Children's home in Southwark

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home has declined in effectiveness as, at the last inspection, several requirements were made which have been unmet. The first was for staff to manage relationships between young people to prevent them from harming each other. Further allegations of sexually harmful behaviour have been made and are subject to investigation. Without pre-empting the outcome of these investigations, this inspection found that risk assessments lacked rigour. It is also unclear as to whether the levels of observations and monitoring of young people have been maintained, as recommended in their individual placement plans and risk assessments. The requirement is repeated to address these shortfalls.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The last inspection also required that managers review the maintenance systems to ensure that the home is consistently well decorated and well furnished. There has been some progress, as some areas of the home have been improved in recent months by having new carpets and new furniture. In addition, funding has been approved and contractors commissioned for the renovation of bathrooms. This now needs to be actioned. Some items of damaged furniture noted at the last inspection have not been removed and there remain some areas of the home that require improvements in order to provide a welcoming home environment. The requirement is repeated to address these shortfalls.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspectors noted that a broken window in a communal area had not been repaired appropriately and, as a result, young people could have been harmed accidentally or deliberately, given some of their needs and behaviours. A further requirement has been set in relation to this issue.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some communal areas of the home are not accessible to young people, because they are locked. These areas include a TV lounge and the library. It is recommended that young people, subject to risk assessment, have free access to all communal areas of their home, as is expected in a domestic environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following a requirement made at the last inspection, all staff have received training in working with children who display sexually harmful behaviours. Managers and staff report that they have a better understanding of how and why young people may develop such behaviours and are able to distinguish between age-expected and harmful behaviours. In addition, a requirement that new staff are enrolled on an appropriate qualification course, within the agreed timescales, is being addressed. This ensures that young people are cared for by staff who have the appropriate knowledge and skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Morning and evening routines provide structure, and support young people to establish healthy sleep patterns. When some may have difficulty in sleeping, staff seek guidance from specialist health professionals. A range of stimulating activities in the community are available for young people. For example, they regularly go ice skating and swimming. In the home, the extensive grounds enable young people to develop their interests in gardening, nature and sport. The well-equipped gym is used by the majority of young people. Following consultation with young people, managers have recently purchased an air hockey table to complement the pool table and table football that are currently available.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The routines of the home support educational attendance. Young people with complex needs are making good progress from their starting points. Education staff work closely with care and therapeutic staff to support young people to overcome barriers to learning. Young people have access to individual and group therapeutic input, and are learning how to regulate feelings and behaviours. This means that they are engaging in school, developing social skills and forming positive relationships. Young people have improving attendance and they are achieving. Rewards and incentives are also used appropriately to encourage school attendance and reinforce positive behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is a low incidence of young people going missing. When it does happen, the appropriate procedures are followed and staff work well with the local police and case-responsible social workers. There have also been relatively low numbers of physical interventions. Staff are trained and only intervene as a last resort to prevent young people from harming themselves or another. Agencies and local resources report good partnership working, saying that staff are professional in their approach and follow the relevant policies and procedures.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people, including those vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, report that they feel safe at the home. They each have an adult in the home whom they trust and can talk to if they have any concerns. They report that they are confident that staff will protect them from bullying. When young people do experience bullying, staff act promptly and assertively to support the victim and challenge the perpetrator. Consequently, there is a generally pleasant atmosphere in the home. When young people have arguments or experience conflict, staff intervene quickly to facilitate a resolution. A range of strategies are used to help young people to maintain friendly relationships. Staff are sensitive to the impact of group dynamics and understand how to support young people to manage and respond positively to group living. Staff are also proactive in supporting and facilitating contact arrangements with friends and family, as agreed in their placement plans.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is an experienced, well-qualified registered manager. There have been changes to the senior leadership team since the last inspection and a number of therapeutic care staff have been recruited. The registered manager reports that they have a development plan in place to review all risk assessments to ensure that they are fit for purpose, to improve the consistency of records and develop care plan consultation further, and to identify patterns of behaviour and emerging risks. There is some evidence of improved placement plans, but these improvements are not yet embedded.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/07/2016 Full Good 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 04/11/2014 Full Adequate

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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 (2) The registered person must ensure: (a) that staff: (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. This is with specific reference to improving pre-admission assessment processes and post-admission risk assessments, so that sufficient weight is given to the risk of sexually harmful and sexualised behaviours. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (2) The registered person should: (c) ensure that premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to: (i) meet the needs of each child. This is with specific reference to ensuring that planned refurbishment programmes are completed in a timely way, and that maintenance issues are promptly reported and addressed. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (2) The registered person must ensure: (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. 31/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home, unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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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 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 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 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 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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