Children's home in Lambeth

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 declined in effectiveness .

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Several requirements from the previous full inspection remain unmet and this inspection identified additional shortfalls in the quality of care provided to young people. The registered manager has not provided staff with regular, formal supervision or annual appraisals. No reviews of the quality of care provided by the home have been undertaken. Information management systems are poorly maintained and unreliable, which means that the provider cannot produce evidence to demonstrate that staff have up to date relevant training in key areas of child protection and safety. The staff rarely meet as a team and this has a negative impact on their ability to provide a consistent experience of care or contribute to service development.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to operate a system where staff mainly work alone. This is unsafe and means that staffing levels are insufficient to provide the necessary boundaries or support to help young people make progress. Risk assessments do not fully address risks to staff which means they are potentially at risk of harm. Young people have poor routines and seldom engage with education. They do not make progress in terms of making healthy lifestyle choices.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are a high number of incidents of challenging behaviour and it is not clear from the homes records, how these incidents are followed up to help young people learn about the impact of their behaviour on others and improve future behaviour. The home frequently involves the police to help manage behaviour and this sometimes means that young people are charged with criminal offences as a result of incidents in the home. One such incident involved a member of staff who, according to the responsible individual, did not work in the home, was not on the rota at the time of the incident, and should not have been there.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recording is poor, staff record minimal information in the daily logs and records do not demonstrate that they provide care and support in a way that is consistent with the young people’s relevant plans.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been some improvement in consistency of care as the home now mostly uses a smaller number of core staff. This improvement is undermined by the fact that the staff rota is not accurate and does not always reflect the reality in terms of who actually works in the home. Some agency staff worked in the home but were not on the rota. They were not very familiar to the young person living in the home and he reflected that this was upsetting, as he did not know them and felt they ‘didn’t know the rules’. It is not clear when the registered manager is on duty or who is in day-to-day charge of the home.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider does not ensure that agency staff are sufficiently experienced, qualified or vetted in order to assess their suitability to work with young people.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent visitor now undertakes comprehensive monthly reviews of the quality of care in the home. She identifies areas for improvement but the homes management do not use this information to address shortfalls or inform service development. The home has failed to respond to these reports or address the requirements made by Ofsted in the previous inspection. At the last inspection, the home was judged to require improvement because the care to young people was below the standards set out in The Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations including the Quality Standards (2015). This inspection finds that there has been no improvement in this area.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff offer a range of activities for young people and help them to pursue some hobbies and interests. They have made some progress in working in partnership with child and adolescent mental health specialists, but this input has yet to inform their interventions or impact on the emotional well-being of young people. They work hard to support young people to attend health appointments and work effectively in partnership with the Looked After Children’s Nurse to ensure physical health checks take place.

p.3

Information about this children's home

This is privately run children’s home, registered to provide care for up to six young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties. It is currently providing for one young person.

p.4

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.4

Recent inspection history

12/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

13. The Leadership and management standard:

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to ensuring that the staff work as a team together the registered person should ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; in particular, the manager needs to supervise the staff working in the home, have regular team meetings and involve the team in service development. 01.03.16

p.5

Requirement Due date

13. The Leadership and management standard:

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard with particular reference to the experience of the staff team the registered person should ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. In particular, the provider needs to demonstrate that all staff have up to date and relevant training in key areas such as child protection, first aid, fire safety, behaviour management and physical interventions. * 01.03.16

p.5

Requirement Due date

13. The Leadership and management standard: In order to meet the leadership and management standard; the registered person is required to - 13(2)(d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 01.03.16

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet regulation 37 - the registered person must maintain a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Schedule 4 (3)) (2) The registered person must— (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; (b) ensure that the records are kept up to date; and (c) retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b)(c)) * 01.03.16

p.5

Requirement Due date

12. The Protection of Children Standard: 01.03.16 In order to meet the protection of children standard with particular reference to lone working the registered manager must ensure that; the homes day to day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and protect each child effectively form harm. In particular, if staff are working alone, there must be a risk assessment in place to assess the nature, seriousness and likelihood of risk events. This must also identify risk management strategies that reduce risk and that are realistic to implement.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (a quality of care review) at least once every 6 months. (2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— (a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (4) The registered person must— (a) supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and (b) make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (5) The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1-4))`

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 01.03.16 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (a) the individual is of integrity and good character; (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; (c) the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(3)) * 01.03.16

p.7

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard that children make measureable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. With particular reference to making sure that the child’s day-to-day care plans clearly identify the support and intervention in place for each child in order to help them make progress in education (2) the registered provider must ensure- (a) that staff- (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child overcome any such barriers; (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. 01.03.16

p.7

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive behaviour standard the provider help children learn to improve behaviour and seek to reduce the 01.03.16 likelihood of incidents leading to police involvement. The provider must ensure that children are helped to develop and 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. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.7

Requirement Due date

(v) communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the childs age and understanding; (vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; (viii) strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; (ix) understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; (x) are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the

p.8

Requirement Due date

behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— (d) seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the 01.03.16 range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular; The registered person should agree with their local police force, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home to reduce unnecessary police involvement in managing behaviour and criminalisation of behaviours. Children should not be charged with offences resulting from behaviour within a children’s home that would not similarly lead to police involvement if it occurred in a family home. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d))

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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 .

p.10

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,

p.11

Information about this inspection

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

p.11

Information about this inspection

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

p.11

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

p.11