Children's home run by Sherico Care Services Limited in Westminster

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness . The previous inspection highlighted a number of shortfalls, most of which remain unresolved and are repeated at this inspection. This does not demonstrate that the home has the capacity to improve the quality of its services. Currently, one child is in placement at the home. The service has an appointed manager, who is in the process of being registered with Ofsted. Children generally feel that staff are able to meet their needs and are interested in their welfare. They feel listened to and share good relationships with some staff members. Children know how to make complaints and are happy with their surroundings. They indicate that they neither feel safe nor unsafe at the home and that they are responsible for their own safety. Children do not participate in

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

planned recreational activities, preferring to pursue leisure activities with their peers, independent of the staff team. The previous inspection resulted in three requirements and four recommendations. The last inspection highlighted the need for staff to adhere to the organisation’s missing person’s policies and procedures. In particular, to ensure that staff complete the missing person’s risk assessments. This is to assist the local police team with their search for missing children. This inspection finds that in every episode where children went missing since the last inspection, no missing risk assessment was completed. The requirement is therefore repeated. The last inspection highlighted the need for staff to notify Ofsted of key incidents as required by regulation. This inspection finds that since the last inspection, a critical incident involving a child being arrested and taken to the accident and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

emergency department with an injury did not result in a notification to Ofsted as required. The requirement is therefore repeated. The previous inspection raised a recommendation that children be informed of the outcome of their complaints. Since this time, a child has made another complaint. Staff cannot confirm and records fail to evidence that the outcome of the organisation’s investigation was shared with the child. The recommendation is therefore repeated at this inspection. The previous inspection raised a recommendation that staff consider the use of restorative justice to address children’s behaviour when it results in criminal damage. This is to help children take responsibility for their actions. Since this time, there have been further instances of children causing criminal damage within the home. For example, one incident resulted in the destruction of a child’s own case records. There appears to have been no consequence for this behaviour and staff

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

are unable to demonstrate how the child was supported to reflect on and take responsibility for his actions. The recommendation is therefore repeated. Staff are yet to repair or replace the broken communal computer as highlighted at the previous inspection. This is important to ensure that children have access to preferred leisure activities within the home. In the absence of a computer for communal use, children make use of the staff computer in the staff office, which is inappropriate. The previous inspection raised concerns regarding the service’s monitoring and reviewing systems. Since this time, senior managers have implemented a system to audit and review the quality of key records. However, management audits are completed off-site and so key records are not available for review in the home for the purpose of inspection or for other independent review. This includes Regulation 44 monitoring visits. Records of all recent critical incidents, including information

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

relating to a recent allegation against a member of staff, were not available. This practice is inappropriate as it prevents independent bodies from assessing the service’s ability to manage safeguarding issues effectively. Significant case records have been destroyed and more recent information, such as key work sessions and 1:1 discussions, has not been placed on file. Case records are therefore not an accurate reflection of work undertaken by staff with children. Concerns for the home’s monitoring systems are compounded by the inadequacy of Regulation 44 monitoring reports. These are insufficiently detailed and are largely a descriptive narrative with little analysis of the home’s functioning and operation. Monitoring reports do not comment on the home’s ability to safeguard children and promote their welfare as required. Information contained in monitoring reports is inaccurate. For example, the most recent report of February 2017 does not

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

accurately identify the home’s current manager, nor does it accurately reflect details of recent episodes of children going missing. Regulation 44 monitoring visits and reports do not provide sufficient overview of the service and so do not assist the home to improve its quality of care. The service is yet to provide Ofsted with an updated Regulation 45 quality of care review. Ofsted received the last review report in February 2016, which reviewed the quality of care of the preceding six months. The organisation’s leadership and management of the service are poor and this has had a detrimental effect on the quality of care offered to children. Significant service improvement is required if the home is to function effectively and improve the protection, experiences and progress of children.

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is one of a number of homes owned by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/11/2016 Full Requires improvement 14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/11/2015 Full Requires improvement 30/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 provider must: (2)(a)(v) ensure staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. In particular, that staff strictly adhere to the home's policies and procedures when children are missing. This includes the completion of missing person's risk assessments. 01/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered provider must: (2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, to monitor the adequacy of staff documentation in relation to missing children, the administration of medication and room searches. 01/05/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 15/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

Case records must be kept— (c) securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (2)(c)) 15/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and 15/04/2017 (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4))

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every six months. (Regulation 45 (1)) 15/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

(2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing an 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 (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)) 15/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must— (a) supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 15/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. In particular, that they are informed of the outcome of any complaint they have made. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home's policies on recording and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This is particularly in relation to medication records, room searches, key work sessions and information logged when children are missing. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 9.4)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside the home and are encouraged to participate in

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Recommendations

those activities. Staff should ensure that the home's computer for young people's use is promptly repaired. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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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 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 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

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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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