Children's home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Hammersmith and Fulham

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The home has been without a registered manager since April 2016. A new manager was appointed and came into post, but left following the previous inspection. Interim management arrangements have been put in place, which have provided some stability and positive leadership for staff and young people. There is a need for a permanent manager to be appointed, to provide consistent, clear leadership and management oversight, and direction for the staff team and young people.  There is insufficient evidence of clear or detailed planning for young people who will be moving on from this home. Independence toolkits have been inconsistently completed for relevant young people, and do not provide a detailed sense of their current abilities or areas of need. This could undermine the success of future placements for certain young people.  Records relating to allegations made about staff do not provide full evidence

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

of what actions managers have taken. Investigations into allegations have been completed in a timely manner, but records held on staff do not reflect decision-making processes or outcomes. The previous manager failed to ensure that all relevant documentation was placed on each member of staff’s personnel files. There is a need for senior managers to ensure that recording is placed on staff members’ files retrospectively.  Some young people continue to refuse to engage in education. There is evidence of staff and managers working closely and proactively with education providers and placing authorities, but educational progress for some young people has been impacted on negatively. This undermines young people’s ability to make good progress academically.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people receive care and support from a dedicated and committed staff team. Staff clearly know the young people and their complex needs very well, and respond to them in a sensitive and caring manner.  Despite recent management changes, the interim management arrangements provide young people and staff with clear and consistent support. The deputy manager of the home is currently acting up as the manager for the home. Since taking on this role, feedback from involved agencies has been very positive about this person and the changes witnessed.  Since the last inspection and inadequate judgements, senior managers have worked hard to consider and address the identified shortfalls. Detailed action plans have been put in place, and all but one requirement from the last inspection has now been met. The organisation has invested considerable time and support in the home, and in ensuring that improvements were

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The children's home strengths

made in a timely manner.  Young people spoken with during this inspection were very positive about the care and support they receive. It is also positive that, following the last inspection, managers and staff met with the young people to consider the concerns raised by Ofsted, and to offer assurances to the young people. Communication with both young people and staff has improved, and there is now a feeling of inclusion and transparency between managers, staff and young people.  Improvements have been made to recording systems within the home. This has led to staff having more time to spend with young people. Young people report feeling better supported, and placing authorities also report a reduction in concerning behaviours of young people and a sense of increased stability. A member of staff now has the lead role for working with young people on bullying issues within the home. Young people have

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The children's home strengths

responded positively to this development and engaged well in direct work sessions.

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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

Provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response, and describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34(2)(d)(e)) 12/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

Appoint a person to manage the children's home if there is no registered manager in at the home. (Regulation 27(1)(a)) 12/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home's support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Information about this children's home

This privately-run children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/09/2016 Full Inadequate

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Requires improvement

Since the last inspection, developments have been made by managers and staff to improve the experiences and progress of young people. However, more work is needed to ensure these changes are enduring. Critically, this includes the need to appointment a permanent manager to oversee these developments in the service.

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Requires improvement

For those young people moving on from the home to other placements or adult provisions, more work is needed to ensure that their current skills and abilities are known and clearly recorded. Current systems and toolkits for considering independence skills have not been fully or systematically completed. They do not provide a clear or detailed sense of the young people’s current abilities or needs. Further work is also needed to ensure that the young people’s transition plans and needs are accurately known and recorded. This will assist them in making a smooth and successful transition from this home.

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Requires improvement

All young people now have education or training provisions in place. Managers have worked closely with the placing authority and education providers to try to improve attendance and ensure that the young people have a clear routine in place for when they refuse to engage in education. One young person’s educational provision is not currently meeting their needs fully, but there is clear documented evidence now of meetings being held and work being done to address this. Involved agencies report improved communication between staff and managers at the home, leading to progress being made for the young people.

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Requires improvement

The young people report feeling well cared for, and feel they have positive relationships with staff and managers in the home. One young person commented, ‘The staff have more time to spend with us now, as they have less paperwork to do. I really like this and am happy living here.’ Following the previous inspection, staff and managers met with the young people to discuss the inspection judgements, and to provide reassurance of how they intended to make improvements to the care and support provided. This is positive, and reflects the commitment of staff and managers to ensuring that the young people feel included in all aspects of the care and support they receive. Staffing levels have been increased, to provide the young people with suitable levels of support and supervision at all times.

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Requires improvement

The young people take part in a range of social activities within the local community. Recording of activities offered and engaged in is now more comprehensive, reflecting the experiences and opportunities of the young people. The young people understand the systems in place for agreeing social activities, and report that they are fair and clear. This, again, reflects the increased attention by staff and managers in ensuring that the young people’s voices are heard and responded to.

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Requires improvement

Staff and managers ensure that the young people have regular and positive contact with family members and those important to them. They demonstrate a clear understanding of the agreed contact arrangements. They support the young people practically and emotionally to have positive contact with others. They also support the young people to have free time in the local community with friends, and enable them to take age-appropriate risks, in line with risk assessments and placement plans. This increases the young people’s sense of being valued and trusted over time. For those young people who do not have contact with family members, referrals have now been made for independent visitors. This will provide relevant young people with independent support and advice during their time in care.

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Requires improvement

The young people receive healthcare support and services relevant to their needs. Staff and managers work closely with health agencies and professionals to ensure that the holistic health needs of the young people are known and met. Currently, there is particularly close working with child and adolescent mental health services for relevant young people. Such services provide support and consultation to staff and managers on a regular basis, giving them clear strategies and methods for supporting young people who may be displaying risky behaviours. Regular meetings take place, with staff and the placing authority reporting a positive and effective relationship with health agencies.

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Requires improvement

Regular multi-agency meetings take place with staff, managers, the placing authority and other involved agencies to consider the changing needs of the young people. This is particularly evident in relation to those young people who go missing from care or who pose a risk to themselves or others. Such meetings consider the current and changing needs of the young people, and assist staff and managers in reviewing and updating risk assessments and placement plan information. This is leading to an improved sense of the needs of the young people, and informing how staff and managers can more effectively respond to those needs. There is now a much clearer and evidenced sense of how staff and managers work with placing authorities, including how they challenge them and escalate any concerns they may have in relation to placed young people.

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Requires improvement

Placement plans and risk assessments now reflect the young people’s current needs, and have been regularly reviewed and updated by the interim manager. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and reflects the commitment of managers in ensuring that the young people’s records are accurate and reflect how staff will respond to their needs. Managers have made some changes to recording systems and documentation, which has led to improvements. Staff report that there is now less duplication of records, and the young people report that staff have more time to spend with them. This is a very positive improvement, and records now better reflect the progress made by the young people in all areas of their lives.

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Requires improvement

The young people know how to make a complaint, and those spoken with during this inspection reported confidence in doing so and in the response of managers. Since the last inspection, managers have considered all previously reported complaints, and have ensured that records reflect all actions taken and outcomes. The young people have been advised of the outcomes of their complaints, and their views on this have been sought. This is important in order for the young people to feel that any concerns or issues they have are responded to in a timely and robust manner.

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Good

The young people report feeling safe and protected by staff and managers in the home. Risk assessments now reflect the young people’s current and changing needs. Managers now consider risk assessments on a regular basis, reviewing and updating them. New systems are in place requiring staff to sign to confirm that they have read and understood changes to assessments and plans. This provides a detailed account of any concerns, the actions taken to reduce any actual or potential risk, and how staff should respond to the young people.

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Good

Managers work closely with the placing authority and police in relation to those young people who go missing from care. The missing person’s police officer was spoken with during this inspection. They report a positive and close working relationship with staff and managers. Regular multi-agency meetings enable all involved professionals and agencies to consider the needs of relevant young people, and to make adjustments to risk assessments and plans. Incidents of missing from care have reduced, and staffing levels have been increased to provide greater support for those most vulnerable young people. Key work sessions have taken place with the young people, to consider their concerning behaviours. Incentives enable the young people to consider their own behaviours and to work towards rewards for positive behaviour. This approach is working well and the young people themselves appreciate the opportunity to address their own

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Good

concerning behaviours with staff support.

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Good

Staff understand the young people well and respond to their complex needs well. Risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance as to how to respond to young people at times of crisis. There is clear information for staff to follow in relation to when a young person goes missing from care. Staff diligently follow such plans and risk assessments, and display a good level of skill and competence. Placing social workers report confidence in how staff respond to the young people and their concerning behaviours. They report that staff provide timely and regular updates on any missing incidents or other concerning events. They feel that the interim manager has been particularly diligent in working with them, and in ensuring that strong multi-agency practices are embedded.

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Good

Since the previous inspection, managers have made improvements to the recruitment and recording of new staff to the home, including agency staff. Full and detailed information is now held on all permanent and agency staff members. This prevents unsuitable people from being recruited and having the opportunity to harm young people. Managers have also considered the need for consistency of care for the young people, and have ensured that there is consistency of agency staff used in the home. The young people report feeling well supported by both permanent and agency staff.

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Good

Since the previous inspection, a member of staff has been given the lead for considering and responding to any incidents of bullying reported by the young people. This role has been a positive addition, and includes direct work with all the young people now being done on a regular basis. The young people have engaged well with this work, and report feeling confident in how staff will respond to any concerns they may have. The designated member of staff has carried out extensive research, and produced information to support the young people and staff.

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Good

New systems for recording any reported concerns about bullying have also been implemented. This will better enable staff and managers to support the young people in reducing and eradicating bullying incidents, either within the home or elsewhere. Senior managers are currently sourcing additional training on bullying for all staff, to supplement the work being done by the designated member of staff, which is a positive step.

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Inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since April 2016. A manager was appointed and came into post earlier this year, but resigned following the last inspection. This means that the home has now been without a registered manager for over 26 weeks, leading to the judgement of inadequate in this area. The deputy manager is currently acting up as the manager, pending a new appointment being made to the position. He has previously been a registered manager for a similar provision, and has provided stability and positive interim leadership. Given the recent concerns relating to the care and support provided to the young people in this home, there is a need for a suitably experienced and qualified permanent manager to be appointed as a matter of priority.

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Inadequate

A large number of shortfalls were identified at the previous inspection. Senior managers within the organisation implemented a detailed action plan and have worked hard to address the identified areas of concern. At the previous inspection, recording of information was a significant concern, in relation to both the young people’s and staff files. There have been improvements in relation to this noted at this inspection. Care and placement plans have been reviewed and updated with the placing authority on a regular basis. There is now much clearer evidence on files of managers challenging partner agencies when needed. This is leading to improvements in the progress made by the young people.

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Inadequate

Management oversight and scrutiny of all aspects of the care provided to the young people has improved. Monthly visits by an independent visitor provide very detailed and comprehensive reports and actions for improvements. The interim and senior managers within the organisation have fully considered and responded to the monthly reports. This is providing a clearer sense of how staff and managers are considering and responding to the needs of the young people.

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Inadequate

There have been no allegations made in respect of staff since the last inspection. Senior managers have considered the records from previous allegations, but have yet to fully ensure that records reflect the investigation processes or actions taken. The action set at the previous inspection has been re-set, as there is a need to ensure that records relating to allegations contain full and detailed accounts of steps taken by managers to ensure that the young people have been kept safe and that staff have been supported through the process.

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Inadequate

The interim manager has ensured that the register of children includes full information. This now includes details of previous addresses of placements prior to them moving to live at this home. Notifications of relevant incidents have been reported to Ofsted and other relevant agencies. The interim manager now ensures closer scrutiny and management oversight of all incident reports, with all relevant ones being reported to the correct agencies in a timely manner. Placing social workers report increased confidence in this area. They state that the interim manager is very diligent in ensuring that contact is made with them about all relevant incidents. This view is also supported by the police, who similarly report that they are appropriately contacted in relation to any relevant concerns about young people placed in this home.

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Inadequate

The location risk assessment for the home and surrounding areas has been reviewed and updated. It now includes clear information in relation to farm buildings and planned shooting parties in the local area. Staff have been provided with clear guidance as to what action they should take, in the event of a young person going missing during a planned shooting party on the estate where the home is located. Dates of all planned shooting parties have been placed in the home diary, and contact details of the lead person for the shoots provided to all staff.

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Inadequate

Staff report feeling well supported by managers. They receive regular supervision of a good quality, and have access to a range of direct and online training opportunities. Staff morale was affected by the previous inspection, but this is now improving and staff report confidence in the interim manager and senior managers. They have been fully included in discussions and meetings to consider the areas of concern, and feel that positive changes have been made to how the home is run.

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Inadequate

The interim manager has implemented a new system for undertaking daily checks of the premises. This has led to improvements in the internal and exterior areas of the home and grounds. Staff now take on more responsibility for ensuring that the home is maintained to a high standard each day. The home now presents as well maintained throughout. The young people have been involved in making improvements to their bedrooms, and report feeling happy with how the home is presented. Staff hold regular meetings with the young people to consider their wishes, views and feelings. There is now a ‘You said, we did’ board in the games room. This reflects what the young people have said or asked for and the responses of staff and managers. This is positive, and reflects that the young people feel listened to.

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Inadequate

Maintenance and repair works have been completed in a timely manner since the previous inspection. The interim manager ensures that a clear record is made by staff of any damage or repairs needing to be undertaken. Such work is then commissioned and completed quickly. This has led to the home presenting in a much more welcoming way, and in the young people having pride in their home.

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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 children looked after 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 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 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

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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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