Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Hertfordshire

Unique reference number SC425418 Inspection date 18/06/2013 Inspector Gwen Buckley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 05/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

This home provides care and accommodation for up to four children. A private organisation owns and operates this setting.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be adequate .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's basic health needs are met, as they have access to health services that promote their health and well-being. Young people benefit from good relationships with a small core group of staff. Young people build their confidence and self-esteem through the information and support provided by staff. Young people feel safe and well cared for. Young people are developing skills needed for adulthood and are supported to gain confidence about their ability to move on to the next stage of their life.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people’s attendance at school has improved and they do well in school. Young people take part in a wide range of activities and they maintain contact with those who are important to them. Staff respect young people and understand their needs. The home provides a comfortable environment for the young people. A social worker complimented the service, ‘The home is working with a young person with complex needs and managing their care well. The young person is happy to stay at the home and is doing well.’

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager is on maternity leave and interim management arrangements are in place to cover until the end of the maternity leave. Matters identified at the previous visit have not all been addressed and other areas of practice need to be developed. The home has operated with insufficient staffing levels to keep young people safe at all times and has had to use agency staff on a regular basis. Not all staff have the expected qualifications. Records are not always well maintained: such as the Statement of Purpose, measures of control, anti- bullying logs, staffing rotas and recruitment checks for agency staff. Monthly monitoring of care is undertaken although reports from the internal monitoring reviews are not sent to Ofsted. The home’s whistle blowing policy does not emphasis the rights of the person who wishes to highlight concerns. Some of the improvements needed do not necessarily have a negative impact on the care

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the children’s home, and a record of the actual rosters worked (Regulation 29 Schedule 4 (11)) 31/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) compile in relation to the children’s home a written statement (in these Regulations referred to as “the statement of purpose”) which shall consist of a statement as to the matters listed in Schedule 1 (Regulation 4) 31/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the registered person provides a sufficient number of suitably qualified competent and experienced persons working at the children's home (Regulation 25). 31/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) give notice in writing to the HMCI of the proposed absence of the Registered Manager. This specifically relates to the expected absence of the Registered Manager as it now differs from the date in the original notification (Regulation 37 (1)) 31/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) supply to the HMCI a report in respect of any review conducted by him for the purposes of paragraph (1), and make a copy of the report available on request to placing authorities where the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. This relates to providing Ofsted with a copy of a report on the monthly monitoring checks undertaken by the manager (Regulation 34 (2)) 31/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the registered person does not allow a person to work at the children's home unless full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in schedule 2. This relates to recruitment checks for agency staff and staff undertaking overtime at the home ( Regulation 26 (3) (d)) and (Regulation 26 (2). 31/07/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children’s home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose. (Regulation 17B (3) and (4)) 31/07/2013

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure all staff's work is consistent with these Regulations and National Minimum Standards, the homes' policies and procedures. This specifically relates to the use of the anti-bullying log (NMS 21.3)  ensure staff actively promote the welfare of children living in the home. This relates to the need to ensure the 'whistle blowing' policy clearly identifies how staff raising concerns will be protected (NMS 4.2)  ensure all existing care staff have attained a minimum level 3 qualification. All new staff engaged from the commencement of the NMS (in April 2011) are to hold the level 3 Children and Young Peoples Diploma which must include mandatory social care units. (NMS 18.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive good support to learn about their individual health needs and healthy lifestyles. They are promptly registered with relevant medical professionals and receive the health and medical care they need to stay fit and healthy. Staff are vigilant in relation to identifying health needs and ensure that young people receive prompt attention and access all the services required. Young people feel staff respect them and want them to do well. Attendance at school is good and young people make good progress at school. This helps young people develop a sense of belonging and of being valued.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Contact arrangements are well established. The arrangements are known to young people enabling them to maintain important relationships with friends and family members. Staff are good at keeping in touch with the young person’s family members, social workers and other professionals to ensure everyone is aware of the developing needs of the young people. Young people have friends who visit and celebrate special occasions such as birthdays. The views of young people are routinely sought and these are central to the development of the care provided. Young people’s pictures and art work are displayed throughout the home which contributes to their sense of belonging.

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Outcomes for children and young people

A range of activities are available for young people to access in the local area and in the home. A social worker states ‘(name of young person) has greatly improved since being at the home, it is down to the consistency of care and support provided that helps her manage her anxiety. ‘Comments from young people include ‘Living at the home is lovely, it’s a friendly family home with lots of lovely staff and children, and when it comes my time to leave, I can honestly say I’ll be very sad to go.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people assist with tasks around the home, developing their levels of independence according to their age and ability. This means young people feel confident in their ability to cope when they leave the home. The manager is aware this work could be further developed and has sourced new material to assist with this. Staff work with young people to help them find strategies they can use to cope with situations they find difficult to manage and which may pose a risk. This helps young people and has reduced the frequency at which they put themselves and others at risk.

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Quality of care

Relationships between staff and young people are positive. Staff relate well to young people and conversations are relaxed and good humoured. The team routinely consider how best to develop interactions with young people in order to reinforce good relationships as a basis for promoting positive behaviour.

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Quality of care

Staff consult young people about the day-to-day operation of the home. Young people’s views are sought on an on-going basis as part of daily interactions with the staff team. More formal systems, such as a regular house meeting, takes place and young people each have regular key worker sessions. Young people actively make decisions about the food provided, the activities they participate in and the décor in the home and they are able to choose the colour of their rooms. Staff ensure activities are highly individualised so that they are enjoyed by young people and meet varying needs.

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Quality of care

A complaints system is in place, this is accessible to young people within the house and they are given a copy of the procedure in their welcome pack when they move in. Complaints are well managed and young people are confident they will be listened too by staff.

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Quality of care

The team value and recognise the importance of education. They promote and support young people’s achievements. Educational professionals working with the young people state, 'There are good working relationships between home and school staff and the attachments and feeling of security young people have at the home enables them to progress well at school.’ A young person stated, ‘The staff members helped me through the studying, preparation and revision that I needed and I feel I did very well thanks to all of the staff’s help and support.’

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Quality of care

Young people could not think of anything that the home could improve on and when asked to score how well the staff care for them, gave it 100 out of ten. A social worker reports, ‘The staff are working well with a young person with complex needs and I am not sure if there is any more they could do. They regularly keep me informed about the young person’s progress and (the child) is very happy at the home.’

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Quality of care

Staff take an active interest in the lives of young people. They ensure photographs and other memorabilia are available for young people to keep and help them remember their time at the home. The different cultural, racial or religious needs of young people are known and meals provided ensure young people have a healthy diet. Young people enjoy trying food that is new to them, both in the home and when eating at local restaurants.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is adequate at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have a sound knowledge of child protection issues and reporting procedures. Young people feel safe and stated there is no bullying allowed at the home. Should bullying be noted, staff are expected to maintain a log of incidents. However, this log has not always been used which does not ensure the best information is available to influence safe care practice developments and support to young people. Visiting professionals state that young people are kept safe, they are kept up to date with events and young people enjoy their time at the home. Young people are relaxed around the home and say that they feel safe. They are encouraged to let staff know where they are when out in the community.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Visiting professionals state the quality of relationships between staff and young people are good and reinforce the positive, respectful atmosphere in the home. Restraint and sanction records do not capture all the required information as stated in regulation and Government guidance. Missing information includes details of injuries sustained to young people and the methods used to avoid the need to use the restraint. Debriefing sessions with staff and young people, who may have observed an incident, take place and as a result young people and staff feel supported and valued. Additionally, this means practice is improved to meet individual needs. Young people are encouraged to record their views in the measures of control books. Records indicate what they felt about an incident and young people routinely sign these records. Young people consider that the boundaries in place are fair and know staff will only restrain to keep them or others safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home uses an individual approach to promoting positive behaviour. The team has developed an incentive scheme which is tailored to each young person. This impacts positively on young people’s understanding of their personal circumstances and raises their awareness of how to keep safe and develop as individuals. Young people receive rewards for continued commitment to their incentive plan and have a say in the targets to be met. This was demonstrated during this inspection when a young person was discussing targets being set and the boundaries in place.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Careful attention is paid to the health and safety of the building. Relevant safety checks including health and safety risk assessments fire safety checks, gas and electrical installation checks have been carried out.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Recruitment records are well maintained for home’s staff. Confirmation from the agency is received to say that agency staff have been checked and are suitable to employ. However, there is insufficient detail maintained in the home of the checks obtained for agency staff and staff working overtime from some of the company’s other homes.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are inadequate .

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Leadership and management

The home’s Registered Manager is on maternity leave and temporary cover for the manager is in place. The plans for the maternity cover have changed and Ofsted have not been informed of the extended maternity leave the Registered Manager is taking. To replace the acting manager an experienced manager has been appointed, and plans to register with Ofsted until the Registered Manager is back at work.

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Leadership and management

The home's Statement of Purpose is available to placing officers, families and other interested parties. However, this is confusing and inaccurate as it mentions respite care which is not provided. The Statement of Purpose refers to old regulations and standards and describes the home as having sleeping accommodation on the second floor where there is no second floor to the building. This does not ensure the Statement of Purpose is a true reflection of the services available.

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Leadership and management

Staff receive good support from managers informally, through the supervision process and through the debriefing sessions undertaken. The induction process ensures new staff receive training opportunities in line with their responsibilities. Although some care workers are social work trained, not all have the relevant level three diploma in child care.

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Leadership and management

There is a dedicated core team of staff providing consistency of care and displaying a commitment to keeping young people safe, developing positive relationships, meeting diverse needs and improving young people’s life chances. These staff work well together and there is a good team spirit which impacts positively on young people. However, there has been a high turnover of staff and the home has relied on agency staff to provide cover. The acting manager uses agency staff who are known to young people and have the ability to relate well with young people and work effectively as a team member.

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Leadership and management

The home demonstrates limited capacity to improve. Actions set following the last visit have not all been met in full. The company did not inform the acting manager of the actions raised following the last visit. However, some of these have been met, such as improving the frequency of supervision and making arrangements to cover the absence of the Registered Manager. Those actions not met relate to records maintained for agency staff and ensuring there is sufficient well trained staff on duty to provide safe care at all times.

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Leadership and management

Staffing levels have not always been sufficient to meet the needs of young people living at the home and keep them safe. On one significant occasion the staffing levels did not ensure the care provided meets individual needs. For example, when two staff were on duty and had to restrain a young person there was no one to manage and support the other young people in the home. This resulted in one young person phoning the police as he was anxious and wanted them to come and help the staff. As a result of recent recruitment drive, four full-time and one bank worker have been offered posts and there is a new experienced manager about to start. However, the Statement of Purpose notes the expectation that the staffing level is two staff to four young people, unless there has been specific agreement obtained from a director to increase this.

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Leadership and management

Internal and external monthly monitoring of practice takes place and highlights areas for development. However, reports of the analysis of the monthly monitoring undertaken in line with Regulation 34 are not sent to Ofsted. The home has a ‘whistle blowing’ policy which makes it clear that staff have a duty to report any concerns. However, this policy does not emphasis the role of the company in protecting the person raising the issues. This could mean staff are more reluctant to raise issues and therefore their ability to protect young people is reduced.

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Leadership and management

Some information is not well organised. There is insufficient information relating to recruitment checks on both, agency staff and temporary staff. The temporary staff are paid to do overtime and they normally work in other homes the company operates. Staff rotas are not accurate and do not reflect the staff actually on duty caring for the young people. Staff do not always follow expected practice and this has not been noted by the senior staff. Records are held securely in a locked office helping to protect confidentiality of information.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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