Children's home run by NASHE - UK LTD

Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 1 Registered provider: NASHE - UK Ltd

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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 who experience social and emotional difficulties. There was one child living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home registered with Ofsted in July 2024. This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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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 and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

This home has been judged inadequate due to failures in help and protection and leadership and management.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child living at the home needs predictable routines and structures to feel safe and secure. However, the manager has not ensured that suitable predictable plans and routines are in place to ensure that the child’s needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The staff have received training relevant to the child’s needs. However, they have not implemented learning from this training in their practice. As a result, some of the child’s experiences have been chaotic and staff do not provide the therapeutic responses and care that are required to best support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child is not receiving the education that they are entitled to. Some online education is available to the child. However, staff are not actively supporting and encouraging the child to complete this. There are no structured plans for the child in the absence of suitable formal education. Leaders and managers have failed to address this with relevant professionals or to advocate for the child regarding their education. As a result, opportunities to support the child’s learning and development have been lost.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have not ensured suitable advocacy support is available for the child. Leaders and managers are not aware of advocacy services. Consequently, the child has not been given any information about this service or offered any additional opportunities to have their views and wishes heard by professionals outside of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff have registered the child with local doctors, dentist and opticians and supported them to attend appointments to ensure their basic health needs are met.

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

Leaders and managers have not established a positive safeguarding culture in the home. Staff do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Staff do not respond with sufficient urgency or focus to promote the child’s safety and welfare. They have not taken effective action at times when the child has been at risk of harm. The manager has not ensured clear safety plans are in place to ensure further risk is minimised.

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

Records of incidents that have occurred in the home are of poor quality. These records do not clearly demonstrate the actions that have been taken, or how staff are working to ensure that children are safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 3 The manager was unable to demonstrate or confirm whether information relating to children’s safety had, following each incident, been shared with relevant professionals or with the wider safeguarding network.

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

Staff have used prohibited consequences. Staff use financial consequences to try and ensure compliance by the child. Leaders and managers have failed to identify the use of financial consequences as a prohibited measure of control or discipline. This has caused the child distress. The manager is unable to show what has happened to the child’s withheld finances.

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

Staffing arrangements do not consistently keep the child or others safe. Staff regularly work on their own in the house with the child, despite information which indicates this is not appropriate. This has the potential to impact on staff’s ability to implement routines and boundaries, or safely manage any difficult behaviour or unsafe situations. Staff describe some situations as difficult to manage safely when they are lone working. This potentially increases the risk of the child being criminalised.

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

Fire officers have raised safety concerns about fire prevention arrangements in the home. Leaders and managers have not adequately responded to these concerns. They have failed to act on directions from the fire service regarding fire doors not meeting requirements, and the siting and maintenance of electrical appliances. This puts the child and others at risk.

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

Staff have not supported the child to develop a routine to keep their bedroom to an appropriate standard. As a result, the child’s bedroom is in a very poor and untidy condition This means that they would not be able to safely leave their bedroom in an emergency.

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

Recruitment checks for staff are suitable. However, some staff do not have basic transferable skills to equip them for their role. This means that the child is not being supported by knowledgeable staff who fully understand their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that the child experiences a suitable level of care and support. Senior leaders have not ensured that the home is operating in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders’ oversight of the home is poor. The manager does not have adequate monitoring and reviewing systems in place. He has not reviewed many important documents relating to the child or incidents that have occurred. He has not identified or addressed shortfalls in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Most of the staff have not previously worked in residential care for children. Staff do not have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of the child. Staff have access to a range of training. However, staff have not applied the learning to their Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 4 practice. This has had a negative impact on the child’s experiences and the quality of care and support that they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the induction process for new staff is robust. Inductions for new staff are poor to help them meet children’s needs. This is particularly relevant given the inexperience of the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has failed to conduct supervisions for staff sufficiently regularly. One member of staff did not receive supervision for eight months. This means that inexperienced staff are not receiving adequate guidance or regular opportunities to reflect on their practice. Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 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

*If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 5 January 2025

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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)) 5 January 2025

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)) 5 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 6 *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 promotes their welfare.

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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)) 5 January 2025

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)) 5 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(iii)(d)(iii)) 31 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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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 (1)(a) (4)(b)) 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 8 No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(f)) 5 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must ensure that robust plans and routines are in place for the child. 31 January 2025

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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

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, maintain a clear record of the dates on which any money or valuables are deposited by or on behalf of the child for safekeeping, the amount of money or a description of the 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 9 valuables, and the dates on which any money is withdrawn, and any valuables are returned.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure a child’s bedroom is not generally entered without their permission, though it may be necessary to enter their bedroom to establish routines to allow for rooms to be cleaned regularly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20)

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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: 2775318 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 1 Farmbrough Close, Aylesbury HP20 1DQ

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Inspector

Louise Webling, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2775318 11 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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