Horsebridge House

Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 1 SC452713 Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is operated by a private company which is part of the CareTech group, a national agency. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children‟s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff promote positive behaviour; boundaries are being implemented and staff provide the young person with continuity and consistency of care. However, this practice needs to embed further for the young person to develop socially aware behaviour and positive responses to adults.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff collect data in relation to incidents in the home. However, the data has not been fully evaluated in order to identify any patterns and trends in relation to the behaviour of the young person.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager has not devised the missing from home protocol in conjunction with the placing authority and the police.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager has not consulted with the young people when reviewing the quality of care and, in addition, has not clearly identified how improvements can be made.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Despite encouragement from staff, the young person is regularly refusing to engage in the planned activities, both inside and outside the home. Staff need to explore additional ways to engage the young person.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some of the records kept by staff require improvement.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff place the needs of the young person at the centre of their practice and the registered manager ensures that the young person receives good quality care and support.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person says that he feels safe living at the home and that staff listen to him. He knows how to make a complaint, but he says he has not felt the need to do so.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young person is engaging in full-time education. This is an improvement from his starting point. Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 05/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 31/05/2016 Full Inadequate 16/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 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

11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour (in particular, ensure that staff consistently monitor and record the outcomes of the incentives that are used to promote positive behaviour); and 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff are required to continue to implement boundaries, promote positive behaviour and provide continuity of care and support, so that these practices become embedded. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)) 30/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: 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. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to-

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the 30/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 5 quality of care provided in the home

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(f)(h)) 34: Policies for the protection of children

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Requirement Due date

Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, The registered person must— consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person: and have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34(5)(a)(b)) 30/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(c)) 30/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside the home and are encouraged to participate in those activities. In particular, continue to involve and explore different approaches to encourage the young person to engage in activities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home‟s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 9.60)

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Inspection judgements

Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 6

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improvement to be good

Following a concerning lack of stability in the leadership and management of the home, a registered manager is now in post.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one young person has moved to another provision. This was a planned move. The young person currently living there moved into the home as an emergency from another home within the organisation. Due to the nature of the move, he did not have the opportunity to visit. However, his social worker says that he was consulted.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the young person to take part in a wide range of activities in the local and wider community. He has recently enjoyed a holiday and met up with some family members. However, despite staff involving him in the planning of his activities, he regularly refuses to take part in these, but prefers to play on his electronic devices. Staff need to explore more effective and creative ways to encourage the young person to engage.

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improvement to be good

There are good relationships between staff and the young person. The young person says that he feels safe and that staff listen to his views. He is beginning to build trusted and secure relationships with staff. He says that he knows how to make a complaint but has not needed to. He says he likes his bedroom and has everything he needs.

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improvement to be good

The young person is attending school full-time, but says he wants to attend a mainstream school. Staff are working in collaboration with the placing authority to explore this request further.

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improvement to be good

The young person is in good health and has access to a variety of healthcare professionals to promote his health and personal well-being. Specialist help is available if needed.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager acts immediately in response to allegations or suspicion of harm, and shares information about these concerns with the appropriate agencies. Staff show a good awareness of safeguarding procedures and protocols, and have received safeguarding training. There are no concerns in relation to radicalisation or extremism.

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improvement to be good

Staff have detailed guidelines on how to manage the young person‟s behaviours and to instil boundaries. The registered manager and the behaviour therapist devised the guidelines. Staff say that they understand and are applying the boundaries, as well as providing the young person with continuity and consistency of care. However, this practice needs to embed further for the young person to develop socially aware Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 7 behaviour, and positive responses to adults.

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improvement to be good

Some of the behaviours that the current young person exhibits place him and staff at risk of harm. These behaviours include damage to the home‟s internal and external environment and assaults on staff. Staff have called the police to help them to manage some of these behaviours. A restorative justice approach has been undertaken rather than criminal proceedings. Records of incidents are detailed and the registered manager informs the placing authority of these incidents. Staff gather data on the incidents, but do not analyse the information to look for patterns and trends.

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improvement to be good

The young person currently living at the home says that he feels safe. His social worker says that she is informed of incidents, and also considers that the young person is safe at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff use restraint as a last resort to ensure that young people do not place themselves or others at significant risk of harm. On one occasion, a young person was restrained on the floor. The registered manager and responsible individual discussed the incident with staff to identify how they can learn from it. Restraints where young people are held on the floor are not common practice in this home.

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improvement to be good

The young person has been missing from the home on one occasion. Staff took appropriate action and searched the local area and wider community. They informed the police and the placing authority. Staff welcomed him home and talked to him about what happened. His social worker also did a return home interview with him. However, the missing from home protocol has not been developed in conjunction with the placing authority and the police.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager quickly makes arrangements to repair damages made to the home. The environment is safe and there are regular checks on the home‟s utilities and firefighting equipment.

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

Since the last inspection, the manager has registered with Ofsted. This is the first time the home has had a registered manager in post since March 2015. The registered manager has the experience and qualifications to manage the service and shows ambition to improve the standards of individualised quality of care.

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

Shortly after her appointment, the registered manager completed a detailed review of the quality of care provided for young people. However, the review is not evaluative and does not identify clearly the actions she intends to take to improve the quality of care. In addition, the registered manager did not seek the views and opinions of the young people about their experiences. External scrutiny by the independent visitor continues to be good. The registered manager addresses any recommendations made by the Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 8 independent visitor. The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the young person. At present, there are waking night staff and sleeping-in staff due to the young person‟s assessed and agreed needs.

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

Staff speak well of the registered manager and say that they receive regular supervision where they can reflect on their practice. A member of staff said, „It‟s great having a registered manager, she is helpful and supportive.‟ Another member of staff said, „Our views and opinions are considered; we are listened to.‟ There is good communication between the staff and the placing authority. A social worker said, „Staff keep in touch with me, they are very good at this.‟

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

Staff receive effective mandatory and specific training to help them to meet the young people‟s individual needs.

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

The placement plan and risk assessments are detailed, regularly reviewed and updated. These plans provide staff with information about how to meet the young person‟s needs. A social worker confirmed that the placing authority receives regular weekly updates of the care that is provided.

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

There have not been any recorded complaints since the last inspection.

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

Some records that staff maintain are not always clear and concise, and do not always contain professional language.

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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 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 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.

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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: SC452713 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

David Kidner, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC452713 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 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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