Children’s safety being compromised at ‘inadequate’ home

A new children’s home in Shropshire has been branded ‘inadequate’ at its first Ofsted inspection as a result of “widespread failures”.

Inspectors identified a string of concerns in staff and management practice at the home, with risk assessments not being followed, medication not being administered safely and allegations against staff going unreported.

The home, which Ofsted says cannot be identified, is run by Courtyard Care and can care for up to three children with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and social or emotional needs.

On their first visit following the home’s registration earlier this year, inspectors found managers had failed to consider the impact of the two children living together before agreeing for them to move in, meaning staff were unable to “support meaningful relationships” between them.

As a result, the children were said to be “negatively impacting on each other’s well-being”.

The report says: “During the inspection, the managers told the inspector that they could no longer meet one child’s needs.

“This is due to the child’s increasing incidents of violence and their detached relationship with the other child living in the home.

“Currently, the children living in the home do not wish to spend any time together and carry out all activities and routines separately.”

The report says managers did not take appropriate action when concerns were made about staff members.

In one case, neither the local authority designated officer (LADO) nor Ofsted were notified about an allegation.

The report says: “As a result, the allegation was not referred to the appropriate agencies or investigated until it was identified at this inspection.”

Inspectors said managers did not have oversight of incidents in which children had been physically restrained or blocked from moving around the home, meaning there was no evaluation of whether the methods used were appropriate and necessary.

The report says there was also no clear protocol for oversight of children’s medication, with auditing methods described as “ineffective”.

When medication errors had occured, the report says they were not investigated to ensure they did not happen again.

The report says staff had failed to consider seeking medical attention when children had hurt themselves or had unexplained marks.

Inspectors also identified poor management oversight, with information missing from children’s files, gaps in staff training and a lack of staff supervision sessions.

However the report says the two children appeared “happy and relaxed”, the home was well-maintained and that staff supported the children to attend full-time education and spend time with loved ones.

It adds: “The acting manager acknowledged the failures identified at this inspection.

“They are determined to rectify the regulatory breaches and, during inspection, took immediate action to compile a plan that detailed the improvements they were proposing to take.”

Ofsted issued the home with eight statutory requirements which must be achieved within a set timescale.

Swanton Care, the parent company of Courtyard Care, was approached for comment.