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

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children and young people make significant improvement in developing skills that before were difficult for them.  Children and young people enjoy a wide range of activities that enhance their social, emotional and physical health.  Children and young people are happy and enjoy living at the home.  Staff are skilled and knowledgeable about the diverse needs of children and young people.  Staff embrace diversity and ensure that children and young people experience equal opportunities.  Children and young people do not go missing from the home. They feel safe. Staff work hard to protect children and young people from harm.  Communication and partnership working are good. Staff build positive relationships with children and young people.  Placements are sustainable. Children and young people benefit from the stability of their placement and they thrive.  Staff plan and prepare well for children and young people leaving the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There are some shortfalls identified. They are in relation to fire hazards, risk assessments, medication, monitoring and surveillance, advocacy and record keeping.

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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 within the given timescales.

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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)(d) that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children's home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child's understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(c)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children's home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)) 30/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  Ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for six children with learning disabilities. The home forms part of a large social care company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/01/2016 Full Good 18/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/10/2014 Full Good

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Good

Children and young people are happy and enjoy living at the home. They form good, healthy relationships with each other and with staff members. Staff are extremely knowledgeable about the individual needs of children and young people. Staff meet the complex needs of each child and young person because the care planning is thorough. As a result, the quality of care that children and young people receive is good. Children and young people are central to the care that they receive. Staff are child- focused and engage them well in making decisions. Staff recognise the diverse needs of children and young people. A staff member said, ‘Staffing is consistent. We provide a caring environment and are good role models.’ Staff use a diverse range of communication methods to engage children and young people to make choices and decisions. For example, during meetings, staff use photos and objects of reference that enable the participation of children and young people that have

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Good

limited vocal communication. This promotes their inclusion regardless of their disability. As a result, staff embrace diversity and ensure that the experiences of children and young people are equal. Children and young people enjoy a wide range of activities that enhance their social, emotional and physical health. Their individual needs are assessed to make sure that they can safely take part without discrimination. For example, staff planned a trip abroad for a young person. This was a new experience for him. Staff prepared him well by working closely with the airline to understand his autism. A wrist band was provided to enable him to go to the front of the queue. This reduced his anxiety. As a result, he managed the flight without any disruption. Contact with family and friends is managed well and supported by staff where necessary. Children and young people are able to contact family and friends that

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Good

are important to them. This helps to maintain, improve and develop strong bonds. Children and young people thrive from the stability that the home provides. Staff understand children’s and young people’s complex needs, work in partnership with external professionals, parents and carers and are passionate about their job. Staff are trained well to meet the complex health needs of children and young people. As a result, children and young people thrive and sustain their placements. Staff that administer medication are trained to do so. Not all bottles of liquid medication or creams are dated to show when they were opened. Not all medication is returned to the pharmacy when it is no longer needed. This has the potential for it to be used again, if the symptoms reoccur. This may result in medication being administered when it is past its expiry date. Staff help children and young people to develop independence skills at their own

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Good

pace. Children and young people make significant improvement in developing skills that before were difficult for them. For example, one child has made progress to use cutlery. The continued support and encouragement from staff has enabled the child to be more independent. The progress made is recognised, no matter how small. Staff work extremely well with health professionals to make sure that the complex health needs of children and young people are met. Staff are skilled and trained to provide invasive care procedures, administer medication and move and handle children and young people safely. This means that children and young people continue to thrive regardless of the difficulties that they face. All children and young people attend school/college. Staff prepare children and young people for their daily learning by helping them to get ready in the morning, supporting with homework and providing daily updates to teachers. A headteacher

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Good

recognised the progress that a child had made since moving to the home and said, ‘His behaviour is better now. There is better communication with the home. We use an email system to communicate.’ This effective partnership working supports the positive learning experiences that children and young people have. Children and young people leave the home in a well-planned and organised way. Staff work in partnership with young people, parents, carers and social workers to guarantee a suitable placement is found well in advance of young people moving into adult services. As a result, young people move on in a caring and sensitive way. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘The care she receives is really good. The staff manage her really well. Her parents are always happy. Transition for her is a big issue. Staff are doing a really good job.’

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Good

Children and young people do not go missing from the home. Staff are clear about what action they need to take to report and return children and young people safely if they were to go missing. Staff work with the local police and share information about the vulnerability of the children and young people placed. This helps the police to take effective action in any event of a child or young person going missing from the home. Children and young people feel safe living at the home. Staff do their best to protect them from harm. High staffing levels mean that children and young people are provided with good levels of supervision. This keeps them safe. Staff take appropriate action to manage bullying and reinforce positive behaviour. They monitor and record bullying behaviour when it occurs. They help children and young people to air their differences and take responsibility for their actions. Sometimes, sanctions are imposed. However, the records are not always clear,

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Good

making the sanction appear disproportionate. For example, a sanction given was imposed for 48 hours. When reading the entry it contradicted the record and shows that the sanction lasted for 24 hours. This means that the sanction was fair and proportionate. Staff do not keep risk assessments up to date. For example, a child began to target a fire extinguisher that was located by the front door. Although they addressed and managed the behaviour well, no action was taken to update the risk assessment. This means that the behaviour may continue without a consistent approach from staff. When children or young people tamper with the fire extinguishers, staff relocate them to a cupboard. However, when this happens the fire risk assessment is not updated to reflect the changes. This does not guarantee that all staff know where equipment is stored should it be needed in the event of a fire. One young person needs a monitoring device during the night. Although staff have

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Good

consent to the use of the measure, there is no written evidence to show that the young person has been informed of the intention to use it. This does not guarantee that the child has been consulted. The manager has not received any complaints about the home. Children and young people are provided with a children’s guide that helps them to understand how to make a complaint. It is available in the communication style of each child/young person. However, not all children and young people have access to appropriate advocacy support. This means that they do not have an independent person to advise them and ensure that they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. Two staff members have been safely recruited since the last full inspection. The vetting process is rigorous and makes sure that all required checks are completed prior to them starting employment. This guarantees that unsuitable candidates do

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Good

not have access to children and young people. As a result, children and young people are protected from harm. Investigations into allegations are completed in partnership with external professionals. The manager takes quick and effective action to respond to allegations. This protects children and young people. A social worker said, ‘All steps were taken to safeguard the child.’ There has been some use of physical intervention. All staff are trained in the use of physical intervention and it is only used as a last resort. The records show that the use of physical restraint is reducing. This means that children and young people are managing their behaviour better. Young people receive praise and reward for their achievements. Staff continuously recognise the small steps that children and young people make. By offering praise and reward, children and young people feel proud of their achievements. This encourages their development and raises their self-esteem.

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Good

The leadership and management arrangements are good. The registered manager is suitably qualified and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership for health and social care and children’s and young people’s services. She has been in post for two years and has over 10 years’ experience. There is also a qualified deputy manager who supports the leadership arrangements. The staffing arrangements further support the effective running of the home. Most members of staff are suitably qualified and hold a level 3 diploma or national vocational qualification in caring for children and young people. Those members of staff who are working towards the qualification are expected to complete it in the required timescales. The staffing arrangements make sure that children and young people are provided with good continuity of care. When there are staff shortfalls, the manager makes sure that casual staff used are known to the group dynamics. This reduces the

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Good

impact on full-time staff taking on more hours, eradicates the use of agency staff and provides children and young people with familiar faces to support their care needs. The staff and the manager are suitably trained, supervised and appraised. Staff feel supported and listened to by the manager and deputy manager. There is an open door policy that provides staff with the opportunity to seek ad hoc supervision or advice when they need it. This strengthens the relationships with the staff and the leadership team and keeps everyone aiming to drive improvement. The independent visitor provides a monthly report following their monitoring visit to the home. This helps the manager in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the service. The quality of care is reviewed accordingly by the manager following her own monitoring of the home. As a result, improvements are made and a home development plan is continually revisited. This helps the service to review how it

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Good

will continue to succeed in providing good-quality care to children and young people. The manager and her team work extremely well with partner agencies. The effectiveness of their good communication and information sharing improves the life chances of the vulnerable children and young people in their care. As a result, children and young people continue to benefit from stable and settled placements. The home is located well and has good access to the community and local services to meet the complex needs of all children and young people placed. This gives them the opportunity to experience a fulfilling life without restriction. The manager has good oversight of the progress of the children and young people because she has a hands on approach and leads by example. The progress of children and young people is monitored well. Key working books are a good example of tracking their life journey. Staff use photos to capture the small but relative steps that

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Good

children and young people make. This effective tool allows the manager to assess progress and share it with other relevant parties. The home is well maintained. It provides a warm and welcoming feel to all who live and work there. There is sufficient space in and out of the home for children and young people to relax and enjoy themselves. The manager has addressed the requirements made at the last inspection. Behaviour is monitored and sanctions are imposed where relevant. The health and safety monitoring is completed monthly. This ensures that any defects are reported and rectified quickly. All DVD material in the home for the use of viewing is appropriate to the age of the child.

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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 that 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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