Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Hertsmere

Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 1 SC407326 Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private organisation operates this setting. The on-site school provides education for children of up to 16 years of age.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

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

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 10 February 2017

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because: Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 2  Risk assessments relating to children going missing from the home and the associated risks from the nearby road are not sufficiently clear or consistent with other information on the child’s case file.  Placement plans are weak and contain inaccurate information.  The home’s response to fire safety risks is not consistently good enough. The fire risk assessment contained inaccuracies and the home continued to use an appliance that was a known fire risk.  Information available to children regarding advocacy services is out of date and inaccurate.  The updated statement of purpose has not been submitted to Ofsted.  Recruitment records are, at times, unclear and, on occasion, lack objectivity.

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 A culture of staff training and development is emerging at the home.  The staff have a good relationship with the child in their care.  The children have access to therapeutic input from the service’s consultant psychologist.  The staff are mindful of children’s experiences as young carers and the need to balance increasing children’s independence while providing them with the opportunity to be a child.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/02/2017 Monitoring visit Requires improvement 11/07/2016 Full Inadequate 17/05/2016 Full Inadequate 04/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child and 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b).

p.3

Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that risk assessments are clear and consistent with other documentation regarding risks and responses associated with the proximity of the dual carriageway and children going missing. 14/07/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure 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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(d))

p.3

Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that any health and safety advice regarding appliances used in the home is followed. 14/07/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 14/07/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI 14/07/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 4 of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

p.3

Recommendations

 Ensure that records of restraint are kept and that the records enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly when any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

p.4

Recommendations

This is with particular regard to ensuring that any review and monitoring of an incident is carried out by people who are not directly involved in the specific incident being reviewed.

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

p.4

Recommendations

This is with particular regard to ensuring that records are clear and that those people who provide a character reference for an applicant are not involved in other aspects of the recruitment process for the same applicant.

p.4

improvement to be good

In February 2017, a monitoring visit took place to assess the provider’s progress since the previous inspection. The monitoring visit resulted in a change of judgement from inadequate to requires improvement to be good. Since the monitoring visit, an additional requirement was raised in relation to risk assessments. This was in response to a notification to Ofsted about a serious incident. At this inspection, the service is judged as requires improvement to be good. While there is evidence of improvements since the last full inspection, further progress is necessary to ensure that children receive a consistently good, safe and effective service.

p.4

improvement to be good

Since the monitoring visit in February 2017, two children have moved into the home. One child had two lengthy periods of being missing from the home during her short stay and only spent five nights at the home. At the point of this inspection, the second child had only lived at the home for three weeks. These circumstances mean that there is little evidence regarding the progress that children make at the home. However, some strengths were observed during the inspection. The staff are able to establish good relationships with the children. They manage to establish a rapport quickly. Observations of interactions between the child, who did not want to engage with the inspector, and Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 5 the staff were positive. The child’s introduction to the home was managed well. The social worker was particularly pleased with this transition. The social worker said, ‘We took her [child] to see several places. She met the staff and within 10 minutes was

p.4

improvement to be good

chatting to them. She never does that. She usually clings to me.’

p.5

improvement to be good

The children’s placement plans are weak. The one child in placement has a plan that contains several inaccuracies. For example, the plan, which was completed on the day of her arrival, claims that she already has regular key work sessions and has friends in the home, despite there being no other children in the home. It incorrectly states that she is a non-smoker. Inaccurate and misleading plans can compromise the quality of care that children receive and limit the staff members’ understanding of the child’s needs.

p.5

improvement to be good

The two children who have lived at the home since the last inspection have not attended school. The manager is working with the placing authority to try and increase the education package for the current resident as her new school placement starts after the summer holidays. In the interim, the staff have ensured that the child engages in educational study each weekday morning. This has been a prerequisite to any other activity. The child adheres to this. This positive effort is helping to establish a routine for a child who arrived at the home without such structure in her life. The staff maintain an educational journeys log to capture education activities and progress. This will potentially provide useful information in the future.

p.5

improvement to be good

The children have access to therapeutic input from the service’s consultant psychologist. The effectiveness of this input has yet to be measured because the children have not been at the home long enough.

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff engage the children in one-to-one sessions. These include discussions about the children’s likes and dislikes and their wants and needs, as well as providing the opportunity to discuss issues such as bullying and child sexual exploitation. The staff appear genuinely interested in the children’s views and experiences.

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff are aware of the need to support children to develop their independence skills. The children have targets which are linked to independence work. The staff are equally mindful of children’s experiences as young carers and the need to balance increasing children’s independence while providing them with the opportunity to be a child. This well-considered individualised approach increases the potential to meet children’s developmental needs.

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff and the manager complete risk assessments for the children in placement. A recent notification led to the identification that a risk assessment was not fully consistent with other information held about the child. This inspection has identified a lack of clarity regarding the risk posed by the busy, nearby dual carriageway and children going missing. While the placement planning meeting notes include reference to a clear instruction to the staff not to follow the child if she approaches the road, this clarity was Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 6 missing from the child’s individual risk assessment and the location risk assessment. The lack of precision in the risk assessment means that there is potential confusion regarding staff responses to this high-risk situation which could put children at risk of harm.

p.5

improvement to be good

The management team has taken action to improve the quality of the building. This includes actions to respond to the risks posed by the location. A new fence and security lights have been installed. The manager has stated that he will not take children who have a history of putting themselves at risk on roads.

p.6

improvement to be good

The management team ensures that regular fire tests and drills take place. The fire risk assessment has been completed, although it contained inaccuracies. The manager corrected these errors during the course of the inspection. However, a clear fire risk existed because the home has been using a tumble dryer which the manufacturer has advised should be unplugged and not used due to fire risk.

p.6

improvement to be good

One child went missing twice during her short period living at the home. The second incident culminated in her moving placements. The staff team’s action in response to the incident was good. The staff stayed in contact with the child and travelled frequently to her suspected location to try to find her. The staff kept the multi-agency network up to date and welcomed the child positively on her return. The staff ensured that the child received return interviews and they challenged the placing authority’s practice, which they felt was not good enough. The manager has links with the local police officers, who have visited the home to discuss local going missing from home protocols.

p.6

improvement to be good

There have been no incidents of bullying because the children have been the sole residents at any one time. Discussions with staff show that staff are aware of and able to challenge discriminatory attitudes.

p.6

improvement to be good

There has been one incident when a child became distressed and angry. This related to a child’s arrival. The context of her anger and distress was clearly understood by the staff who supported her. There has been one incident of physical intervention. This was minimal and proportionate. However, the manager who reviewed the incident and undertook debriefings was also involved in the incident. This lack of independent scrutiny potentially compromises the integrity of debriefings and the depth of any subsequent learning.

p.6

improvement to be good

The staff and manager are clear that positive reinforcement is preferable to negative consequences. The staff who were interviewed as part of this inspection were clear about how they would respond should concerns arise. They are able to identify contact details for designated officers and are aware of whistle-blowing procedures. When concerns have been identified, the manager has shared these appropriately. The local authority designated officer spoke positively about the engagement with the service, noting improvements in practice over the past year.

p.6

improvement to be good

Recruitment processes include verification of references. However, the recruitment records are at times unclear. In addition, the practice of having the same person who has provided a character reference being involved in other recruitment checks does not Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 7 provide objectivity.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in post since July 2016 and he registered with Ofsted in February 2017. He has shown commitment to his own professional development and is undertaking the level 5 management qualification. He has attended safe recruitment training and training around managing child sexual exploitation (train the trainer).

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff and manager have high expectations of the children. The manager has a clear understanding of the children’s needs. The manager and staff are passionate about the children’s potential and are keen for them to succeed. The manager monitors the effectiveness of the care and he uses systems to identify the children’s progress and the effect of the care on the children. However, it is too early in children’s placements to demonstrate sustained and meaningful change.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, information about the advocacy and rights services provided to the children contained inaccurate and out-of-date information. Although the manager has now updated these documents, the provision of inaccurate safeguarding information is a concern because it has the potential to limit children’s access to support and advocacy services that are independent of the professionals who support the children.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The management team ensures that Ofsted is notified of significant incidents. An independent person carries out monthly monitoring visits and provides a report which gives an overview of the strengths of the home and areas for development. The home’s updated statement of purpose has not been submitted to Ofsted.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff and manager receive regular supervision and appraisal. A culture of training, learning and development is embedding itself in practice. The staff team has attended expected training courses and staff members have been enrolled on additional courses. This is positive. All of the staff either have or are working towards a relevant level 3 qualification in residential care.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from professionals is limited but generally positive. One placing social worker was very positive about the quality of the service that her child has so far received. The placing social worker said, ‘It is lovely to see her so happy and confident and positive. I am happy with everything. I have no complaints at all.’

p.7

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 differences 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 8 knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.7

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 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: SC407326 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: CareTech Community Services Limited, 5th Floor Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

p.9

Inspector

Ashley Hinson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC407326 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10