Children's Home run by Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd in Newham

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to investigate concerns received by Ofsted on 29 July 2016. Some of these concerns related to safeguarding, while others related to the general running of the home, staffing and practice. Interviews were held with the responsible individual, one young person and the registered manager. Telephone conversations took place with people who work at the home. Social work staff from placing authorities and the designated officer from the host authority were also spoken with. There was email correspondence with the metropolitan police, the placing authority and a social work agency. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 on the 3 August 2016. At the previous inspection on 4 April 2016, the home was judged as good for safeguarding and the overall experiences and progress of young people. It was judged as requires improvement for leadership and management. The overall good

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This monitoring visit

judgement in April followed a period with one young person in residence, good progress for that young person, better investment in the structure of the home and a newly appointed home’s manager. The relationship between senior managers and the day-to-day managers remained an area for improvement. Requirements were made about staff induction, the quality and purpose of care and policies on lone-working practice. A recommendation was made to ensure that feedback from young people, families and professionals informed service delivery. At this monitoring visit, the safeguarding concerns were the focus of inspection. The visit identified a number of breaches of regulation. In particular, the responsible individual had failed to report concerns about a member of staff to the local authority designated officer for advice or investigation. Neither had he informed the placing authority that these concerns had been raised. The inspector

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This monitoring visit

reported these matters immediately to the host authority designated officer and they are now subject to investigation. Staffing is a concern. The numbers of permanently employed staff is extremely low. There is an overreliance on temporary staffing. This results in a number of shifts where the number of temporary staff far outweighs those that are permanent. In some instances there are only temporary staff on duty. This means young people have limited opportunities to build meaningful and trusting relationships with the adults placed in charge of their care. In addition some temporary staff have not received training to look after young people with challenging behaviours including the use of physical restraint. This places young people at risk of harm. Record keeping is poor. There are no recordings in the logbook after 07:10 on the morning of 22 July 2016 and no entries at all after 25 July 2016. Staff on duty on

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This monitoring visit

22 July 2016 had not written up incident reports about an incident in which it is alleged that a young person, after having their placement terminated, was locked out of the home with their belongings. The young person was then made subject to a police protection order after they were found waiting outside the home. The member of staff about whom the issues were concerned completed the only incident and case recording written on this day. The registration book for young people moving in and out of the home does not meet requirements. Addresses, responsible boroughs and social worker details are not always completed. The registration book shows that, of eight young people admitted since April this year, seven have moved on. The home ended four of these placements due to concerns about managing behaviour and feeling unable to keep young people safe. This raises concerns about leaders’ and managers’ capacity to match the needs of new referrals to existing young people in the home.

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This monitoring visit

It also raises concerns about the capacity of the staff team to manage and respond appropriately to young people presenting risky and complex behaviours. Shortfalls in leadership and management were found at the previous inspection. Management has not taken decisive actions to meet a number of the requirements made at that inspection. For example, staff on shift are not routinely signing into the home, and details on staffing rosters are not consistent with who is working shifts. A new agency worker worked their first shift, with one other agency worker and no permanent member of staff present. This does not give consistency of care to young people. It also does not safeguard young people because, when incidents happen or allegations are made, it is difficult to establish which staff were present in the home. Leaders and managers have a limited understanding of how the quality of care impacts on young people, their overall experiences and ability to feel settled and

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This monitoring visit

secure. The responsible person is not fulfilling his role in ensuring the safe running and oversight of the home. For example, when questioned about some of the concerns raised, which led to this monitoring visit, he was not fully aware. He had delegated responsibility to the interim manager, but failed to understand due process when concerns were raised about that person’s practice. Management fails to submit notifications of all serious incidents in the home. In some instances, notifications, although sent in, were not supported by completed incident records kept in the home. Notifications help the regulator to understand the practice in the home. They also advise what further action providers propose to take to support and safeguard young people. When serious incidents are not notified and independent visits do not take place, the regulator is not aware of risks or concerns that may be present for young people.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager resigned on 29 July 2016. Several staff members also left the home at the same time, which has left the home short staffed. The responsible individual does not have a contingency plan to safely manage or staff this home until a new manager and permanent staff are appointed.

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Information about this children's home

This privately run children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people aged from 10 to 17 years. It accepts referrals for young people who have a range of emotional and/or behavioural problems or young people with learning disabilities. The home accepts emergency placements and offers longer- term care.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33(1)(a)) 31/08/2016

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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 ensure that staff: (2)(b)(i) understand and apply the home's statement of purpose. 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe: (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure (a) that staff (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; 31/08/2016 (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s

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Requirement Due date

child protection policies; (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; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)(c)(e)) 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to (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 31/08/2016 each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

14. The care planning standard (1) The care planning standard is that children (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure (a) That children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) that arrangements are in place to (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b)(c)) 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 31/08/2016

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in 31/08/2016 respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26(7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21(b)) 31/08/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night, at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraphs 10.17)  Ensure that contingency plans are prepared in the event of a shortfall in staffing levels. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraphs 10.18)

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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

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