Setting in Lambeth

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, the home was 'not judged' . The home was judged inadequate in both of the last two full inspections. Since the last inspection on 1 December 2015, the home has effectively been closed. There have been no young people admitted, no staff employed and no manager in post. Because of this, the provider is unable to demonstrate that they have met the requirements made at the previous inspection. For this reason, most of these requirements are repeated in this report. The home has not ensured that an independent visitor undertakes monthly visits to the home. This means that there is no external scrutiny taking place to ensure that the home is ready to provide safe care and support to young people. The physical environment has had some recent decoration, and the window in the bathroom has been painted to ensure privacy for young people. The provider

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

continues to maintain the garden areas and has recently had all electrical appliances checked to ensure that they are safe. In relation to the physical environment, the provider has not addressed all of the shortfalls highlighted at the previous inspections. The doorbell is missing and a large yellow security box fitted in the lounge creates an institutionalised feel to the home. The provider has updated the home’s statement of purpose and the location risk assessment and improved the format for lone-working risk assessments. Because the home is not currently operating, it is not possible to assess whether these new documents have had an impact on the quality of care or safety of young people. The home currently has a restriction of accommodation order in place. This means that, while the order remains in force, no young people can be admitted to the home.

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately operated by Ebony Care Limited. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people under the category of need identified as emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are currently no young people in placement.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/05/2014 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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 an independent person visits the children's home at least once each month. (7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person's report to – (a) HMCI (Regulation 44 (1) (7)) 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. In particular, tasks allocated to staff as decisions in statutory review meetings must be carried out and reflected in the home’s care and support plans. Regulation 6(2)(b)(iv) 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (2) The registered provider must, without delay, give the HMCI notice of (a) the name of the person appointed; and (b) the date on which that appointment takes effect. This means that the provider must inform Ofsted if there is a change in manager and take steps to ensure that this person is registered with Ofsted so that Ofsted can be satisfied that they meet all of the requirements set out in regulation 28. (Regulation 27. (1) (2)(a)(b)) 28/10/2016 (2) In order to complete a quality 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

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Requirement Due date

(c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care. (5) This system must also provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(5)). 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1)The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (2) The registered person must ensure that (a) at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. In particular, children should benefit from a consistent link worker and consistency in terms of the leadership and management of the home. (Regulation 31(1)(2)(a)) 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety and meet the requirements in paragraph 3 (below): (3)(d) that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in schedule 2. In particular, the registered person must hold, be able to access and produce records that demonstrate that all staff employed in the home have been properly vetted and are suitable to work with children (see schedule 2). (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard 13. In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in 28/10/2016 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 (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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (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; (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

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Requirement Due date

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; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home is staffed in a way that provides safe staffing levels and continuity of care for children. The manager needs to be able to use recording systems and consultation to monitor the quality of care and to use this information to inform service development.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 12. In order to meet the protection of children standard with particular reference to the health and safety of the building, the 28/10/2016 registered person must ensure-(2)(d) that the premises used for the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. In particular, the home must ensure that the bathroom window is restricted to prevent children using this as a means of exiting the building onto the perspex panelled roof below, and that fire drills and equipment checks are carried out at regular intervals in line with the home’s fire safety procedures and risk assessments.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 12. In order to meet the protection of children standard with particular referenece to risk assessments, the registered person must ensure 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 harm to the child; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that the child is at risk of harm. In particular, individual risk assessments must identify all significant risks and identify clear strategies to manage risks. These strategies must be realistic, and staffing levels need to be sufficient to enable them to be delivered. The staff, in consultation with the placing social worker, must assess risks associated with the young person who is working for a local builder. Staff must undertake child protection training that is regularly updated and covers risks to those children vulnerable to child

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Requirement Due date

sexual exploitation, trafficking and radicalisation. 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes (ii) details of the behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the use of the measure; and (vii) the effectiveness and consequences of the use of the 28/10/2016 measure. In particular, the description of events leading up to restraint must be clear as why the use of restraint was necessary and a clear description of the type of restraint and duration must be recorded. Staff involved in restraint must be suitably trained in the use of restraint techniques. (Regulation 35(3)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safe keeping, safe administration and disposal of medications received into the children’s homes. In particular, the children’s individual medication sheets should accurately record the reason given and dose. The home should have an accurate inventory of medicines received and disposed of. (Regulation 23(1)) 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

(1) After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must (a) take adequate precautions against risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment; (c) make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and (d) ensure, by means of fire drills at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practical, children are aware of the procedures to be followed in case of fire. In particular, the registered person must ensure that all fire equipment is regularly tested, fire drills are regularly carried out when children are present and that staff are trained so that a fire marshal is on duty at all times. (Regulation 25(1)) 28/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

8: The education standard 8. In order to meet the education standard, with particular reference to maintaining good contact with the school and ensuring young people’s attendance, the standard requires the 28/10/16 registered person to ensure (2)(a) that staff (vi) maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; and (x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Maintain a domestic impression in the home. In particular, ensure that there is a working doorbell in place and remove the large, brightly coloured, metal security box bolted on the cabinet in the lounge. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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 that 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 whom 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

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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