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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This visit had three main aims. The first aim was to check on the progress that the service has made regarding five requirements and one recommendation raised at the full inspection in July 2015, and the further requirement and the recommendation raised at the monitoring visit in September 2015.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The second aim was to check on the areas highlighted as weak through complaints received by Ofsted on 21 September and 19 October 2015. These complaints raised concerns regarding the staff’s ability to effectively manage young people’s challenging behaviours and to safeguard and promote their welfare. They also reported the negative impact of this on the neighbourhood and the concerns regarding the manager’s response to the complaints.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The third aim was to check on young people’s experiences, progress and outcomes since the full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered person, who both owns and manages this home, has taken all the requirements seriously. She has taken effective actions and secured compliance with all six requirements. She has improved the admission procedure by implementing one of the recommendations. All these improvements contribute to young people receiving safer and better quality care in some of its aspects.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager now robustly vets staff before they start work, inducts them into their role and supervises them. Staff follow a more stringent medication procedure and make more detailed records relating to the use of physical interventions. An independent person visits the home every month to monitor the quality of the provision. The manager and staff engage more effectively with the social services, mental health services, education, youth justice and the police. Stronger links within the network of professionals help young people to break the barriers to their progress and achieve more positive outcomes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The recommendation around accepting new placements has led to more scrutiny of admissions. The manager tightened this process and as a result, refused a number of potential placements. She has recorded risk assessments regarding the possible dynamics between the current residents and those whose admission was under the consideration. The recommendation to include arrangements for countering risks of self-harm and suicide in the home’s safeguarding policy has not led to making the policy more comprehensive. However, not implementing this recommendation has not had a negative impact on young people, as their individual risk assessments and management plans clearly include strategies to minimise those risks on an individual level. Newly emerged issues have undermined the positive impact of improvements achieved in some areas of practice. While some aspects of the service have improved, others have got worse.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The main underlying barrier to the home’s further progress is the instability in the staff team. Staff retention is very low. In less than four months, four permanent staff, including the only senior worker, have left. The permanent staff team currently consists of three staff members, including a staff member with extended absences from work. The changes in the team have had a destabilising effect on the service and on the quality of the relationships within the home. Young people do not experience continuity and consistency of care. They do not have good opportunities to form strong positive relationships with staff members. As the quality of these relationships is the underlying basis for effective behaviour management, the effectiveness of the behaviour management strategies has declined. To alleviate the negative impact, the manager has recruited a number of staff on a short-term contract from an agency. With the use of additional agency staff to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

cover the shifts when necessary, the manager has maintained appropriate staffing levels. However, some staff have not had training in safeguarding children or in managing challenging behaviour. The lack of individual care plans for young people compromises further the quality and consistency of the care practice in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Comprehensive risk management plans and positive behaviour management plans that include a detailed reward system for promoting positive behaviour are in place. However, staff action to help one young person in particular, to gain a better control of her behaviour, are only partially effective. The staff have frequently resorted to intervening physically with this young person, as other, more positive behaviour management strategies have failed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been a number of incidents where young person disturbed the neighbours. The manager has taken the neighbours’ complaints seriously. She has apologised to them for the disturbances, paid for the damage made to their cars and offered to clean their gardens and to erect higher fences. She has asked the neighbourhood team to mediate and help move the relationships forward. On one occasion, the young person locked all staff members who were on duty, out of the building. The police helped them to re-enter and re-establish the control of the service. However, the manager made a judgement that none of the incidents that involved calling the police to the home were significant enough to notify Ofsted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One of the incidents included a young person making an allegation against a staff member. The manager discussed this with the young person’s social workers. The young person retracted the allegation shortly afterwards. The manager has failed to notify both Ofsted and the Local Authority Designated Officer for safeguarding of this allegation. Not sharing safeguarding concerns with the external agencies as required impacts negatively on the external monitoring of the quality of the service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The only young person who currently resides in the home has made some significant improvements in some aspects of her life. This is by far her longest placement. She has started engaging in education and training. Her life skills have improved. The registered person feels passionately about improving young people’s lives. She believes in not giving up on young people even when they continue to engage in challenging behaviours. She has a strong vision for the service. However, she must secure further improvements in order to translate this vision into effective practice and to make sure that the service meets the standard of good. There are no restated requirements in this report. However, there are six new requirements and one restated recommendation. In preparation for maternity leave, the registered person has appointed a new manager. She has continued with a recruitment drive to fill other permanent posts.

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for no more than four children who may have learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

29/09/2014 Interim Not judged What does the children's home need to do to improve? 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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Recent inspection history

Requirement Due date 11. The positive relationships standard:

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Recent inspection history

In order to meet the positive relationships standard which is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults, The registered person must review and improve practice so 2 (a) that staff— (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour. This in particular relates to reviewing and improving the effectiveness of the staff behaviour management practice. February

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Recent inspection history

13. The leadership and management standard:

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Recent inspection history

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. This in particular relates to all staff having training in safeguarding children and in managing children’s challenging behaviour. 01 January

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Recent inspection history

13. The leadership and management standard:

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Recent inspection history

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. This requirement relates in particular to having a more stable permanent staff team. February

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Recent inspection history

In order to meet the care planning standard which is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home, the registered person must ensure that each young person has an internal care plan. This in particular relates to bringing information together from various December documents that explain what the current children’s needs are and how the home’s staff will meet these needs in order to help children to achieve positive outcomes. The registered person must consistently implement a child protection policy that provides for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34(2)(b)) December

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Recent inspection history

The registered person must notify Ofsted without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) December

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Recent inspection history

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

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Recent inspection history

Include arrangements for countering risks of self-harm and suicide in the home’s written policy for the protection and safeguarding of children. This will provide clear guidance to staff and aid consistency of practice regarding the management of these risks. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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