Children's home run by Oak House Children's Home Limited in Redbridge

Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 1 SC467847 Registered provider: Oak House Children’s Homes Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to five girls who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 1 December 2016

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home has not had a registered manager for over a year. The home needs strong leadership and management.  The levels of children going missing from the home, or absent without permission, are high and sexual exploitation is a risk to some. Although there is good reporting to the police, staff need to do more to reduce the risk to children.  The sudden departure of the previous interim manager, and three staff, has badly affected some children.  Management monitoring of the home does not take place. Checks by an independent visitor are not sufficiently robust in finding the weaknesses in this service.  Managers do not keep up with changes in regulation and the introduction of the quality standards. Most paperwork is out of date.  Behaviour management is not always effective.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The interim manager is getting to grips with the home’s strengths and weaknesses and is planning to make improvements.  A core group of staff have worked at the home for a number of years which provides some consistency to the children.  Children benefit from some positive relationships with staff. A teacher said, ‘Relationships between staff and children appear both nurturing and mutually respectful.’ A member of staff describes a strength of the home as, ‘Staff care about the girls.’  Children eat a healthy diet and enjoy meals shared with the staff.  Staff recruitment is good.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/06/2016 Full Good 25/11/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/08/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

7. The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) develop positive relationships with them; (b) engage with them; and (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) ensure that staff— (vi) help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. In particular, make sure there is preparation for children’s reviews, that the children’s guide is child-friendly, includes how children may contact their independent reviewing officer, and includes the correct contact details for Ofsted. (Regulation 7

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Requirement Due date

11. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and (c) positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 30/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 4 registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii)) 12. The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into

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Requirement Due date

account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In particular: ensuring that impact risk assessments are carried out considering the likely impact one child’s admission may have on existing residents and staff, particularly in terms of managing their behaviour so it does not impact on others and in reducing their exposure to child sexual exploitation; making further efforts (with other professionals) to help children understand the difference between consent and appropriate age gaps in relationships, child sexual exploitation and the risks to them of going absent without permission or missing; taking a more consistent approach (as a good parent would) to

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Requirement Due date

try to protect those going missing or absent, such as following them when they leave after curfew or taking the number plate details of any cars involved. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 30/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

(1) 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. (2) The registered person must provide a copy of the 30/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 5 statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request to— (a) a person who works at the home; (b) a child, or a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered; (c) a parent of a child, or a parent of a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered; (d) a child’s placing authority; and (e) in the case of a qualifying school, the Secretary of State. (3) The registered person must— (a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (4) If a home has a website, the registered person must

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Requirement Due date

ensure that a copy of the statement of purpose is published on that website unless the registered person considers that such publication would prejudice the welfare of children in the home. (5) Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (6) Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with— (a) any other provision of these Regulations; or (b) any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. In particular, making sure the statement reflects the matters in Schedule 1, is up to date, contains the correct Ofsted contact information and makes clear how far the service provided is therapeutic. (Regulation 16 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e) (3)(a)(b) (4)

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Requirement Due date

(5) (6)(a)(b)) The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; 30/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 6 does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. In particular, that supervision is regular and recorded, that team meeting minutes are available for all meetings, that all staff receive annual appraisal and that all staff achieve the training to support the home’s theoretical model. (Regulation 33

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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 6 months. (2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and 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. (3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). (4) The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

(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; and (b) make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. (5) The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for 30/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 7 ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 Staff should be aware that the purpose of Ofsted’s inspection of children’s homes is to assess the quality of care being provided for children. Inspection focuses on the outcomes that children are being supported to achieve. It tests compliance with the relevant regulations, and has regard to this ‘Guide’. Specifically, staff should work to the guidance and regulations and ensure that records and guidance reflect these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 8, paragraph 1.23)  Make sure that, 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. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’

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Recommendations

impression. Specifically, improve the appearance of the garden, repair the trampoline, and review the suitability of barbed wire in the garden, the payphone and notice in the lounge and of lists of rules which may appear institutional. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn, emphasising the value of independent study and reading for enjoyment. The home must make available suitable facilities, equipment and resources for learning and ensure that the home’s routines do not form barriers to children wishing to use the home’s resources to study. Staff must support children with home study by encouraging them to learn independent study skills and helping them to practise those skills. Specifically, that children do not take part in other non-learning activities such as shopping during school time; that children have access to a wider range of books

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Recommendations

which interest them; that children have a quiet, equipped space to study away from the classroom; that children have more opportunities to learn outside of school time; and that one child’s behaviour does not disrupt others’ learning in the classroom. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.18)  Make sure that staff take account of information provided by independent return home interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child, and evidence that these interviews have taken place in the home’s records. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. Specifically, make sure that professionals such as social workers and youth offending team staff are notified, including in writing, without

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 8 delay, of serious events or of changes affecting children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  Ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the home’s care. Specifically, making a more robust assessment of children’s safety and making recommendations to help the service develop where there are shortfalls. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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improvement to be good

The sudden departure of the interim manager and some staff affected the children’s well-being. For some, it led to a decline in their progress because they felt rejected and lost trust in the staff. Police regard this sudden staff turnover as having a direct impact on some children going missing, including from school, and being subject to sexual exploitation. Social workers feel that the children are slowly coming to terms with the shock and their feelings of loss. One child said of their home, ‘It’s gone from four stars to two.’ Some children have been involved in sexual exploitation due to other children’s influence. Although the staff assess children before admitting them to the home, they do not clearly evidence the likely impact of one child’s admission on the existing residents. A police officer believes that admitting no more than one child at a time who is subject to sexual exploitation may help reduce the risk to other children.

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improvement to be good

For a few children, this is a successful placement because it is the place where they have lived for the longest period. Others are relatively new to the home. One child moved on successfully from the home, remains in touch with the staff and looks back on their time in the home positively. However, another child’s placement ended as the staff could not meet her needs, so she experienced disruption. Children’s progress in learning to manage their own behaviour varies. One child’s social worker reports a significant reduction in the child’s challenging behaviour. A teacher states that a child she teaches ‘has many challenging issues and, in my opinion, they are working really well to support her in these’. However, the impact of some children’s behaviour on others has been negative at times. For example, some children have felt ‘harassed’ by noise and disruption. This includes disrupting their education in the home’s

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improvement to be good

classroom. Children do not have an equipped, quiet place to study in the home as an alternative to the classroom when this happens. Children report feeling generally safe in their home and the local area. A recent reduction in self-harm has improved some children’s well-being. They feel calmer in the home and better able to express their feelings in words. There is good engagement with Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 9 the child and adolescent mental health services to support children’s mental and emotional health. Education attendance is variable. One child attended school with good attendance until the time staff suddenly left. Their attendance is now improving. Another child is applying for a college course and follows a programme from the virtual headteacher in the meantime. Attendance is reasonable for one and poor for another child, despite staff encouraging them to get up and attend class. Staff give children mixed messages at

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improvement to be good

times about the importance of attending their education, such as when house meetings or shopping trips take place during school hours. Children develop some independent living skills. They learn to manage their laundry and clean their bedrooms and other parts of the home. They help staff prepare meals and clear away afterwards. Staff also support them to deal with other services, such as making their own appointments. A social worker said that they would like to see children develop further skills, such as adding up the cost of items in shops and budgeting for the food shop with staff. Staff arrange activities which reflect children’s interests. Some children may refuse to take part in most activities, preferring to do things with their friends outside of the home, although all had enjoyed a trip to the local park to enjoy a sunny day. Staff hope to give the children the experience of a holiday abroad later this year.

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improvement to be good

Children generally like how their home looks. It is mostly homely and is clean. Some aspects appear institutional, such as lists of rules and a public telephone which no longer works. The garden requires improvement to make it look more domestic. There is barbed wire on roofs and fences, which appear institutional. Children say they would like their trampoline repaired, to have a punch bag on which to express their anger and to have a more attractive garden.

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improvement to be good

The home has high levels of children going absent without permission or missing from the home. Police say the home has the fifth highest figure in the three boroughs, and one child has the highest levels of going missing out of all the boroughs. In context, there is some improvement as this child is missing or absent for shorter periods, will remain in touch with staff when away, and is involved in less risky behaviour than in the past. The staff report episodes of children going missing or absent appropriately. However, they need to do more to help reduce episodes, such as acting like good parents by following children when they leave after their curfew time or noting car number plates more consistently. In addition, staff do not always record information from independent return home interviews to make use of findings to reduce incidents of going missing or Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 10

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improvement to be good

absent. Some social workers regard the curfew times as too late, particularly on school nights. Behaviour management is not always effective. Staff help children to resolve conflicts with restorative justice sessions. They give children appropriate rewards to recognise positive behaviour. Staff follow plans to manage behaviour, such as disengagement. However, this is not always successful. While staff understand how children’s behaviour reflects their emotions, they do not always step in to prevent disruption or aggression. Sometimes, one child disrupts education and the teacher finds it ‘impossible for them (children) all to be in the same classroom’. An independent reviewing officer said staff ‘encourage and give rewards. They try to tackle some behaviour, but could be more proactive with trying to get her (child) to achieve.’ The home’s psychotherapist has also left the home, which means staff do not receive therapeutic input in planning how to

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improvement to be good

support children. Staff work with children to help them understand the risks of substance abuse. Staff try measures such as room searches and supervised spending to discourage drug use, and make referrals to support agencies. Some children engage well with this type of intervention. However, a minority are not ready to accept such support and their drug and tobacco use has increased. Staff help children to have better sleep by introducing new routines, such as encouraging a relaxing bath and reading them a story. The older children sometimes read stories to younger ones, giving them an opportunity to be nurturing and kind to others.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment is thorough and ensures that new employees are safe before they start work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management are inadequate. The home has not had a registered manager since April 2016. Management monitoring of this service has not taken place since March 2016. This has led to a decline in the service. Visits by an independent person have taken place regularly. However, they have not been sufficiently robust in defining weaknesses or assessing children’s safety when children have, in fact, been at risk at times while missing from the home or absent without permission. The sudden departure of the previous interim manager, her manager and two staff had a negative impact on the children. While accepting that sometimes such staffing situations may be unavoidable, social workers feel that staff should have informed them immediately so they ‘could work together to support the children’. Children feel strongly that they should have had an opportunity to say goodbye. Some now feel a lack of trust

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

in staff and fear forming attachments. An interim manager has been in post only since March 2017 and states that they intend to apply for registration. The interim manager has made a start in defining the home’s strengths and weaknesses. She has plans to set clearer targets with children and to Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 11 evidence their progress and achievements in order to build children’s self-confidence. An independent reviewing officer was ‘not clear about how much staff are achieving’ with her child. The interim manager has started supervising staff, but supervision records were not available. Staff have benefited from team meetings, but minutes are not available for all of these. Therefore, staff who cannot attend would not be aware of the outcome of these meetings. Staff do not benefit yet from annual appraisals. Staff describe their training as good, particularly recent training in mental health. All staff

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

have received training in basic counselling skills, but only about half have completed training in the model of working in which the home’s philosophy is rooted. This may prevent them providing the therapeutic input described in the home’s statement of purpose. Many of the home’s documents are out of date and do not reflect the amended regulations and quality standards. These include the home’s statement of purpose. This is overlong and does not include all required information. It is not clear if the home is operating as a therapeutic setting as described in the statement of purpose. An independent reviewing officer states that they ‘are not aware of the therapeutic input’. The children’s guide is also out of date and not particularly child friendly. Communication with professionals requires improvement. There is general agreement that communication about incidents, such as children going missing, is effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

However, there is sometimes a delay in providing written reports, and social workers and youth offending team (YOT) workers have to seek out information. A social worker said, ‘Communication is lopsided.’ A YOT worker said, ‘Staff are hit and miss with their communication.’ An independent reviewing officer reported being very disappointed that staff did not know of a review planned in advance and that no report had been prepared for this. Management did not meet the requirement and recommendation made at the last inspection. Therefore, this report repeats a requirement to register a manager and a recommendation to update documents and guidance to reflect current law and guidance.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 12 it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oak House Children’s Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o ABC Care Solutions, 249 Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 4TG

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Inspector

Jacqueline Graves, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC467847 14 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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