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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 1 SC037543

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of a number of homes owned by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was triggered by:  A number of significant concerns expressed by the police since the last inspection. The main concerns are staff’s inability to meet children’s needs, in particular that staff are unable to safely manage children’s behaviour and keep them safe without high levels of police involvement.  The police missing person’s coordinator highlighting a number of weaknesses in relation to record keeping when children go missing from the home. The main outcomes of the visit are that:

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This monitoring visit

 The home is in breach of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the associated ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.  The home is not a safe place for children or staff.  Leaders’ and managers’ oversight of the quality of care provided to children by staff is ineffective.  Record keeping is poor.  Leaders and managers fail to inform Ofsted of serious incidents when required.  The home is chaotic and there are serious concerns about staff’s failings to manage safeguarding concerns in the home. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 2 The home was judged requires improvement at the last full inspection, undertaken on 16 May 2017. Seven requirements were made as a result of breaches of the Children’s Homes Regulations (2015). In addition, a recommendation was made in order to improve practice in line with the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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This monitoring visit

including the quality standards’ (2015).

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This monitoring visit

The main finding of this monitoring visit is that the registered provider, leaders and managers and staff are failing to provide children with safe care. Staff do not offer children a consistent or effective approach to help them to de-escalate their negative behaviours. Staff are ineffective in supporting children to engage in safe and constructive behaviour. Through unsafe behaviours, the children put themselves and others at risk of serious harm. Leaders and managers fail to demonstrate how they can safely meet the needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership and management of the home are inadequate. There are serious concerns about the leadership and management of the home. Leaders and managers have failed to notify Ofsted of serious incidents in a timely manner. They have failed to provide appropriate support to the staff working to maintain the care of the children, and failed to ensure that staff are managed in a robust and consistent way.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to inform Ofsted of changes to the day-to-day management arrangements for the home. Following the last full inspection, the interim manager left the home. A new manager was appointed in June 2017. However, Ofsted was not informed of these changes as required.

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This monitoring visit

A number of children who live at the home display high levels of challenging behaviour. A rota was examined that covered a seven-day period. This rota confirmed a high level of staff working alone in the home. Some members of staff had been lone working for in excess of 24 hours. Although managers refuted this claim, they were unable to evidence that sufficient staff are on duty to meet the needs of the children living there.

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This monitoring visit

There have been a number of significant incidents when children have been physically challenging towards staff. Staff lack a consistent and effective approach to de-escalate children’s challenging behaviours. In addition, leaders and managers do not assist staff to learn from incidents or implement effective strategies to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring again. These weaknesses demonstrate poor management oversight. Furthermore, these shortfalls mean that opportunities for identifying trends in children’s behaviour, and subsequently implementing appropriate intervention strategies, are missed.

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This monitoring visit

Day-to-day record keeping in the home is inadequate. Records are often illegible, inaccurate and fail to evidence the up-to-date circumstances of life for children at the home. Records show that two children are currently accommodated at the home. However, further investigation found that one young person is currently Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 3 remanded in local authority secure accommodation. Records failed to evidence this. In addition, a staff member spoken to about this situation appeared unaware of the matter. The other child currently accommodated at the home is recorded as an ‘authorised absence’.

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This monitoring visit

Poor record keeping makes it very difficult to establish clear patterns of behaviour at the home. This is particularly concerning where there is serious evidence alluding to friends of residents staying at the home overnight without permission, and incidents of physical altercation between young people and staff members.

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This monitoring visit

Incidents of children going missing from the home remain high. Records show that there is consistent communication by staff with relevant professionals, such as the local police, social workers and family members. However, once children return to the home following a ‘missing’ episode, they frequently leave the home again within hours. This means that reports to the police that a child has returned are often inaccurate. Managers state that this is often due to their inability to make appropriate contact with the police when young people return.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/03/2017 Interim Not judged 22/11/2016 Full Inadequate 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 4

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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

The positive relationship is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff encourage each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; de-escalate confrontations with or between children or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c )(2)(iv)(v)(xi)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the paragraph in (1) requires the registered person to ensure-

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Requirement Due date

that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. In particular, that staff understand the actions to be taken when an allegation is made. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(v)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the paragraph in (1) requires the registered person to 01/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 5 ensure- that staff- take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. In particular, that staff strictly adhere to the home’s policies and procedures when children are missing. This includes completing missing person’s risk assessments. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the paragraph in (1) requires the registered person to ensure-

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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. This is includes ensuring that daily records are clear, comprehensive and a true reflection of all events. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

12. The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that –

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that managers use monitoring and review systems that enable them to have good oversight of records to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided. (Regulation 13(1)(h)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

If the registered person appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— (a) the name of the person so appointed; and (b) the date on which he appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(2)(a)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

(3) The requirements are that– (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment 01/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 6 procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

(3) The requirements are that – (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. In particular that the provider obtains two written references. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person must— (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. In particular, a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— (e) there is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

(4) The independent person produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

(7) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— (a) HMCI. (Regulation 44(7)(a)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place— (b) a person ceases to carry on or manage the home. (Regulation 49(b)) 01/09/2017

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Recommendations

 Take reasonable precautions when conducting room searches. In particular, that in every instance two members of staff are present. Staff are to maintain appropriate records of room searches. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 7 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: SC037543 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sherico Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd floor, 167–169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF

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Inspector

Juanita Mayers, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC037543 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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