Children's home run by MSPC Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 1 Registered provider: MSPC 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

It provides care for up to two children with learning disabilities.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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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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good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 2

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improvement to be good

Children are happy and settled in the home. They were observed to be relaxed and familiar with staff. Children were able to identify staff they liked and those they enjoyed spending time with. Staff use their knowledge of children’s care and support needs to plan and help children to engage in activities of their choice. This includes a range of opportunities such as trips out in their local community, visiting parks and going to the shops. These activities are supporting children’s independence and basic life skills.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff know the children well. They understand their preferred methods of communication and use individual visual aids to support children to express their wishes and feelings. This enables children to participate in some decisions about their daily care plans and activities. However, their participation could be further developed through offering independent advocacy, if required, and through independent visitor support.

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improvement to be good

Arrangements are in place to ensure that one child can access their education. Staff encourage and support the child to work with their tutor. This is progress for this child. Managers are not sufficiently proactive in their role of advocating for children when working with key agencies to secure alternative arrangements to meet another child’s education or training needs. Interim arrangements are in place for staff to provide this child with learning opportunities.

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improvement to be good

Children are in good physical health and are provided with support for their mental health and emotional well-being. While managers take informal notes they are not formally added to the recording system. Doing so will ensure that they have full information to enable clear oversight of children’s physical and mental health needs and treatment plans, without waiting for official minutes.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean, organised and suitably furnished. However, the manager must be more proactive in their oversight and monitoring of the home to ensure that all areas of the home are safe, free from hazards and maintained to a good standard. Children’s bedrooms have been personalised and reflect their interests and needs. A child’s avid support of a football team and their trainers and sportswear are reflected in the decor of their bedroom.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain their relationships with their families. Managers and staff provide practical support where needed to ensure that children’s experiences are positive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 3

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities of the children in the context of their autism and associated behaviours and needs. They ensure the correct ratio of staff to children, which meets the individual needs of children. As a result, children are encouraged and supported to access their local community and engage in activities and interests of their choice.

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improvement to be good

The manager responds appropriately to poor practice and addresses this with staff. However, the discussions undertaken are not consistently recorded to evidence follow-up action taken.

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improvement to be good

Due to the level of staff supervision, children do not go missing from the home. There are good procedures in place to safeguard children in the event of a child going missing from the home.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff use creative methods to support children to manage behaviours and feelings. Music, singing, dancing and breathing techniques are used to help calm children when they are unable to manage their emotions and behaviours. However, these methods are not being fully recorded before staff obtain management authorisation to administer prescribed medication to help children calm down.

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improvement to be good

Children are provided with information about their rights and how to make a complaint through the children’s guide. The format is good and meets the specific communication and processing needs of the children. However, information regarding the children’s commissioner and advocacy needs to be included.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported through regular key-work sessions. Topics cover children’s individual needs. Children would benefit from further support to explore their identified needs, such as reaching puberty, educating them about sex, relationships and preparation for adulthood. The recording of key-work sessions does not fully reflect the child’s voice and how any actions identified are followed up.

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improvement to be good

A key professional said managers and staff understand the children well and are keeping them safe. They are making progress with their self-care and independence skills. Children tell their parents and professionals that they like the staff caring for them and have positive relationships with them. Parents report good relationships and communication about their children’s daily routines and activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and responsible individual have not yet developed consistent systems that provide an effective oversight of the home. There is a lack of monitoring and review processes. As a result, managers do not have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 4 There has been delay in action required to ensure that the physical environment is free from hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s oversight of records in some cases failed to identify that key information is not being recorded fully. As a result, it is unclear whether the manager or the deputy is authorising staff to administer medication to children. There is limited management oversight of children’s key-work sessions. Therefore, opportunities to improve the quality of these sessions are being missed. While informal discussions are undertaken this is not consistently evidenced in key-work sessions. As a result the support for children’s exploration of their interests, for example trying to purchase alcohol or their developing interest in what it means to have a boyfriend are limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are provided with regular supervision and team meetings. However, the manager is not consistently recording all performance issues and actions. Staff are being provided with regular training that supports the individual care needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff spoke positively about the manager and said they feel supported. One said there have been positive changes, including more training and team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The feedback from parents is positive. One said their child has a positive relationship with staff and said, ‘They know just how to speak to him; they listen to him and support him to do the activities he wants to.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager, deputy manager, responsible individual and senior show a high level of dedication and commitment to providing consistent care for children. However, they have been ineffective in prioritising, challenging and making improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that medical advice is sought so that medication is administered safely.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that any outstanding work to secure exposed wires, fix boiler pipes, secure a loose radiator and repair the broken widow lock in the cinema room is completed. 29 November

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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; 29 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 6 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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that evidence recording systems provide oversight and monitoring of medication. Records should include the name of the manager who staff seek authorisation from to administer ‘pro re nata’ (when required) medication to children.

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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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is full participation in the monitoring and review of children’s physical and mental health care and treatment. 29 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that children are supported so that they understand how to build friendships with other children. They should be able to spend time with their friends in the local community, in their home area and by Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 7 having friends visit them at the home, in line with the child’s plans, age and understanding. In particular, explore and develop further the opportunities currently provided. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.7)  The registered person should ensure that children have access to appropriate

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Recommendations

advocacy support and, where possible, this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Looked after children are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that those responsible for the day-to-day running of the home play a key role in enabling the registered person to fulfil the requirements of the leadership and management standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.2)

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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: 2775110 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 18, Corby Business Centre, Corby NN18 8QN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Primrose Murefu-Muzondo

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Inspectors

Angela Duffus-Palmer, Social Care Inspector Kayleigh Spinks, Social Care Inspector Ellen Monk, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775110 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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