Children's Home run by Kattz (AH) Ltd in Enfield

Unique reference number SC473460 Inspector Angus Mackay Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager Kofoworola Ibitoye Date of last inspection 29/09/2014 2 of 7 Inspection date 17/02/2015

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Previous inspection not judged Enforcement action since last inspection There was a restriction of accommodation from 22/09/2014 to 03/11/2014.

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This inspection

This is the first inspection following registration. At this interim inspection the home was ‘not judged’ .

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This inspection

This is the second inspection following registration where, due to no children being on roll, there was no inspection judgement. The home had children accommodated prior to the initial assessment. The home has responded positively to the requirements set at the last inspection and to the requirements set by the fire safety authority. The home has improved fire safety by compliance with the order and the requirement set at the last inspection. Fire safety measures are suitable to the children and young people the home plans to work with. Records show that fire drills are frequent and all fire safety equipment is regularly tested. Modifications to doors and closers ensure that suitable measures have been taken to ensure fire breaks are in place. All staff have been trained in fire safety measures and there is a fire risk assessment in place which is followed to enhance the safety of staff and potential

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This inspection

Receipt, storage and monitoring of medication have been improved by measures put in place since the last inspection. Staff training in medication control is provided by an external chemist. There are suitable secure storage areas for medication and a medical fridge for storing liquid prescription medication. Recording systems have been modified following advice from the chemist and provide a structured means of ensuring the safe administration of medicines. The home has templates for all permissions for medical treatments, first aid and issuing of homely remedies. In addition the home have forms requesting agreements from parents and carers about cultural care issues such as hair care and attendance at religious services.

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This inspection

The manager has revised the dealing with difficult behaviour approach within the home. All staff have been trained in the home’s preferred approach including the use of physical interventions. The approach from the home is to avoid the use of 3 of 7 restrictive physical interventions wherever possible. The home has access to a clinical psychologist to structure their therapeutic approach to the work with challenging children and young people. Staff have completed training in techniques to deescalate situations and manage them positively without the use of physical interventions. The management team and psychologist provide additional training in the home’s therapeutic approach and the use of care plans and risk assessments, designed to highlight triggers to behaviours and successful interventions.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager is a qualified social worker and has a master of science qualification in money, banking and finance. To ensure appropriate succession planning she has appointed a senior worker who deputises for her and takes appropriate actions when she cannot, for example in dealing with concerns about the Registered Manager. This person is a qualified social worker and has commenced a suitable diploma level five qualification. The manager has professional supervision and business management supervision from appropriate people external to the home. Currently supervision is not regular.

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This inspection

The manager maintains a short but well-structured development plan for the home in addition to a business contingency plan. The development plan sets monthly, quarterly and annual targets to aid in the development of all aspects of the service. It is supported by an annual training plan and an, regularly reviewed, action plan around inspections and monitoring visits. Independent monitoring visits are thorough, regular and reports are supplied to Ofsted monthly. The manager has supplied her own internal monitoring report to Ofsted and provided an updated report during the inspection. The internal and independent monitoring reports provide a useful insight to the working of the home and an additional safeguard for children and young people when they are accommodated.

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This inspection

The manager has completed a detailed review of the location of the children's home to ensure it is appropriately and suitably located. In compiling the assessment the manager consulted with relevant local services including health, police and Safeguarding Children Board. The report provides a clear assessment of local risks and measures in place to manage these. Admissions to the home are managed appropriately with due regard to the statement of purpose and to meeting national minimum standards. One recent referral was turned down due to the negative impact the distance from home would have on the continuity of education, training and family contacts for the young person.

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This inspection

Staff recruitment follows safer recruitment guidelines and is thorough and well recorded. The process is enhanced by the involvement of children and young people in part of the interview panel, improving the safety of appointments. During the inspection a minor change was made to the records to include the date of checks and the name of the person checking references with the referees.

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This inspection

The manager ensures that the environment is safe by regular health and safety checks of the building and by ensuring that portable electrical appliances, gas 4 of 7 fixtures and electric fittings are checked at appropriate periods. However the health and safety risk assessments are not fully comprehensive and do not match the current checking or safety measures which are in place.

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This inspection

The house is pleasantly decorated and furniture is suitable for the children and young people to be accommodated. Bedrooms are of a high standard, with two children’s bedrooms and the staff bedroom having ensuite facilities and most are appropriately furnished. One bedroom door has been modified, with a viewing panel, to meet the needs of a previous child accommodated. This viewing panel compromises the privacy of any child or young person accommodated in the room. In addition this bedroom has no suitable clothes storage.

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This inspection

The home has a complaints procedure which was adjusted during the inspection to include contact details for the children’s commissioner. The child protection policy and missing from care policy were shared with the relevant local bodies and adjustments made following feedback from the police missing person’s service. However the child protection policy does not provide clear guidelines on what actions to take if the complaint is about the manager, responsible individual, owner or relevant person for child protection in the home. Consequently the current policy and procedure does not provide guidelines to ensure impartial reporting and investigation of all potential scenarios. The home has a safeguarding policy and separate policies on key areas such as cyber bullying and child sexual exploitation. The home use local policies modified for their use. During the inspection links were being included in the safeguarding policy to all of the separate supporting policies.

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This inspection

The home has policies on engagement of children and young people in contributing to the development of the home. As mentioned this includes recruitment. In addition they may attend and comment in part of staff meetings and have their own meeting which they chair. The children and young people’s meeting makes suggestions about: menu planning; shopping lists; décor in the home; individual requests such as bedrooms or visits; and activities for the week.

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This inspection

The statement of purpose has been modified and a copy was sent to Ofsted during the inspection. The staffing details were not fully comprehensive. The home has modified the children’s brochure to ensure that versions are accessible to children using differing communication methods such as picture exchange. 5 of 7

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than four children or young people who may have learning disabilities. Qualified social work staff work with a clinical psychologist to provide staff training and support in their therapeutic approach to working with challenging behaviours.

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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

4 (2001) ensure the statement of purpose includes all of the matters in Schedule 1 ( Regulation (4)(1)) 01/05/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the policy to safeguard children sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect, in particular where this is an allegation about the Registered Manager or registered provider ( Regulation16((1)(b)) 01/05/2015

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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 that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated, in particular ensure all bedrooms have suitable storage for clothes and their doors do not have viewing panels which potentially compromise children's privacy (NMS 10.3) 6 of 7  ensure that risk assessments of the whole children's home environment are carried out, to identify any potential sources of harm to the children are recorded in writing and regularly reviewed (NMS10.8)  ensure suitable arrangements exist for professional supervision of the registered person. (NMS 19.3) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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