Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Hertsmere

This monitoring visit

On 17 May 2016, two inspectors completed a full inspection, resulting in an overall judgement of inadequate. The inspection raised serious concerns about how staff manage safeguarding arrangements for the children. In particular, how staff managed incidents where children placed themselves at significant risk. There were concerns that staff lacked a consistent and effective approach to de-escalate this behaviour or to learn from incidents to inform and implement strategies to manage similar issues again. There were concerns about the lack of a robust location risk assessment that appropriately identified the potential hazards in the area, including the proximity of a busy dual carriageway and farm equipment. There were extremely serious concerns about the leadership and management of the home. The provider had failed to notify Ofsted of serious incidents which had occurred in the home, failed to provide appropriate support to the staff who were

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This monitoring visit

working hard to maintain the care of the children and failed to ensure robust management of staff. There were also concerns about the significant staff shortage and the number of hours that core staff work to cover shifts. This home is subject to two compliance notices in respect of the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. On 13 June 2016, a monitoring visit took place. The purpose of this visit was to evaluate the progress made by the provider in meeting the two compliance notices. The provider has failed to meet the requirements of the compliance notice in respect of the leadership and management of the home. Agency staff continue to account for half of the workforce on each shift. This does not provide children who have difficulty forming attachments with the security they need to progress to their full potential. The provider has recruited agency staff who have had initial training

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This monitoring visit

in safeguarding and physical intervention techniques. However, the agency staff records reviewed during the monitoring visit demonstrated they have had training in a different physical technique than that of the permanent staff. This gives the potential for confusion between agency and permanent staff when managing children’s behaviours. The agency staff are not experienced. For some this is their first role working with children in a residential setting. This does not provide children in care with the consistent level of high quality care they need. Management arrangements in the home are ineffective, weak and do not provide the day to day management oversight required to ensure the safety of children or to ensure that staff are adequately supported. The acting manager has remained on shift providing care for between 40 and 65 hours per week in the two weeks preceding this visit. He has not been released

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This monitoring visit

from shifts to manage the service on a day to day basis. This has not enabled him to fulfil the functions and responsibilities of the managerial role. Staff have not received written notes of recent supervision meetings. Lack of managerial oversight has led to failings in ensuring the location risk assessment is fully implemented and ineffective monitoring of the service provided. This is despite concerns about lack of robust managerial oversight being raised at the full inspection. The responsible individual has failed to provide support and oversight of the home. This is despite the judgement of inadequate at the full inspection, issuance of compliance notices and concerns that have been raised by Ofsted prior to the last inspection. Although recruitment is in progress for a manager, it is of serious concern that there has been no change to the interim management arrangements since the last inspection. While the commitment of the acting manager is not in

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This monitoring visit

doubt, the registered provider has not afforded him the time or resources required to enable him to carry out the role effectively. This is unacceptable for the vulnerable children placed in this home. The provider has failed to fully address the compliance notice in respect of the protection of children. Although the location risk assessment now includes some relevant information of risk factors, it still does not fully consider some of the immediate risks or how to reduce them, such as nearby farm equipment or the storage of hay in an adjacent barn, which could present an arson risk. While the location risk assessment is improved since the last inspection, it is not fully implemented. One action to mitigate risk is to close the gates to the home. The strategy was identified in order to slow the progress of a child leaving and give staff the chance to engage with them, to help them make positive choices. During

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This monitoring visit

the monitoring visit the inspector observed the gate was open. Staff confirmed they do not close it during the day, only at night. This means that staff fail to follow the strategy they identified to minimise the risk of children attempting to leave the home. This is despite one child having previously left the home on a number of occasions and walked towards the very busy major road. The individual child’s risk assessment does not reflect a decrease in the risk and does not fully correlate with the location risk assessment. There has not been any direct work with the children about these risk factors. Staff have not shared these risk assessments with children to help them to understand the dangers in their locality. On the day of the monitoring visit, one child was moved by her placing authority to another children’s home. The placing social worker commented that the educational provision provided by the home was not meeting their child’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

The social worker was also not satisfied with the safeguarding procedures within the home. These shortfalls have resulted in this child failing to engage with education, as a result, she will not develop the skills and knowledge to progress to further education or training. Further shortfalls identified at the full inspection included: records of restraint; staff supervision; supporting children in education; care planning; notification to Ofsted of significant incidents; notification to Ofsted of the absence of the registered manager; lack of an accessible fire risk assessment; décor and presentation of the home; staff training; location risk assessment; recruitment checks on agency staff. These shortfalls resulted in statutory requirements. This monitoring visit reviewed progress to date made against the latter five requirements but acknowledges the timeframe for those requirements had not been reached at the time of the

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This monitoring visit

monitoring visit. The provider has made some progress against these requirements, namely in areas including training for some staff, recruitment checks on agency staff, fire risk assessment, and developing an understanding of the therapeutic interventions that the provider promotes. While some progress is noted in some areas, there are continuing, significant concerns and a lack of acceptable progress in addressing the compliance notices. The serious weaknesses in the leadership and management of the home from an organisational level continues. This has the potential to compromise children’s safety and experiences. For one child, the move to another home is testament to the inadequacy of the provision. Although this child has developed some positive relationships, she has not benefited from educational experiences that enhance her life chances and has not received the therapeutic package outlined in the

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This monitoring visit

statement of purpose. The one child remaining in the home is not at immediate risk. He has made some progress. However, the delivery of care is not good enough for any child. Therefore, this home is likely to be subject to further enforcement action.

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private organisation operates this setting. The on-site school provides education for young people up to 16 years of age where they can gain formal qualifications.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard the registered person must— (b)(iv) ensure that staff provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background. (c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

8: The education standard In order to meet the education standard the registered person must ensure— (1) that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard* In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure— (2)(a)(i) that staff 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; (iii) that staff have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard* In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must— 08/07/2016 (2)(a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home (Regulation 25 (2)(b)). 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience (Regulation 33 (4)(b)). 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (Regulation 40 (4)(e)). 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children's home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in Regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard) (Regulation 46 (1)). 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children's home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence (Regulation 48 (1)). 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes all matters set out in Regulation 35 (3) (a) (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i- viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)). 08/07/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only, 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 08/07/2016 individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). This is with particular regard to ensuring that all agency workers have full checks prior to working at the home (Regulation 32 (2)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

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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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