Children's home run by Virgin Care Limited in Camden

Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

 Leaders and managers have failed to consider fully the information available in relation to risks in order to implement effective safeguards to protect the welfare of one young person. Night-time monitoring arrangements for this young person are insufficient to protect against the risks set out in the available documentation related to the young person’s medical condition.  Care and risk planning documents are not updated in every case following significant incidents. As a result, some key information is missing from documentation intended to safeguard children and young people.  Managers and leaders have failed to take sufficient action to prevent one young person’s physical behaviour affecting others.  Managers do not have timely or effective oversight of physical intervention records. The accuracy of recording is not checked by a manager in line with the Children’s Home Regulations 2015. One outcome following a young

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The children's home provision is inadequate because:

person’s difficult behaviour has not been followed up to see if a repeat could be avoided.  Some records lack the clarity needed to understand what has happened and /or to demonstrate effective action in caring for young people. These relate to complaints, night time monitoring and recording actions from noting bruises or marks on young people.

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The children's home strengths

All children and young people are encouraged and enabled to make choices, regardless of their communication difficulties or capabilities. This supports their enjoyment of the short breaks they spend in this home.

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The children's home strengths

Relationships between children and the staff caring for them are warm, and friendly. Staff understand the likes and dislikes of each child, know them well, and can talk about the detail of their personalities. The staff have high expectations for young people and this is a view supported by parents.

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The children's home strengths

The activities and opportunities provided in this home supports children’s physical and emotional development, and social well-being. All children have development targets, compiled with children (where possible), parents and other professionals.

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The children's home strengths

Staff say they feel supported by leaders and managers who are readily available and approachable. Managers spend time working directly with children. This allows them to model good practice with staff, have additional oversight of the work being completed, and has contributed to the clearly demonstrable respect from both staff and parents.

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The children's home strengths

The home is well equipped and resourced to provide a good range of specialist play equipment and a variety of suitable environments for children to play and to relax.

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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 (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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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff- (2)(a) (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (b) that the home’s day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; 04/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that- within 48 hours of the use and a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, the registered person or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so- has spoken to the user about the measure; and assigned the records to confirm it is accurate; and In particular ensure that any methods used or steps detailed to avoid the need to use a measure are actioned. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii) 04/12/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure there is a system in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (Guide to the children's homes regulations page 61 paragraph 13.2)  Ensure all children’s case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular update care plans and risk assessments following any incidents. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations page 62 paragraph 14.3)  Ensure the home’s staff are familiar with the homes policy on record keeping, in particular where to record conversations with parents and the recording of complaints. (Guide to the children’s home regulations page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned by a nationwide organisation who also have other homes in this area The home provides care and accommodation for up to 4 children at a time The home is equipped to provide for children who may have a physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Inadequate

Weaknesses in how well all children are safeguarded affects the overall inspection judgement. As a result, the overall experiences and outcomes for children are inadequate.

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Inadequate

Staff lack attention to detail when considering the planning of short breaks for individual children. On some occasions, insufficient account has been given to the impact of one child’s behaviour upon other children staying at the home. The behaviour includes hair pulling and slapping of other children. Consequently, this has led to ongoing anxiety and distress for some children.

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Inadequate

As a direct result of the care provided by staff, children make significant and positive progress. Staff always attend multi-agency reviews, and target setting is agreed with children where possible, parents and external professionals. Progress is monitored and reviewed to make sure children are achieving well. A parent commented, ‘He does the things he learns there when he is at home. Night-time routines have improved so it makes him more independent’.

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Inadequate

On the whole, children enjoy spending time in the home; several have chosen to spend birthdays here with their friends rather than in their own home. For some, it is the only opportunity to spend leisure time with peers of a similar ability. They enjoy a wide and varied range of activities inside the home and outside in the wider community. All children are enabled to take part in the activities. For example, all children participated in a sports activity programme. Children receive certificates and engraved medals for achieving individual goals based on their ability.

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Inadequate

The work by staff and attention to broadening children’s cultural knowledge improves their understanding of the world around them. Some weeks are dedicated to looking at a chosen country and celebrating the food, traditions and festivals. Activities are then related to these topics.

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Inadequate

The home provides lots of space and a variety of opportunities for children to play, relax or spend some quiet time. In recent years, many improvements have been made to provide a warm and welcoming home. Children’s photographs and art work is displayed throughout the home. These help to make them feel that they belong and are valued.

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Inadequate

Relationships between children and staff are warm and affectionate. Staff speak positively about children’s achievements. Staff clearly want children to enjoy their time in the home and want them to do well.

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Inadequate

Children are listened to and helped to make choices about the things that matter to them. Children’s meetings facilitated by the staff support choice and they commonly choose activities, food and things for the home. The staff know children’s likes and dislikes and make arrangements to try and accommodate these. One young person recently visited ‘Peppa Pig Land’, a trip her mother said she would have been unable to sort out from home.

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Inadequate

All children attend school. Staff make sure children are equipped for the day. To ensure good communication between the short breaks provision and school staff write in ‘short breaks to school’ record books so that any concerns or achievements can be passed on. The staff are in regular contact with schools and parents so that any issues are dealt with quickly.

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Inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to implement an effective night-time monitoring plan for a child who is known to have a potentially serious medical condition. Staff actions do not take into account information recorded in this young person’s care plans and risk assessments. Staff monitoring of a child throughout the night is inconsistently taking place and records do not detail what is happening in practice.

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Inadequate

According to records seen by inspectors, managers do not give enough consideration to the emotional impact on children who are hurt, or have witnessed others being hurt by another child. Records do not accurately reflect what steps staff have taken to avoid a repeat of this harmful behaviour. Following incidents, managers have not updated children’s care plans or risk assessment documents promptly. As a result, information is missing that should inform staff practice and demonstrate learning from the incident to avoid a repeat.

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Inadequate

Leaders and managers do not scrutinise and review records of physical intervention as soon as possible after the incident. This reduces the opportunity for discussions with those involved to see if these interventions could have been avoided. One identified action following a physical intervention has not been tracked or followed up.

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Inadequate

Not all recording of complaints is effective. Due to some essential details missing, it is not always clear when complaints are made and how. However, complaints are dealt with effectively The layout of the complaints document is difficult to follow and therefore does not provide a clear audit trail.

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Inadequate

Children have not gone missing from this home. Many do not understand the concept of danger or risk and as such, the front door is kept locked. Children are free to move around the home and out into the large garden. Some children can ask for the front door to be unlocked or can be given the key pad number.

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Inadequate

Children are safe from the risk of fire; all have individual evacuation plans and the home is well equipped with early detection and warning systems. External doors are linked to the fire alarm system and would open in an emergency.

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Inadequate

Children and are able to take age appropriate risks which allow them to take part in new and exciting activities. Their participation is subject to individual risk assessments.

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Inadequate

Recruitment checks are in place for all staff. Consequently, children are protected from adults who may seek to harm them.

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Inadequate

Leaders and managers acknowledged weaknesses in the care provided which were identified during the inspection. They took immediate action to deal with the weaknesses and improve the safeguarding of all children.

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Inadequate

Records do not always inform the care given and several records, such as care plans and risk assessments, had not been updated following incidents. Records do not show clearly if appropriate action has being taken. Neither is it clear that staff are fully informed of any changes to the care children require.

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Inadequate

Supervision records do not evidence opportunities for staff to reflect on their direct work with children as part of their practice development. Supervision is, for the most part, provided on a regular basis. Leaders and managers have an open door policy and will offer advice and guidance to staff as needed. Staff feel supported by managers who staff describe as ‘dedicated’.

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Inadequate

Between them, the manager and deputy have more than 64 years’ experience of working with children. Each has eight years’ management experience. Both are qualified registered nurses and the manager has a level 4 care qualification. The staff team is stable and all, except the most recently employed member of the team, has a care qualification.

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Inadequate

Team meetings are held on a regular basis and are useful for staff to consider their work with children as a team. Essential training for staff is readily available. Staff can access online and face to face training including specialist training where necessary. Staff also have opportunities to study care, and leadership and management qualifications at a higher level. This demonstrates a commitment to and investment by the provider to their staff. Additionally, these development opportunities support succession planning.

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Inadequate

Children benefit from effective links with the local community. In addition to providing activities, local retailers recently serviced all young people’s specialist bikes and trikes for free, and another engraved young people’s sports medals.

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Inadequate

Effective multi-agency working enables staff to maximise the development potential of each child. Parents are able to identify benefits for their children who attend these short breaks and also for the rest of the family. One parent said, ‘Without this service I would not be able to cope, and my family would no longer be together’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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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 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

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Information about this inspection

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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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