Children's home run by Rosedale Children’s 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:

 Young people receive positive, nurturing care that supports all aspects of their development.  Young people experience well-prepared transitions when moving into the home. Their views are sought and they are made to feel wanted and welcome.  Staff and managers are open to learning from young people. They adjust the care offered in order to meet the needs of individuals.  Young people settle quickly into the home. They make good progress in education and in managing their emotions.  Care given to young people is regularly reviewed and reflected upon. An experienced manager provides strong leadership to a committed staff team.  Managers and staff act as effective advocates for young people.

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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 with the given timescales.

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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 signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (the statement of purpose) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’), has signed the record to confirm it is accurate and, within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(ii)(c)) 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and should 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) With particular reference to missing-from-home information being kept in one accessible format and to evaluation of information emerging from return home interviews. Also, care planning documents need to be updated in a timely manner.

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Recommendations

 Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert to any signs that a child might be in any way at risk of harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Recommendations

With particular reference to all staff receiving basic and more advanced training in child sexual exploitation and all staff evidencing that they have read risk assessments.

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Recommendations

 Staff need to have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.11)

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

With particular reference to the purchase of new mattresses.

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run and owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/09/2016 Interim Not judged 01/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/11/2015 Full Good 25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

A particular strength of the home is the nurturing care that young people receive. Through this warmth and sensitive care, young people cooperate with the boundaries and expectations that are put in place. As a result, they engage less frequently in behaviour that inhibits positive emotional growth and poses a risk to their safety. Young people learn to trust the adults who care for them.

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Good

Young people make progress in attending education and begin to develop aspirations for their futures. Staff establish good routines for young people. These support their health and learning.

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Good

Young people are given age-appropriate opportunities to manage allowances and are supported to make choices and decisions over how this money is pent. This encourages the development of skills and confidence that they will need in adulthood.

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Good

Staff ensure that young people are offered services that are appropriate to their needs. Staff act as good advocates and challenge other agencies to ensure that support is both timely and coordinated.

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Good

Young people feel welcomed into the home and quickly demonstrate commitment to it being their home. They take ownership through being encouraged to suggest new furnishings and to decorate their bedrooms to reflect their personalities and tastes.

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Good

Staff encourage young people to take an interest in their cultural heritage and this strengthens their sense of identity. Safe contact for young people with family and friends is promoted and supported by staff.

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Good

Young people are helped to understand the reasons why decisions are made that may not always reflect their wishes. They are helped and supported to develop insight into behaviour that may pose a risk to their welfare and to understand any restrictions that may be in place.

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Good

The home has recently undergone complete refurbishment. It presents as well decorated and homely. Mattresses however do not provide the comfort that young people would like and a recommendation has been made to this effect. Judgement grade

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Good

Young people are supported to make safe, age-appropriate decisions. Young people feel safe at the home. Staff spend time with young people, and offer advice and guidance in order to increase young people’s levels of awareness and safe decision-making.

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Good

Specific concerns such as child sexual exploitation are appropriately referred to specialist agencies for input and advice. Staff are clear about their responsibilities with regard to young people’s safety and they work consistently within agreed protocols.

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Good

There has been only one missing-from-home incident and this concluded with staff being able to persuade the young person to return back to the home. Staff are extremely pro-active in ensuring that young people are kept safe and that their whereabouts are known. Staffing levels are reflective of young people’s risk assessments and there is prompt liaison with other agencies to ensure that information is shared and updated.

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Good

Staff clearly understand the risks that may challenge young people’s welfare and safety. Plans to reduce any risk are implemented by the staff. However, not all staff can demonstrate that they have read the risk assessments.

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Good

The system currently employed by the managers and staff to record incidents of missing from home leads to information being dispersed over a number of documents. This does not offer a clear overview of the incidents and the records would benefit from being drawn together to assist the process of monitoring and evaluation. In addition, there is currently no system in place for recording and utilising any feedback from return home interviews.

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Good

Not all staff have received child sexual exploitation training. Given the current risk profiles of some young people, all staff would benefit from this training and, in addition, more advanced training than that currently provided through e-learning formats.

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Good

Physical intervention is rarely required; only one incident has been recorded. However, the recording of this incident does not meet regulations. This is an administrative omission and does not affect the welfare or safety of young people.

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Good

The home has recently undergone substantial refurbishment. During this time the home was not accommodating young people. It became operational again in November 2016 and at that point the home changed the focus of its care. As the home now provides care to young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties, it would be beneficial to review and revise the statement of purpose to reflect and clarify this change in the direction of care.

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Good

The manager is suitably qualified and was registered to manage the home in 2011. She provides clear leadership and is passionate about the progress of young people. If young people are not making progress as expected, the manager first evaluates the care that is being offered and then makes adjustments where necessary in order to meet young people’s needs. A culture of learning is promoted in the home and staff are encouraged to continuously reflect upon young people’s knowledge and skills, and how these can be further developed.

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Good

The managers and staff carefully develop plans for young people. As a result of this thorough planning, young people make immediate progress on joining the home. However, planning documents need to be updated in a timely manner in order to reflect recent incidents.

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Good

The managers have systems in place to review all elements of care. This is underpinned by regular formal and informal supervision of staff. Staff are fully supported and challenged to continuously improve their care of young people. Managers ensure that other professionals equally fulfil their responsibilities towards young people. They challenge other professionals appropriately They provide appropriate challenge while maintaining child-focused, professional relationships.

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Good

The managers understand the home’s strengths and the areas that require development. Developmental areas are focused on the needs of the young people and how these needs can be met.

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Good

Referrals for young people to join the home are given careful and reflective consideration. This ensures that all aspects of care are explored and that staff are prepared for the arrival of young people. With regard to the planning process, one social worker commented: ‘The manager was really warm and child-focused. She did really well with the transition from their previous placement – and was really positive, proactive and involved.’

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Good

Although the manager and staff have a good level of insight into the needs of young people, some of the required documentation from the local authority is not on file. In addition, some staff do not have a thorough understanding of the educational levels that young people are currently working at. This limits insight into young people’s strengths and needs and consequently restricts recognition of any additional support that may be required.

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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, 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 Text phone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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