- Kantar Public
- March 2018
This report is a summary of the findings from phase three of a research programme commissioned by the Department for Education and undertaken by NCB and Kantar Public. It focuses on the Leadership and Management Standard of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations and Quality Standards 2015. This standard provides children's home managers with a clear framework within which to take leadership of their provision.
The research aimed to:
- Explore the expectations in relation to the implementation and impact of the new regulations;
- Understand the impact of the new regulations on strategic management, staff operations and children themselves; and,
- Explore views on qualifications, pay and routes in/out of the residential care sector.
In-depth interviews were undertaken with a targeted sample of 20 strategic stakeholders - four each from local authority commissioning managers, decision makers in commercial care services, local authority providers, umbrella organisations and training providers - between December 2015 and February 2016.
Initial response
The regulations were seen as an iterative development, building on the minimum standards previously in place. The greater emphasis on evidence and accountability focused the responsibilities of home managers on outcomes and the needs of the children.
As the previous standards were minimum standards, many of the stakeholders in organisations with responsibility for delivering or overseeing provisions reported that practices were already in line with the new regulations. As such there was minimal need for any changes in practice or management of children's homes.
Many interviewees, across all stakeholder sub-groups, reflected on the current challenges within the children's home sector in attracting and retaining suitably qualified managers. A small number of decision makers held some concerns that because the regulations placed a greater onus on managers it could reduce the relative attractiveness of managerial roles within children's homes. Similarly, the requirement for staff to attain Level 3 qualifications may serve to reduce the pool of staff that homes have access to.
Impact in practice
Most stakeholders felt there had been very limited impact, largely because the children's homes that they had contact with, or responsibility for, were already largely practicing in a manner which met the new standards. The research was also undertaken relatively shortly following the implementation of the new regulations and quality standards therefore the impact on staff and children had yet to be seen.
The Leadership and Management Standard emphasises the importance of understanding the impact that the quality of care provided in the home has on the progress and experiences of children, and of evidence-based practice. While some children's homes and managers reportedly struggled with the interpretation of what was required, other stakeholders felt that the new regulations have set out what is required much more clearly than previous guidance.
With greater clarity of expectations around standards, and more focused regulation via Ofsted, some stakeholders identified a greater potential of wider impacts, from staff confidence in their own practice through to positive impacts on the children and young people residing in children's homes.
Managers' attributes and skills
Overall, there was a consensus across those interviewed that ultimately a manager must feel passionately about the children in their care and be driven by a desire to make a difference in their lives. Stakeholders felt that good managers need to be able to look beyond the behaviour of the children in their care and to have a sense of what is possible, rather than just a sense of what is wrong.
Training and qualifications
There was a consistent feedback that the training provided to support staff and managers to achieve Level 3 and Level 5 qualifications was adequate for developing a sound theoretical knowledge-base. They provide a basis on which staff would need to regularly build more experiential and specialist skills, such as attachment theory, restraint, learning disabilities and report writing for managers.
Career progression
There was a consensus among the stakeholders interviewed that there are many opportunities for staff progression through children's homes, if staff are dedicated and passionate.
Many also expressed concerns over recruitment and staff retention across the sector. Attracting individuals into the sector can be very difficult, given that staff are paid the minimum wage and there has been a pay freeze in place for more established staff; that homes can be positioned in isolated locations; that staff are at risk from verbal and physical abuse from some of the young people in their care; that the role requires commitment beyond standard working hours; and that the management role now involves a formalised set of responsibilities that some staff may feel less comfortable with.
Implications for practice
- Stakeholders contributing to the report felt that there was minimal need for changes in management or practice in children's homes, because the previous framework was one of minimum standards which many homes were already operating in line with.
- The likely impact of changes was projected to fall mainly on managerial practice, as the new standards introduce more accountability and expectation of scrutiny around management, practice and measurement of outcomes. A disconnect was noted between the practice focus valued in managers, and the greater strategic and administrative requirements emphasised in the regulations.
- Concern was expressed that this could reduce the attractiveness of managerial roles, and the need for staff to attain Level 3 qualifications under the new regulations could reduce the pool of workers available to children's homes. However, a positive impact had already been felt in the vetting and incorporation of bank staff, enabling better support for young people.
Click here to read more in CYP Now's Residential Care special report
