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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 1 SC022880 Sherico Care Services Limited

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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 six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

 A number of concerns expressed by a designated officer about staff’s inability to take action to protect children from harm and abuse when they are involved in serious incidents.  Staff’s failure to inform Ofsted and relevant placing authorities of critical incidents.  Concerns expressed at the Ofsted case review discussion held on 17 August, 2017. These focus on staff’s poor safeguarding practices and their inability to keep young people safe from harm and abuse.

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This monitoring visit

 Staff’s understanding of child protection policies are inadequate and their practices are not safe.  The service has made little attempt following the 25 July 2017 Ofsted inspection to take effective action to ensure that risks posed to the child in placement are understood by staff and that plans are in place that help to eliminate risks.  Key records are inadequate and do not promote the protection and well-being of children.  There has been little effort to communicate with relevant placing authorities and police teams to explore joint strategies to help keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 2  There is a lack of management oversight of the service. Senior managers of the organisation are not aware of weaknesses in staff’s safeguarding practice.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25/07/2017 Full Inadequate 21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 3 A full inspection of the home was undertaken on 26 July 2017. The home was judged inadequate across all areas of practice. Three compliance notices were issued and nine requirements were made as a result of breaches of the Children’s Homes Regulations (2015). In addition, two recommendations were made in order to improve practice in line with ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ (2015). The date set for meeting the actions specified in the compliance notices and the requirements is 3 September 2017.

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Recent inspection history

The previous inspection highlighted that on 18 June 2017 staff were informed by the police that a child formerly living in the home had alleged that another child had forced him to insert sachets of illegal drugs into his body. The second child is currently the only child living in the home. On the second day of the full inspection, this child was arrested for human trafficking. The police released the child to the care of the home that same day. His arrest was in connection with the June incident. This monitoring inspection focused on staff’s ability to protect the child in placement and others from abuse and harm since his return to the home on 26 July.

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Recent inspection history

The main findings of this monitoring visit are that the registered provider, leaders and managers fail to provide children with safe care. Staff protection of children is weak and this does not help keep children safe. Staff fail to liaise with appropriate local authority personnel when serious incidents occur and they fail to take appropriate action when children make allegations against other children living in the home. Staff do not demonstrate a good understanding of child protection policies and procedures. Key records are inconsistent, inaccurate or missing. Some documents are not up to date. Leaders and managers do not have good management oversight of the home and poor child protection practices go unnoticed.

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Recent inspection history

Since the last inspection, staff have failed to update the child’s risk assessment document. The risk assessment seen on file at the monitoring inspection is dated 18 July 2017. This is the same risk assessment reviewed by the inspector at the full inspection. The document makes no mention of the allegation made against the child or implications for the safety of this child or of other children. The risk assessment inaccurately assesses the risk of abuse to others as ‘medium’. The home’s managers and leaders have failed to recognise the increased level of risk as a result of the disclosure of the former resident. Managers do not provide staff with guidance to manage serious risks posed to children.

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Recent inspection history

Since the last inspection, staff have failed to update the child’s behaviour management plan. The behaviour management plan is dated 19 May 2017 and is the same plan reviewed at the last inspection. The document does not mention the allegation or offer staff strategies to manage the child’s challenging behaviour, particularly towards other children.

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Recent inspection history

The home’s incidents book does not contain records of the June allegation or of the child’s arrest on 25 July 2017. There are no records of any team meetings held after June 2017. There are no team meeting minutes that include discussions about the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 4 allegation made against the child or his subsequent arrest for human trafficking. The staff team therefore has had little opportunity to discuss key child protection issues to keep the child and others safe.

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Recent inspection history

The previous inspection had highlighted deficiencies in some staff’s understanding of safeguarding procedures and practice. During the monitoring visit, some staff said that they had no knowledge of any allegation made against the child currently in placement. Other staff members said that they are aware of the allegation, but do not believe what the former resident has alleged. A member of staff commented, ‘The other young person makes things up.’ This same member of staff told the inspector, ‘Nothing has changed about how we work with (X). Nothing came of what the other young person said.’ Managers have failed to share with the staff team key information about the risks posed to the child and others. Managers do not provide the staff team with support and guidance that enables them to protect children from harm and abuse.

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Recent inspection history

There are serious concerns for the leadership and management of the home. The organisation’s management oversight of the registered manager and staff team’s child protection practices is inadequate. There is no record of senior management input or guidance to staff about improving safeguarding practice since the last inspection.

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Recent inspection history

The communication between the registered manager and senior managers of the organisation is poor. The home’s responsible individual and the organisation’s quality assurance manager say that they were unaware of the allegation at the time of the child’s disclosure. They both also say that they were unaware of the registered manager’s failure to manage the allegation in line with the home’s safeguarding procedures.

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Recent inspection history

Senior managers of the organisation do not review key records relating to the child’s care. This is to ensure that the quality of staff records are satisfactory. For example, there are no records of staff conducting any key work or one-to-one discussions with the child. This means that staff are not providing appropriate support that helps to reduce the child’s risk-taking behaviour. At the monitoring visit, senior managers were unaware of the absence of any key-work records.

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Recent inspection history

Leaders, managers and staff do not communicate with other professionals to explore joint strategies to help keep children safe. There are no records of staff contacting the police for relevant information about the allegation. There are no records indicating that staff contacted the placing authority of the child currently living at the home at the time of the allegation. Staff failed to explore significant placement and child protection issues with the consultant social worker who visited the child at the home on 31 July 2017. These shortfalls mean that staff continue to miss opportunities to work in partnership with professionals to keep the child safe from harm and abuse. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 5

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

A full inspection of the home was undertaken on 26 July 2017.The home was judged inadequate across all areas of practice. Three compliance notices were issued and nine requirements were made as a result of breaches of under the Children’s Homes Regulations (2015). In addition, two recommendations were made in order to improve practice in line with ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ (2015). The date set for meetings the actions specified in the compliance notices and the requirements is 3 September 2017.

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

Weaknesses identified in this monitoring inspection reflect similar deficiencies highlighted in the home’s recent full inspection. No new requirements are raised as a result of this monitoring visit. This is because an evaluation of the home’s effectiveness in resolving highlighted weaknesses will be undertaken after the 3 September 2017 deadline for all requirements to be met.

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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: SC022880 6

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

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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