3.12.3 Monitoring and Review of Homes

REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS

The Leadership and Management Standard

Guidance on Part 6 of the Regulations – Monitoring and Reviewing Children's Homes Regulation 44/45/46

RELEVANT GUIDANCE

Children's Homes Regulation Amendments 2014: Advice for Children's Homes Providers on New Duties under Regulations that came into Effect in January and April 2014

AMENDMENT

This chapter was amended in February 2024 to include an updated Appendix 2: Regulation 44 Process Flowchart to clarify the authorisation process.

1. Suitability of Premises

An annual review will be undertaken (in consultation with the police and any other relevant bodies) of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the Home. The purpose of this review is to ensure that children and young people cared for in the Home are effectively safeguarded and able to access services as identified on their Care Plans/Placement Plans.

This location assessment will be kept under review and amended to take into account any new risks as these are identified.

Considerations to be taken into account in carrying out a location assessment may include:

  • Whether the location of the home influences the potential for an already vulnerable child to be a victim of crime, such as being targeted for sexual exploitation;
  • Whether there is a likelihood of children placed in the home becoming drawn into gang crime or anti-social behaviour in the local area;
  • The suitability of the local neighbourhood as a location to care for children who may have already been victims of abuse and neglect; and
  • Whether there are environmental factors that would represent a hazard to children, such as locations near level crossings or busy roads.
For detailed information on carrying out location assessments, see Children's Homes Regulations Amendments 2014: Advice for Children's Homes Providers on New Duties under Amendments to Regulations that came into Effect in January and April 2014.

2. Review of Quality of Care

The review of the quality of care provided within the home will be carried out by:

  • A process of regular monitoring of the activities within the home by the Registered Manager or, in their absence, their appointed deputy;
  • Reports prepared as part of Regulation 44 visits completed by an Independent Person;
  • A formal Review of Quality of Care (regulation 45) completed by the Registered Manager and submitted to HMCI at least once every 6 months.

2.1 Regulation 44 Visits

Please refer to Appendix 2: Regulation 44 Process Flowchart

The authority will arrange for all of its homes to receive monthly visits from an Independent Person. These visits are an on-going process that identifies where you are at any given point in time and provides a potential basis in moving forwards. This is only a small element of this process. The visits should usually be unannounced but can be announced if it is necessary to arrange to meet a particular person.

The independent person cannot be a person employed by the local authority in connection with the carrying on of social services functions relating to children. For more information on who can be appointed as an independent person, see Children's Homes Regulations Amendments 2014: Advice for Children's Homes Providers on New Duties under Amendments to Regulations that came into Effect in January and April 2014.

The visit will be for a minimum of one hour. The person should complete a written report of the visit. This may include recommendations for improvement with timescales.

The report should be shared with the Registered Manager and Responsible Individual, with the opportunity to make comment e.g. if there is disagreement with the comments and recommendations.

If following 10 working days and in the event of no response from the Home Manager and/or Service Head, or an unresolved dispute resolution regarding the content of the report, the matter will be escalated to the responsible Assistant Director Children's Services for decisions.

The report should be lodged with the home for the manager and staff to read and respond to.

A copy of this report is sent to the Regulatory Authority in the following month after the visit.

The independent person, when carrying out a visit, shall:

  • Interview, with their consent and in private, such of the children accommodated there, their parents, relatives and persons working at the children's home as appears necessary in order to form an opinion as to whether:
    • Children accommodated at the children's home are effectively safeguarded; and
    • The conduct of the children's home promotes the wellbeing of the children accommodated there.
  • Inspect the premises of the children's home, and such of the children's home's records, as the independent person requires (children's case records may only be inspected with the consent of the child and the child's placing authority).

This may include the following:

  1. Meet and talk to children and staff of the home to ascertain their views, comments and any complaints about the running of the home;
  2. Read the Daily Log, records of Restraints, Incidents, reports of Notifiable events;
  3. Read the records of Comments, Representations and Complaints and (Child Protection Referrals), commenting on the frequency and type made and whether they appear to have been dealt with adequately;
  4. Read and comment on the record of Children's and Staff Meetings, or other methods used by the manager to consult the children and staff, held in the home. The person should also check that staff supervision have taken place as required;
  5. Check on the physical condition and decoration of the home, including the children's bedrooms.

2.2 Regulation 45 Report – Review of Quality of Care

As identified earlier, the formal Review of Quality of Care (regulation 45) completed by the Registered Manager must be submitted to HMCI at least once every 6 months which is sent within 28 days of the completion of the review.

It is the expectation of the Responsible Individual that these reviews are completed at least quarterly or as and when the Registered Manager assesses it to be necessary. The registered Manager may assess that due to events in the home, changes in residents or significant changes in staff for example it may be helpful to review outside of these timescales.

In order to carry complete a review of the quality of care the Registered Manager must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating:

  1. The quality of care provided for children;
  2. The feedback and opinions of the children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and
  3. Any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children;
  4. The feedback and opinions of the parents, placing authorities and other significant stakeholders in the care of the children and in the home such as the staff working there. 

The Registered Manger should make available their schedule of monitoring to ensure that in their absence monitoring will continue.

Whilst it is the responsibility of the Registered Manager to establish and maintain their system of monitoring for the home, the Foundation expects that that the following are monitored:

Minimum of weekly

  1. Incidents including:
    1. The use of Restrictive Physical Interventions;
    2. Episodes of Missing from home;
    3. Accidents and injuries;
    4. Safeguarding or child protection;
    5. Notifications under regulation 40.
  2. Day notes;
  3. Complaints log;
  4. Fire Log;
  5. Day planner;
  6. Consultations or debriefs following incidents;
  7. Medication records;
  8. Sanctions;
  9. Staff Signing in book.

Minimum of Termly (6 weekly)

  1. Cleaning rota;
  2. Fridge/freezer temps;
  3. Menus (Quality and evidence of Child involvement);
  4. Communications book;
  5. Rotas and timesheets;
  6. Visitor's book;
  7. Staff supervision records;
  8. 1:1 work/keyworker sessions;
  9. Maintenance log;
  10. Health records;
  11. Monetary records;
  12. Meetings – staff and Children's;
  13. WIP File including:
    1. Placement plans;
    2. Individual Behaviour Support Plans;
    3. Monthly reports/summaries;
    4. Contacts with Parents/Social workers;
    5. Education attendance and attainment.
  14. Case management meetings;
  15. Training matrix;
  16. First aid boxes;
  17. Contents of fire box.

Minimum of Quarterly

  1. Children's Contracts;
  2. LAC Paperwork;
  3. LAC Reviews;
  4. Education Paperwork (plans and targets).

For Guidance on what should be included within the report see Appendix 1: Regulations 45 Report on Review of Quality of Care.

Once a review is complete it must be sent to HMCI within 28 days.

Reports may also be provided to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

Appendix 1: Regulations 45 Report on Review of Quality of Care

It is the responsibility of the Registered Manger to decide on what should be included in the review of the home. The report should be an analysis of the information monitored, reviewed and evaluated, with the aim of learning from the information to inform and drive improvements in the home and for the quality care of the children placed there.

The following headings and guidance are for reference to help inform a structure for reporting. The views and wishes of children and other key stakeholders should form an integrated part of the analysis within the report.

Caring for children

  1. Any safeguarding concerns or incidents in respect of a child accommodated at the children's home and the measures taken by the persons working at the children's home to respond effectively to these to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of the child. What has been learnt from these incidents?
  2. The arrangements for children coming to and leaving the children's home. Impact on the home?
  3. The arrangements for monitoring the quality of care provided by the children's home's, including the actions taken in response to recommendations made by the independent person or, as the case may be, the reasons why the registered person did not consider it appropriate or necessary to take any such actions;
  4. In respect of each child accommodated in the children's home, compliance with the placing authority's care plans and placement plans;
  5. The arrangements for:
    1. Consulting children about the quality of the children's home's care and for acting on the results of such consultation;
    2. Involving children in decisions about:
      1. Their own care; and
      2. The day to day running of the children's home.
  6. Complaints in relation to the children's home or children accommodated in it, including any actions taken in response to such complaints and how complaints were resolved;
  7. Notifications of the events under regulation 40 (see Notifications of Significant Events Procedure).

Education

  1. The effectiveness of the children's home in promoting the educational attainment of children in its care and the quality of relationships between the children's home and local schools.

Encouraging positive behaviour

  1. The arrangements for promoting and supporting the positive behaviour of children accommodated in the children's home;
  2. The effectiveness of the children's home's approach to behavioural support, including arrangements for commissioning training for staff in behaviour management and restraint;
  3. The number of times that children accommodated at the children's home are restrained and the steps taken by the children's home to minimise the use of restraint;
  4. Whether there have been any occasions when children accommodated in the children's home have been charged with a criminal offence.

Health

  1. The arrangements, if any, for commissioning therapeutic services appropriate to the needs of children accommodated by the children's home and the effectiveness of any such arrangements in achieving health outcomes for the children accommodated by the children's home;
  2. The arrangements for children to be provided with general medical practitioner and other primary health care services, including access to preventive and screening services in the local community;
  3. Details of children requiring accident and emergency treatment and other hospital services;
  4. Illnesses of children accommodated in the children's home.

Health and safety

  1. Risk assessments for health and safety purposes and subsequent action taken;
  2. Fire drills and tests of alarms and of fire equipment.

Missing children

  1. The number of reports of children accommodated at the children's home being absent without permission;
  2. The measures taken by staff:
    1. To prevent children from being absent from the children's home without permission; and
    2. In response to a child being absent without permission from the children's home.
  3. The effectiveness of arrangements agreed between the children's home, local police and the local authority for responding to missing person incidents in relation to children accommodated at the children's home.

Staffing matters

  1. The arrangements for the management and supervision of staff working at the children's home, including duty rosters and staff deployment in relation to incidents at the children's home;
  2. The arrangements for continuing professional development, recruitment and training of staff working at the children's home;
  3. Details of:
    1. Disciplinary action concerning persons working at the children's home;
    2. Staff grievances.
  4. The reasons for staff ceasing employment at the children's home.

Working with local services

  1. The arrangements for consultation with placing authorities, the local authority in whose area the children's home is located and other community services used by children accommodated at the children's home;
  2. The effectiveness of the children's home's guidance and procedures concerning police involvement in the children's home.

On an annual basis, the managers must also review the Home's Statement of Purpose, and make necessary improvements, which should be approved by the Regulatory Authority.

Appendix 2: Regulation 44 Process Flowchart

Click here to view Appendix 2: Regulation 44 Process Flowchart