Children's home run by Lioncare Limited in Epping Forest

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 1 SC014234

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Lioncare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned; it is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

A full inspection of the home was undertaken on 25 and 26 April 2017. The home was judged to be inadequate across all areas of practice. Seven compliance notices were issued on 15 May 2017. The date set for meeting all of the actions specified in the notices was 14 June 2017. This monitoring inspection focused on the organisation’s compliance with the steps identified in each notice.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, Ofsted made a decision to restrict accommodation at Seafields Therapeutic Children’s Home under section 22B of the Care Standards Act 2000 The notice has effect from 15 May 2017 until 3 August 2017. The restriction of accommodation means that no child or young person may be accommodated at the children’s home unless the child or young person was living there at the time Ofsted served the notice, and has continued to be accommodated there since Ofsted served the notice. The home must not accept any new admissions while this restriction is in place, including if a child or young person already accommodated moves placement or leaves and is accommodated elsewhere for any period of time. Ofsted is satisfied that the home has complied fully with the notice to restrict accommodation.

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standard (Regulation 7(2)(b)(iii))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice required the registered person to ensure that there is age-appropriate written information in the home, so that Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 2 children may contact an advocate without having to ask the permission of care staff; and that children have the means to contact advocacy services in confidence.

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standard (Regulation 7(2)(b)(iii))

Managers have addressed the steps within this compliance notice. Children now have access to advocacy services via a specific phone located in a private area of the home. Children do not need to ask the permission of care staff to access this phone.

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standard (Regulation 7(2)(b)(iii))

Children have been involved in the planning of this provision and have taken part in the production of age-appropriate written material in respect of advocacy services. The children’s involvement means that they understand the purpose of advocacy and understand how to utilise this support. This has resulted in the successful use of advocacy services by children placed in the home.

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(Regulation 11(2)(xiii))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice required the registered person to ensure that all staff complete anti-bullying and cyber-bullying training, and to review the training that managers and staff require to improve their awareness of bullying and to implement best practice to ensure children’s safety. When a child is identified as having bullied others, or as a victim of bullying, the home is to ensure that there is a written plan of work to address the issue of bullying with the children involved.

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(Regulation 11(2)(xiii))

The inspector’s check of records in the home demonstrates that all staff have completed online training in bullying and cyber-bullying. A further review of training needs has led to the organisation commissioning additional training for staff in ‘understanding and exploring bullying for professionals’. This training is booked for all staff to attend on 4 July 2017.

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(Regulation 11(2)(xiii))

Bullying is now a standing item on team meeting agendas in the home. The home has also introduced the ‘healing harm’ action programme to address bullying; this includes planned work with children identified as having bullied others, and with children who are the victims of bullying. Bullying is also included in children’s risk assessments. These additional safeguards appropriately guide staff to address children’s needs in respect of bullying.

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(Regulation 11(2)(xiii))

It is clear that work undertaken has had an impact on the ability of staff to recognise bullying. However, as no bullying incidents have occurred during the compliance period it is not possible to evidence that changes in practice have occurred. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 3 This compliance notice is met.

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(Regulation 12(2)(a)(i))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice required the registered person to ensure that managers and staff receive training to update their skills and knowledge regarding the assessment and management of risk, and that risk assessments include all relevant information associated with each child’s behaviour, needs and vulnerabilities. Managers are to ensure that they discuss each child’s risk assessment regularly with all staff. Furthermore, the home is to review and amend the format for risk assessing holidays away from the home, particularly in relation to sleeping arrangements. There were shortfalls in respect of complying with Regulation 12(2)(a)(i).

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(Regulation 12(2)(a)(i))

All staff have now undertaken risk assessment training. The inspector’s check of records in the home indicates that staff discuss each child’s risk assessment within team meetings and individually. Staff are updated when children’s risk assessments change and there is evidence of staff familiarising themselves with children’s updated risk assessments.

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(Regulation 12(2)(a)(i))

There were shortfalls in the quality of children’s risk assessments. For example, the risk assessment for one child included the risk of her sexualised behaviour, and guided staff in how to manage this. However, it did not consider the risk to this child from other children in the home. For another child, his risk assessment stated that he, ‘does not tell lies and rarely makes unfounded claims against other children’. Staff had failed to update this child’s risk assessment despite the manager concluding that he had made recent unfounded allegations against other children in the home. Documents examined by the inspector did not demonstrate that all risks had been identified, understood and addressed. Risk assessments showed a superficial understanding of the issues; they did not consistently cross- reference to other children’s risk assessments to ensure that staff were able to work with different and competing risks.

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(Regulation 12(2)(a)(i))

The acting manager had completed a thorough assessment in respect of the holiday arrangements for one child. However, she had failed to ensure that any assessment was completed for the other children. For one child moving to another of the provider’s homes, this failed to ensure his well-being and to demonstrate that the home had used learning from this inspection to improve practice in other homes run by this provider.

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(Regulation 12(2)(a)(i))

Risk assessments are core to ensuring the safety and well-being of children. They demonstrate the understanding that staff have of children’s behaviours, and guide them in addressing the difficulties that children face. Without work being done to help children to manage the risks that they face and pose, children cannot make Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 4 the progress necessary. Issues concerning risk assessments have been a consistent feature in many inspections, and the responsible individual and operations manager have commissioned and implemented training for all staff. This training has not led to improvements in practice.

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(Regulation 12(2)(d))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice require the registered person to take action to address the maintenance concerns identified, and to ensure that there is a system in place to identify, record and action health and safety hazards in a timely manner.

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(Regulation 12(2)(d))

During the monitoring visit, the inspector identified no visible hazards in the home. Managers and staff had addressed all maintenance issues identified in the compliance notice effectively.

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(Regulation 12(2)(d))

The inspector found that there is an effective system in place to identify and address any maintenance and health and safety issues within the home.

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(Regulation 13(2)(c))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice required the registered person to ensure that all staff and managers working in the home completed the training that they were due in childcare legislation, child protection procedures, risk assessment and management, management of allegations and the notification of serious events. The notice also required managers to undertake an evaluation of the effectiveness of the training identified. Also, to establish a process that will ensure that managers and staff update their knowledge in these areas of practice at regular intervals. There were shortfalls in respect of complying with Regulation 13(2)(c).

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(Regulation 13(2)(c))

The inspector’s examination of records in the home showed that all staff had received the training expected; there was evidence that dates for ongoing training were in place. The inspector was informed that an administrator monitors training attendance; she reminds staff that training is due and notifies their managers. The system to ensure that managers and staff update their knowledge at regular intervals appears to be suitable; however, this has not been in place long enough for evidence of its effectiveness. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 5 There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the organisation had evaluated the effectiveness of training undertaken by staff, including the impact of training on staff practice. The training administrator provided the inspector with feedback forms that staff had completed in respect of the quality of training. There was failure to collate this information, and the acting manager had not had

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(Regulation 13(2)(c))

sight of these documents prior to the monitoring visit. Evidence outlined above, regarding the failures in risk assessments, demonstrates that training has not been effective and that staff still fail to understand the complexities of risk assessment despite the training they have received.

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(Regulation 13(2)(c))

Compliance notice relating to the policies for the protection of children.

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(Regulation 34(1) and (2)(b))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice required the registered person to ensure that all staff and managers working in the home complete training on the implementation of the home’s child protection policy. In addition, that the home reviews why monitoring systems failed to identify that the relevant social workers had not been informed of a previous safeguarding incident. The notice requires the home to ensure that all actions taken in response to child protection concerns are recorded on children’s case files. There were shortfalls in respect of complying with Regulation 34(1) and (2)(b).

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(Regulation 34(1) and (2)(b))

The inspector was provided with evidence that all staff had completed the necessary training. The provider was also able to evidence that a recent incident was fully recorded on children’s case files.

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(Regulation 34(1) and (2)(b))

There were shortfalls in the home’s review of previous safeguarding failings, in which children’s placing authority social workers were not informed of an incident. The acting manager took appropriate responsibility for her failure to inform children’s social workers on this occasion, and this was discussed in her supervision session. However, no evidence was provided to show how future failures could be prevented through more robust monitoring systems.

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(Regulation 34(1) and (2)(b))

The failure to complete a comprehensive review and identify and address failings in monitoring systems means that the organisation is unable to demonstrate how they will prevent similar failures from occurring in the future, which is the underpinning principle of this compliance notice.

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(Regulation 34(1) and (2)(b))

This compliance notice is unmet. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 6

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36(2)(c))

The steps laid out in this compliance notice required that all measures are taken to protect information about children accommodated in the home, in particular with relation to accessing children’s information through electronic devices. In addition, the notice requires review and amendment of the home’s data protection policy to reflect the responsibilities that managers and staff have for keeping children’s information confidential, and for all managers and staff to undertake data protection training. There were shortfalls in respect of complying with Regulation 36(2)(c).

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36(2)(c))

There was no evidence provided to show that checks and audits were undertaken to ensure that staff have complied with instructions to protect data. On 2 May 2017, the responsible individual emailed all staff requesting that they delete from their personal phones the ‘GDrive app’ that the organisation had issued to all staff. This direction excluded the directors, service managers, headteacher, registered managers, deputy managers, senior teachers, and senior therapeutic carers, all of whom retain the ability to access children’s information from their personal mobile phones.

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36(2)(c))

The organisation has commissioned a new system of data management for children’s records; there is no date set for the completion of this work.

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36(2)(c))

The compliance notice required the review and amendment of the home’s data protection policy to reflect the responsibilities that managers and staff have for keeping children’s information confidential. This policy update has not been completed to timescale.

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36(2)(c))

The compliance notice also required all staff and managers to undertake data protection training. Evidence provided to the inspector indicated that all staff have been enrolled on online training in data protection; however, only four staff have completed this training. The acting manager has not yet completed this training.

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36(2)(c))

Senior managers have failed to understand the immediacy and urgency to protect confidential information about children.

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36(2)(c))

This compliance notice is unmet. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 7

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/04/2017 Full Inadequate 11/01/2017 Full Inadequate 11/05/2016 Full Good 26/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 186 Forest Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1EG

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Inspector

Lucy Chapman, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC014234 9 to 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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