Children's Home run by The Place Young People’s Company in Shropshire

Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 1 Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children with emotional or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2022. They were not present at the time of the inspection.

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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 or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in the home. Significant shortfalls in how effectively children are helped and protected and the leadership and management of the home have impacted on children’s overall experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager has made the decision to ask the local authority to look for an alternative home for one child. The manager and staff working with this child said that they no longer felt that they could keep them safe. At the time of the inspection, the planning for the child’s move out of the home was poor, and it was unclear how the child would be supported and the timescales for this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Feedback from children is mixed. Children said that they feel like they can talk to staff and that they enjoy activities in the home. However, one child said that they did not feel safe and another child said that one of the other children living in the home upsets them. Despite challenges in children’s relationships, staff have not done work with children to help improve them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Two children have moved into the home since the last inspection. Processes to successfully support these moves were not followed. Assessments failed to consider all children’s known needs and risks. The manager failed to ensure that she has all the required information about the children. Furthermore, the manager did not complete introduction assessments in line with the home’s policies. This means that staff do not have all the information they require to understand how to meet children’s needs. This has led to instability for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Two children have moved out of the home since the last inspection. These moves were well planned. Children’s views and wishes were considered, and the children were supported to settle into their new homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not ensure that children’s internal plans are accurate and up to date. For example, children’s written plans fail to inform staff about children’s health and educational needs. The manager has not addressed this issue. The poor quality of children’s plans means that the extent to which children are making progress in the home is unclear.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are provided with opportunities to see family members and build positive relationships. Staff support children to engage in a range of activities at the home and in the community. This helps the children to maintain positive relationships and build lasting memories. Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 4

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

Risk management arrangements are inadequate. For example, when children self-harm, there are no records to indicate how staff have supported the children afterwards to reflect on their thoughts and feelings. In addition, when a medical professional advised staff that a child should attend hospital and this was refused by the child, the staff did not seek additional medical advice and guidance. At the time of the inspection, the manager had not identified or addressed this practice. This lack of oversight leaves children vulnerable and fails to demonstrate safe and responsible care.

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

Risk assessments do not reflect children’s known risks, and they are inaccurate and not routinely updated. In addition, where plans do include clear strategies, these have not always been followed by staff. For example, a child’s self-harm risk assessment states that in certain circumstances staff should consider a room search, but it is not clear in records that this has been done. This ineffective practice does not keep children safe.

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

The manager does not take appropriate action when concerns are raised by children about staff practice and has failed to ensure that allegations are thoroughly investigated. Despite the manager being aware of concerns about a staff member’s conduct, investigations into this were not thoroughly completed and the individual is still providing care to children. Furthermore, the manager does not provide children with an update when allegations are made or reassurance as to how these will be responded to. Consequently, children are not appropriately safeguarded by the staff who are caring for them.

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

Records of physical interventions do not provide sufficient or clear information. They fail to indicate the strategies used by staff to de-escalate incidents involving children and staff do not consistently discuss the measures used with children. Furthermore, the manager does not always ensure that staff are supported with a debrief following the use of physical intervention. This takes on additional significance when staff have been injured during the incident. As a result, it is not clear if interventions are appropriate. This poor oversight leaves children and staff vulnerable.

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

There have been occasions when children have gone missing from home. Responses to these incidents have been variable. Staff have been proactive in response to most incidents and followed children’s plans. However, following the most recent incident, the support offered to the children on return to the home was poor and there is no record to show that staff have identified why the children went missing. This is a missed opportunity for staff to understand children’s behaviour and develop strategies to minimise risks.

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

Internal motion sensors are used in the home and children’s bedroom doors are alarmed at night. It is not clear why these monitoring systems are in place. As a result, there is the possibility that surveillance may be being used unnecessarily.

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

The recruitment of staff is safe. The staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all the necessary checks. Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there has been an unplanned change to the management arrangements in the home. A new manager has been appointed and has been in day-to- day charge of the home since April 2024. This manager is applying for registration with Ofsted. At the time of the inspection, the provider had not carried out an interview with the manager to assess her suitability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight of the home is inadequate. Managers’ monitoring of the children’s care has been ineffective in identifying and responding to shortfalls. Managers have not addressed all the requirements made at the last inspection and, as a result, these have been repeated. Furthermore, internal quality audits completed by senior leaders have not identified the shortfalls in practice, as they do not have access to all pertinent information. The shortfalls in management oversight have meant there has not been effective action to address unsafe practice to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not always work effectively with children’s placing authorities. The manager said that she did not receive all known information from a child’s social worker to adequately assess risks. In addition, the manager said she was dissatisfied with the response from the child’s social worker when she had been attempting to arrange emergency strategy meetings. This was not challenged effectively or escalated by the manager. This fails to ensure that children receive the support required to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not ensured that the staff have the skills to meet children’s needs. For example, the manager and staff said that the behaviour management techniques they have learned would not be effective in managing all children’s behavioural needs. Furthermore, the practice seen during inspection fails to demonstrate that staff have the skills to respond to children’s safety needs. This is not safe practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff said they feel supported by the manager. However, arrangements for staff supervision are poor. When staff raise concerns in their sessions, it is not clear what action is taken by managers to respond to these. In addition, when staff are in their induction period, they do not receive frequent support in line with the home’s internal policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When agency staff or new staff have joined the home from within the organisation, they have not received an induction specific to the operation of the home. This lack of support and effective oversight limits opportunities to improve practice and help staff reflect on their practice. Furthermore, it fails to provide assurances that staff are clear about the needs of the children and their responsibilities when providing care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, the manager has made some changes to the rota recording system. However, some rotas did not show who had provided care to children. As a Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 6 result, the rotas fail to demonstrate that there have been a sufficient number of appropriate people to provide safe care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The managers and staff do not have children’s written plans from their placing authorities. The manager has requested these but has not escalated her concerns when these have not been received. This fails to ensure that the staff have all the information they require to provide coordinated care. Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 7

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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

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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager escalates concerns effectively. 21 July 2024

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)) 21 July 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 8 Managers must ensure that children’s views are considered and any learning from them is implemented. In addition, managers must ensure that staff take effective action to respond to risks and that there are clear risk assessments and guidance for staff. Furthermore, managers must conduct a full and thorough investigation when concerns are raised about staff members’ practice and ensure learning from this is implemented.

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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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers ensuring that when children return home from an incident of going missing that steps are taken to understand the child’s experience and that staff respond to the information provided by the child. 21 July 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

ensure that the 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; 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)(c)(h)) 21 July 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 9 Managers must ensure that the manager in day-to-day charge of the home has the required skills to carry out their role and responsibilities.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, managers must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to provide effective care to children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, managers must ensure that there are effective monitoring and review systems in place and when shortfalls are identified, prompt action is taken to address these.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, managers must ensure that there are effective systems in place to induct agency staff and staff used from other homes.

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The care planning standard is that children—

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

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that managers demonstrate child- centred planning when children move into the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, managers should ensure that children’s plans reflect their journeys into the home, the aims of placement and children’s views. 21 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)) 21 July 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 10 This specifically relates to ensuring that door alarms and motion sensors are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that all staff working in the home receive practice-related supervision and that any concerns raised in supervisions are acted on.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, when staff are subject to a probation period, they should receive supervision in line with the home’s policy.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 21 July 2024

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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

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”)—

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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 21 July 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 11 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)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that records meet regulatory requirements and debriefs with children and staff are conducted appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the manager must ensure that consequences are reviewed in line with the regulation.

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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

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for children’s up-to-date care plans and education plans to be in place. 21 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the home having an up-to-date rota.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 21 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are 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 Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 12 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: 2683113 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Place Young People’s Company Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Lymevale Court, Lyme Drive, Parklands, Stoke-on- Trent ST4 6NW

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Inspectors

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Kate Savage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2683113 14 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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