Children's Home run by High View Children's Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 1 Registered provider: High View Children’s Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children who have learning disabilities. A private company runs the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2022. Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed, however, she was due to leave the post a week after this inspection. A new manager has not yet been recruited.

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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 inadequate

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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: 2655778 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2023 Full Good 03/01/2023 Full Good 14/09/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home. One of these children has moved into the home since the last inspection. Children’s experiences and progress are mixed. Although they spoke positively about living in the home and their relationships with staff, they have experienced instability because of a high turnover of staff. One child said that people keep leaving and they do not feel safe because of this.

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improvement to be good

One child who is about to turn 18 does not know what her next steps are. Managers and staff have not liaised with relevant professionals to plan for and with the child. Uncertainty about her future is contributing to the child feeling anxious.

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improvement to be good

Managers have failed to obtain the most up-to-date information from children’s placing authorities to inform staff’s care and support for children. Some key statutory documents are out of date or missing, including children’s care plans, education, health and care plans, statutory review minutes and personal education plans.

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improvement to be good

Children attend school regularly and staff support their journeys to and from school as needed. Children are encouraged and supported to develop some independence skills, such as attending to their personal care and cooking. This has helped children to learn and develop some important life skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff support and encourage children to attend health appointments. They help children to begin to take some responsibility for their own health, in line with their age and development. The manager has worked proactively with health professionals to seek guidance and ensure that this guidance is used to inform children’s care and risk management plans.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to see their families and friends. Staff have worked well with one child to ensure that she can spend time with her boyfriend, while ensuring that her needs and vulnerabilities are well supported by staff. This approach helps children to maintain important relationships as well as safely enjoying new experiences that naturally form part of teenage years.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a welcoming home environment. Leaders and managers have invested in some redecoration and development of the home.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that she works in partnership with external agencies when concerns arise about children’s behaviour. However, there are missed opportunities to review, reflect and learn from incidents. The manager has reviewed the safeguarding Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 4 children policy and has identified some changes that need to be made to support development in this area.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans are reviewed regularly. They include known risks and set out specific actions for staff to take to manage these risks. As a result, staff have access to guidance that they use to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home episodes are rare. Since the last inspection, there have been two incidents when children have gone missing from home. Staff took prompt and effective action; they followed the child’s missing-from-home procedures to ensure the child’s safe and timely return.

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improvement to be good

On occasions, staff use restraint to keep children and others safe during challenging incidents. This practice is appropriate and proportionate. Overall, the manager ensures that she has oversight of these incidents and works with the child and the staff involved to reflect and repair relationships. Staff have been supported to develop their understanding of the children’s behaviour and this has led to a reduction in incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote children’s positive behaviour by offering praise and rewards. The manager has worked collaboratively with one child’s school to develop consistent approaches to managing the child’s complex needs. The school reported that the child appears much calmer and there has been a significant reduction in his challenging behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to understand risk by providing frequent one-to-one support sessions. They use a range of educational resources that take into account children’s different styles of learning. This has helped children to develop an understanding about how to keep themselves safer online.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has not been a consistent manager and responsible individual in this home since it was registered in May 2022. Another new manager was appointed in December 2023, however, she was due to leave her post the week after this inspection. At the time of this inspection, the new responsible individual had been in post for three weeks. Frequent managerial changes hinder the development of the home and affect children’s experience of the care they receive. The provider has not taken sufficient action to understand the reasons for such instability in the management arrangements for the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There have been a number of changes to the staff team since the last inspection. Eight staff have left the home and seven new staff have joined. As a result, the children have not experienced the stability they require from a consistent team of people who understand and support their complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some staff lack understanding and practice experience of children’s residential care. Professional boundaries are not always upheld by staff. For example, staff have had arguments and used raised voices in front of children. Leaders and managers have Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 5 addressed this, however, there have been missed opportunities to learn from practice through further training and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s therapeutic approach to care, as outlined in the statement of purpose, is not yet embedded in staff practice. In addition, staff have not been supported to improve their practice. Staff have received supervision; however, this has been inconsistent in frequency and in quality. Staff have not received annual appraisals when needed. This is limiting staff’s ability to develop their understanding of how to support children and understand their life experiences and complex needs and disabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The majority of staff have completed mandatory training, however, they have not all had training in issues to meet the children’s individual needs, such as autism. Furthermore, when additional training is needed, this is not always identified by managers and completed by staff in a timely way. This means that there are delays in ensuring that children are cared for by staff who understand their needs consistently well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring and oversight by leaders and managers are poor. The lack of oversight means that opportunities for the leadership team to make continuous improvements to the quality of care are missed. For example, there is limited evidence of quality assurance systems being consistently used in the home. As a result, there were significant shortfalls in one child’s care planning and the support they received towards independence. Managers have not escalated their concerns in a timely and proactive way. As a result, managers are not acting to improve this child’s experience and progress in key areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has positive relationships with partner agencies. External professionals gave positive feedback about communication and partnership working. Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 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, 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

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 5 September 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 7 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children receive appropriate support and planning when they are approaching adulthood. 1 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 1 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff supervision sessions and ensuring that these are reflective and have purpose. In addition, that yearly appraisals take place when needed. 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must 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 (7)(b)) 1 July 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 8 The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 31 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that each child’s records are available in the home and maintained. 1 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2655778 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: High View Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Azzurri House, Walsall Road, Aldridge, Walsall WS9 0RB

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Inspector

Natasha Skinner, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2655778 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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