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since August 2023. A new manager has been in post since December 2023 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2023 Full Inadequate 15/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. The child is settled and making progress in line with the care plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well and understand their likes and interests. Staff understand the child’s communication needs. They use communication aids to support the child to express their views. These are located around the home and support progress with communication. Recent training in a communication method has helped staff to support the child. This means that the child is more able to express their views to staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends school daily. The staff help the child to have a routine that supports consistent attendance. A recent concern about the child at school was reported appropriately. A meeting is planned to improve working relationships with the school staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A consultant psychotherapist is working with the manager. This is a new professional relationship, which is still being implemented. The psychotherapist meets regularly with the manager to discuss the children and any incidents. This helps the manager to think about different ways to support the children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children’s relationships with their families. The child has regular contact with their family members. One family member visits the home to spend time with the child, which supports their relationship in a safe and secure environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvements have made the home more inviting and child-friendly. The manager has further plans to improve the children’s sense of belonging by displaying their artwork.

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

Staff talk to children about risks in a way that they understand. This helps children to learn about their own risks and how to keep safe. Children’s behaviour management plans and care plans are detailed. These plans provide strategies for staff to support children.

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

The manager ensures that referrals to the local authority designated officer (LADO) are made promptly. She follows guidance from the LADO as required. There is an ongoing police investigation and LADO involvement following a serious concern that was identified by managers. The manager acted quickly to ensure children’s safety.

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

New systems are in place for monitoring medication. Following concerns about measuring liquid medication, managers have implemented systems to ensure that Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 4 medication audits are more accurate. This gives managers increased oversight of medication arrangements.

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

The staff use restraint in a proportionate way. However, there are restraints that are not recorded on the correct paperwork. This means that there are not enough details about the duration of the restraint. The frequency of restraints is not monitored to identify any patterns or trends. One child’s care plan indicates that staff can use reins when out in the community for safety reasons. The use of reins is recorded, but there is no oversight or monitoring. This could mean that any inappropriate use or overuse of the reins is not identified.

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good

The previous registered manager left in August 2023. A new manager was appointed and left before registration. Another manager was recruited in December 2023. They have applied to register with Ofsted.

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good

Management oversight is not good enough. The manager provides comments following incidents. However, potential patterns and trends are not monitored. The manager identifies learning, although evidence of this is not shared with the staff.

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good

Following a serious incident, where it was identified that staff delayed reporting safeguarding concerns, it is unclear whether staff were spoken to about the delay. Appropriate action was taken regarding the incident. However, other staff were not reminded about the importance of reporting concerns promptly.

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good

Staff undertake relevant training for their roles. However, one staff has not achieved their level 3 qualification within the required timescales. There was a delay in the staff member being enrolled for this qualification.

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good

Some records are not easily available. The manager can describe the actions taken following incidents or investigations; however, there is no written evidence to support this. This could mean that staff and professionals are unaware of the actions taken.

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good

Staff supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. These give staff opportunities to discuss their roles and identify any learning needs. Staff feel supported by the manager. A professional and a parent both gave positive feedback about the manager.

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good

Temporary staff are rarely used. This enables children to build relationships with a consistent staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 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 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

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; and

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 12 July 2024

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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

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 effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 12 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 6 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

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)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all restraints are recorded as restraints and that there is a description of the duration and effectiveness of the measure. Ensure that measures of control are regularly reviewed to ensure they are appropriate.

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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

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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 16 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, they should ensure that actions taken by staff are recorded and detail the information clearly. (‘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 for children’s home: 2682522 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Azalea Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 6, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6FT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Lyana Sinclair Russell

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2682522 9 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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