Children's home run by Chartwell Care Services Ltd in Islington

Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 1 SC468315 Registered provider: Chartwell Care Services 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 is registered to provide care for up to four children with a learning disability.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children experience stability and security in this home.  Children have warm, affectionate relationships with some staff.  A social worker is confident that their child is happy there and calls it ‘home’. Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 2 The social worker says, ‘The home is a nurturing environment.’  Children’s confidence improves and they make progress.  Staff work effectively with families and professionals in children’s best interests.  The home benefits from a stable management team.  Children make good educational progress. A teacher said, ‘School matters a lot to the staff.’

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/10/2016 Full Good 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 3

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

 Ensure 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’ impression. Specifically, review the displays in the home to ensure that they reflect a domestic environment and carry out maintenance speedily, particularly in providing bathrooms of a good standard for children and staff/visitors, and conducting repairs in children’s bedrooms. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Make sure that the registered person has systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

qualified and experienced professional. Specifically, that staff receive supervision regularly and in line with the home’s policy regarding frequency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Ensure that, where a child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, or statement of special educational needs in which a specific type of restraint is provided for use as part of the child’s day-to-day routine, the home is exempted from the recording requirement in regulation 35(4). Specifically, consider agreeing techniques to include in children’s plans with placing authorities and work towards reducing the high number of restraints. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.61)  Staff should also support children to try activities that are ‘new’ for them, where appropriate. Specifically, consider providing children with the experience of

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

holidays. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience stability. The breakdown of previous placements has added to some children’s emotional distress, attachment difficulties and challenging behaviour. However, placement breakdowns are not a feature of this home. Children can move in and be reassured that this is their home and that they are there to stay. A social worker finds the home to be ‘a secure and stable placement’. The home is reasonably comfortable. Some aspects could appear institutional, such as large displays on the walls. The bathrooms and some aspects of one child’s bedroom require maintenance. The staff feel that maintenance has declined since the maintenance person employed on the staff team left the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 4 Children feel secure in their routines. Staff help the children to understand what to expect each day. Staff talk to them and prepare them for any changes to their routines

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

very well. Good use is made of social stories to help the children understand things out of the ordinary, such as visits to the hospital. Professionals see positive change in children after they move into the home. Children gain confidence in what they can do for themselves. They are encouraged to be as independent as possible. Children help the staff to prepare meals, clean the house, manage laundry tasks and take more responsibility for their personal care. One child’s social worker said the child ‘now has conversations, engages with people and activities, has developed social skills, personal care and living skills. All areas that they struggled with and could not manage previously.’ Another child’s social worker said the child is ‘now able to form relationships – an amazing accomplishment’. Parents are very happy with the progress their children make. A social worker said that a child’s parents speak of the ‘very positive changes in behaviour, communication and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

interactions’. Another parent sees a ‘positive change’ every time they see their child. Staff strongly advocate for children to see more of their families. Children now have contact with their relatives more often. All the children participate in education. Two children attend school regularly and one receives tuition in the home. Tutors appreciate how staff work collaboratively with them to support the child’s education and reduce challenging behaviour. Although there has been a high number of incidents of challenging behaviour, professionals note a reduction in these incidents as children settle into their routines and feel safe. A teacher describes ‘great improvement in (a child’s) communication skills, including body language and eye contact. They are saying more words and expressing themselves rather than being physically challenging.’ Children enjoy a reasonable range of activities. They separately attend different youth

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

clubs, which helps them to mix with others and make new friends. There are trips out to places of individual interest to them, as well as group activities. A social worker reports that, ‘[Name of child] loves their room and enjoys activities. I have observed her interactions with staff and peers to be positive.’ Children have not yet been on a holiday from their home which would provide them with new experiences. Children’s health outcomes improve. They attend routine and specialist appointments to promote their good health. They are encouraged to eat well and be active. Children enjoy home-cooked meals that reflect their dietary or religious needs.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are safe in the home. A parent said that staff make sure her child understands ‘be clever, be safe’. They describe their child as ‘much happier’ in the home and says of staff, ‘They are doing a really good job.’ Staff empower children to give their views about all aspects of their lives and encourage them to make choices. A social worker described the home as ‘an outstanding placement for (child). The staff understand them exceptionally well, have learned and use excellent strategies with them.’ Staff are aware of children’s vulnerabilities and appropriately supervise them Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 5 when out in the community. No children have gone missing from the home or while on trips out. Risk assessment and regular health and safety checks, including fire safety, help keep the premises safe. Children are involved in fire drills so that they learn what to do in an emergency. Staff manage medication safely. Children are encouraged to participate in

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

taking their medication wherever possible to encourage their independence. Staff recruitment is thorough. The registered manager carries out all checks on new staff before they begin to work with children. Continuing supervision, including of agency staff, supports staff in their work. However, some staff’s supervision has not been as frequent as that of others recently. Staff understand children’s needs and help them manage their challenging behaviour. Physical interventions have been very high over the past year. However, these are recorded appropriately and the manager checks thoroughly that any intervention is safe and only used as a last resort. Each ‘touch’ during an incident is recorded, which may contribute to the overall high figure. Also, placing authorities have not included specific techniques which staff may use as part of a child’s day-to-day care in children’s EHC plans. Doing so would negate the need for staff to record these specific techniques.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

An independent reviewing officer said, ‘Restraints have reduced recently. Staff generally manage his behaviour very well.’ During the inspection, the only suggestion for improvement from professionals is that staff help children manage their behaviour more to reduce incidents of physical intervention. Staff have a good understanding of the particular vulnerability of children who have disabilities in regards to abuse. They receive training in safeguarding children. There is effective information sharing with professionals and an openness which promotes safety. There have been no allegations made about staff this year.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A social worker said, ‘Staff communication with the professional network and family is excellent. We receive regular reports, updates on achievements, and incident reports are never delayed. Children looked after reports are on time, detailed and relevant.’ Parents find the monthly reports on their children of particular use. These include pictures of their child showing their achievements and activities. Staff regard education highly. They want children to do well at school. They strongly advocate for children’s right to a full-time education. Staff make sure that children are smartly dressed and well prepared for school. A teacher said, ‘The staff are passionate about getting the best out of school.’ Training helps staff to meet the children’s needs. This covers mandatory training such as health and safety, as well as more specialist training, for example conflict resolution and administering medicines to children who suffer from epilepsy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A strength of the home is the way in which managers and staff work effectively with professionals and families. They gather sufficient information before a child moves into the home to make sure it is a smooth transition for the child. Managers and staff seek Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 6 solutions when children do not receive a service that they are entitled to. They help children move on when the time is right. A member of staff said, ‘We work hard with professionals because we don’t want children to move on and have more change in their lives.’ The main issue for managers is the recruitment and retention of staff and high levels of sickness. There has been a high turnover of staff, although a core team remains in order to provide children with stability. A member of staff describes working in ‘a really good team’. Effective use is made of agency staff, who now work regularly in the home and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

who know the children and their routines well. Nevertheless, the lack of a full, permanent staff team has a negative effect on staff morale and is frustrating for the management team. An experienced registered manager leads by example in the home. She has a sound understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. An independent person visits the home each month to check on what goes on. This provides useful, independent scrutiny and helps the service to develop. The registered manager conducts her own review of the service every six months as required. This is also useful, but the review could focus just on the matters currently concerning the home, such as staff retention and recruitment and physical intervention.

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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 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: SC468315 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Chartwell Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Leigh Carr Chartered Accountants, 12 Helmet Row, London EC1V 3QJ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Branson

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Inspector

Jacqueline Graves, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 8 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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