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

Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 1 SC022880 Registered provider: Sherico Care Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home for six children who have emotional and/or behavioural needs. The provider has five children’s homes registered with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they do not make sufficient progress.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2016

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is inadequate because

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The home’s safeguarding systems are not effective in keeping children safe.  Staff fail to liaise appropriately with local authority personnel when serious incidents occur.  Staff fail to take appropriate action when children make complaints or allegations against members of staff.  Staff fail to take appropriate action when children make serious allegations against other children living in the home.  Key records in the home are inconsistent and inaccurate. This is particularly in relation to complaints, daily log records, serious incidents, injuries to children and missing episodes.  Children’s experiences are not positive and children do not make good progress.  Leaders and managers do not have good management oversight of the home. This has a negative impact on the home’s functioning and the home’s capacity to improve.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Some placing authorities report that they are satisfied with children’s placements.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Requires improvement 07/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 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 with the given timescales.

p.3

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered provider must ensure—

p.3

Requirement Due date

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.3

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.3

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.3

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.3

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.3

Requirement Due date

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;

p.3

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 03/09/2017* Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 4 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; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff take appropriate action when children are involved in serious incidents or make allegations against staff or other children living in the home. In these cases, staff must liaise with the local authority designated officer and relevant placing authorities. Children’s case records

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

p.4

Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

p.4

Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to the records of serious incidents, daily logs, missing persons, records of children’s injuries, risk assessments, placement plans and behavioural management plans. 03/09/2017*

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 03/09/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.4

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to sexual exploitation;

p.4

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 03/09/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 5 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.4

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.5

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)) The leadership and management standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered provider must;

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

p.5

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(a)(b)(c)(h)) 03/09/2017*

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 03/09/2017

p.5

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered provider must ensure; 01/10/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 6 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.5

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably (Regulation 6(2)(b)(vii)) The care planning standard

p.6

Requirement Due date

In order to meet the views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered provider must ensure that children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) 03/09/2017

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation(33)(1)) 03/09/2017

p.6

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject of a compliance notice.

p.6

Recommendations

 Full records of restraint must be kept. The home’s restraint log must allow staff to record full information as specified in the regulations. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 7

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Most children’s experiences are not positive and they do not make good progress from their starting points. Children share good relationships with some staff, but make complaints and allegations against other staff members. Children do not feel safe in the home. One child complained, ‘This placement is not a satisfactory placement because I have been assaulted by staff and residents as well.’ Managers, unaware of this written complaint on the child’s case file, took no action to investigate or resolve this serious matter. This does not demonstrate that staff understand children’s wishes, feelings and experiences or that staff take effective action to protect them from harm.

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s educational attainment is poor. Most children do not attend school, although some engage in minimal alternative education and training. As a result, their learning outcomes are not positive. This is also the case for children’s outcomes in relation to their healthcare needs. Children do not regularly attend medical appointments or take responsibility for their own healthcare. Some continue to misuse substances. Children however, enjoy healthy, nutritional diets and sometimes participate in meal planning and preparation. This ensures that meals provided are to their liking.

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have opportunities to participate in planned activities. However, they rarely choose to take part, preferring to socialise with their friends. Children are often absent from the home in order to do so. As a consequence, the frequency of children missing or being absent without permission is exceedingly high and they are at risk of harm and abuse.

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children do not benefit from the home’s care planning systems, which should ensure that the home can appropriately meet the needs of children. In a recent example, the home accepted a referral for a child who required therapeutic input. The home is not a therapeutic service and failed to meet adequately the child’s complex needs. The independent reviewing officer said of this placement, ‘M’s current placement is not an appropriate match for his needs.’

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers do not consistently obtain local authority care plans, and the home’s own placement plans are not explicit in outlining how the home intends to meet identified needs. This is not in the best interests of children.

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Some areas of the building require re-decoration in order to make the home more homely and pleasant. There is a slashed settee, ripped cushions and broken lamp casing in the lounge. The walls of the lounge and some children’s bedrooms require re-painting, and holes in walls require filling. Children are not satisfied with the presentation of the home. Case records reflect that a child commented, ‘And the state I am living in at this time is unacceptable… My window didn’t shut and at night I’m cold. I have informed management but the issues have not been assessed or resolved.’ The home is not a comfortable, nurturing environment for children living there. Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 8 Staff’s communication with external professionals is generally good. They liaise with local authority social workers regularly. For example, staff provide social workers with weekly reports of children’s care and placement issues. Staff also share a good working

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

relationship with education professionals, youth offending team workers and the local police. However, staff’s communication with other key professionals, such as the local authority designated officer, requires improvement. This is to ensure that staff share information and seek appropriate advice when there are concerns for children’s safety.

p.8

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have the opportunity to develop practical independent living skills that help prepare them for adulthood. For example, some participate in shopping, meal preparation and completing their laundry.

p.8

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s family members and friends are welcome at the home, and staff make good efforts to support contact. Staff encourage children to develop and build on existing positive relationships and discourage relationships that are not in their best interest.

p.8

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

The protection of children is poor and children are not safe. There is evidence of significant bullying among children, which, in one case, resulted in an extremely serious incident. A child looked after review report states that the child’s mental health counsellor ‘confirmed she is concerned about M’s vulnerability whilst at his current placement. This includes his ability to form secure friendships and his ability to keep himself safe from negative peer influences.’

p.8

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

Managers are not aware of written complaints and allegations that children make against staff. Concerns about the home go unaddressed and, therefore, staff are ineffective in preventing the risk of harm to children. Managers do not take proactive steps to explore serious safeguarding issues when they emerge.

p.8

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

Staff do not record appropriate information regarding injuries sustained by children, particularly when injuries are a result of children fighting. This shortfall fails to ensure that the staff team is aware of the specific nature of any injury and is equipped to offer appropriate care.

p.8

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

Children are frequently missing from the home. Strategies to curb this risky behaviour are ineffective, and the frequency of missing episodes remains high. The recording of children missing or absent without permission is inconsistent. This does not help managers monitor trends or inform police intelligence about missing children.

p.8

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

The home’s communication with police units requires improvement if the protection of children is to be effective. In one example, staff failed to obtain critical information from the police about children in the home, allegedly involved in the coercion of others and the transporting of drugs. Staff further fail to involve the local authority designated officer to assist in keeping all children safe from harm. Records of the incident are poor and do not support effective safeguarding practices. Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 9 Risk assessments do not always identify the correct level of risk posed to children. This does not help to keep children safe. The home’s behavioural management plans are insufficiently detailed. This is despite clear information on referrals about some children having a history of extremely challenging behaviour, including assaults on staff. Furthermore, plans do not offer staff clear guidance on how to manage the challenging

p.8

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

Since the last inspection, staff have recorded no instances of restraint. While there are no such records in the home’s restraint log, other records suggests that this may not be the case. For example, incident records indicate that staff intervene to separate children when they are fighting. However, records do not evidence how staff achieve this. The home’s recording tool for restraints is insufficiently detailed and is not in accordance with information required by the children’s homes regulations.

p.9

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

Staff make appropriate use of incentives, sanctions and restorative approaches to discourage poor behaviour. This also helps to encourage children to take responsibility for their actions. Key work sessions and one-to-one meetings explore children’s feelings and encourage them to reflect on their poor and sometimes challenging behaviour.

p.9

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

The organisation’s staff recruitment and vetting practices are safe. Appropriate checks are undertaken on adults before they work in the home.

p.9

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

Staff routinely conduct health and safety checks and there are appropriate fire precautions in place.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant weaknesses in the leadership and management of the home. This has a negative impact on staff’s efforts to ensure that children receive safe care and that their welfare is promoted.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has a permanent registered manager in place. However, the registered manager spends her time between this home and others owned by the organisation. This has a negative effect on her ability to monitor and improve the home’s quality of care and outcomes for children. Shortfalls highlighted at the home’s previous inspection remain unresolved.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s monitoring systems are poor and do not enhance service improvement. Key case records are inadequate, inconsistent or incomplete: notably, records of missing persons, behaviour management plans, daily log entries and records of children’s injuries and of critical incidents. Leaders and managers fail to install effective audit systems to ensure that records accurately reflect placement issues.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s regulation 44 monitoring visits and reports are ineffective. These do not highlight deficiencies in the written recordings and staff’s poor safeguarding practices or offer managers’ corrective strategies. Crucially, these reports do not comment on the Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 10 staff’s ability to keep children safe or promote their well-being. This is contrary to the requirements of the children’s homes regulations.

p.9

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not consistently notify Ofsted of key events as outlined in the regulations. This denies the regulatory body an opportunity to review and confirm that staff and managers take appropriate action in response to critical incidents.

p.10

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality of support and guidance provided to staff is inconsistent. Staff supervision sessions are regular and meaningful. However, not all newly recruited staff undergo an induction. This denies them the opportunity to receive information and develop skills to enable them to work effectively with children. The staff team members either have appropriate qualifications or are currently undertaking them. However, staff training fails to meet all their learning needs. Recent training includes safeguarding and key working. The team is due to receive training in de-escalation techniques in the forthcoming months. Staff access the majority of training online. However, they fail to receive dynamic, focused training to improve their understanding of children’s complex and emotional needs. Furthermore, staff do not undertake training as a group. This means that the opportunity to learn and develop collectively is lost.

p.10

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Partnership working with most external professionals is normally regular and consistent. This is the case for communication with local authority social workers, youth offending team officers and education professionals. Feedback from social workers is largely positive. However, communication with local authority designated officers and some police teams is inconsistent. This does not demonstrate effective partnership working, and does not promote the welfare and protection of children.

p.10

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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

p.10

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: SC022880 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sherico Care Services Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2-4 Balmoral Road, Leyton, London E10 5ND

p.11

Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC022880 12 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.

p.11

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.12

Inspector

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

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12