Children's Home run by Care 2 Share 2 Ltd in Redbridge

Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 1 SC052946 Registered provider: Care 2 Share 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 provides care and accommodation for five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered person also manages the home. The home is one of three children’s homes run by the same company. The company also provides a range of other services for children and adults.

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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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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers have high aspirations for the young people who come to live here. They carefully consider all young people’s needs and take into account Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 2 the impact of new admissions to the home.  The leaders and managers provide an organised and structured service, which helps staff to work effectively to keep young people safe.  Young people progress at an exceptional rate from their starting points despite their presenting needs being complex.  There is an experienced staff team working at this home that understands young people and works well together as a team.  There is an expectation that staff regularly update their knowledge in working with young people. Regular discussions take place on research and theory of practice in team meetings, and the staff training on offer is impressive.  There is a competent deputy manager and a highly committed staff team.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff offer young people good support and firm boundaries, within which they have the opportunity to grow and develop.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Ensure that a process whereby all serious incidents involving the police or emergency services are considered for notification to Ofsted without delay.  Provide more written evidence of the challenge made to placing authorities in respect of young people having the offer of an independent person to interview them on their return from episodes of going missing.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/09/2016 Full Good 24/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 3

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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 registered person must notify HMCI and each relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. Where these interviews are not being offered the responsible person must challenge the placing authority to ensure their safety and welfare. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with young people, which helps young people to trust adults and be engaged in participating in the life of the home. For example, the manager and staff feel it is important for young people to experience a range of activities and go away on a holiday. Young people get actively involved in choosing and having their say in what they want to do. For example, young people frequently go to the cinema as a group, eat out at restaurants, go on the cable cars, paintballing, go-karting, and this year went together on a week’s holiday to Norfolk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from stable placements. The registered manager’s attention to risk assessment prior to admission reduces the possibility of new residents having a negative impact on existing young people. Because of this careful approach, many young people Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 4 experience placements that last over a year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s meetings happen every week and go ahead regardless of whether there is one young person or all five young people present. If there is only one young person present, the staff ensure that the other young people give their views on issues. Staff encourage young people to share their views on what is happening in the home. They discuss whatever young people wish to put on the agenda or anything else which staff need to discuss with them collectively. Outside of young people’s meetings, various professionals have come to the home to talk to the young people, for example about sexual health and substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff team work inclusively to ensure that young people’s diversity needs are met and that they can maintain their identity. An example of this is supporting dietary needs, religious observance and on occasion inviting religious leaders to the home to talk to young people about their culture and religion. There are routine celebrations for both Eid and Christmas at the home; other religious festivals would be celebrated if a young person identified a preference.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people living at the home are on roll at a school or college, or are having home tuition. The staff work hard to engage and motivate young people in learning and encourage participation in all forms of education. Staff help young people by ensuring that they are up in time for school and prepared with the equipment they need, offering incentives to encourage their attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive encouragement from staff to ensure that they are healthy. Staff support young people to take up routine healthcare appointments, such as the optician and dentist. If young people do not attend these appointments, staff employ persistence and offer incentives to help make sure they take care of themselves and maintain good health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to take care of their emotional health by ensuring that they understand where and how help can be accessed. Occasionally, staff arrange for professionals to come to the home and talk to young people about important topics. Staff support young people to attend appointments for their emotional health needs, such as child and adolescent mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff ensure that records of young people’s time at the home are kept, by taking photographs of significant and memorable events and recording achievements. When young people leave the home, these are presented to young people in an album representing their time living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make progress from their starting points. Simple milestones represent massive achievements for some young people, such as staying out of trouble with the police or attending school after a significant absence. Young people who have been at the home over a longer period show levels of maturity and confidence as they settle into the routines and build positive relationships with staff. Other examples of positive progress include completing work experience, being offered employment, managing their Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 5 negative behaviours, taking functional level exams and consistently engaging with youth offending services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff recognise the importance of maintaining contact with family members. They support and promote this, ensuring with placing authorities that it is safe and appropriate to do so. Because of building positive relationships with family members and supporting face-to-face contact, several young people have been able to return home to their family’s care since the last inspection in March 2016.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to learn independent living skills from the beginning of their placements by cooking with staff, going shopping, keeping their rooms clean and doing their own laundry. When young people are ready, they can begin a semi- independent programme where they have their own allowance and budget, cook and look after themselves with support for everyday living skills.

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

Managers and staff at the home manage risk well. They understand how past incidents and trauma can affect young people’s presenting behaviours. Staff understand what can trigger behaviours and how to de-escalate and manage young people safely. Restraint is rarely used. Staff use de-escalation strategies learned in training, which helps young people to diffuse behaviours and avoid conflict.

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

Risk assessments begin prior to young people’s admission to the home. The registered manager undertakes an assessment to determine if the young person’s needs can be met. On admission, further relevant information is gathered from the responsible placing authority, the family, other professionals and the young person. This information forms the basis of a risk assessment, individual placement plan and behaviour management plan. Risk assessments identify triggers for behaviours and include strategies to help staff reduce risks for young people. Key-work sessions and regular updates of risk assessments also help to reduce risks.

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

When the registered manager identifies that young people’s needs are greater than the home can offer, they identify this quickly. This ensures that the home is clear with placing authorities about what they can and cannot achieve. In these circumstances, the registered manager is described by placing authorities as ‘incredibly flexible’ in supporting planned transitions for more suitable placements.

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

The home has a low level of incidents. The levels of staffing and their responses to situations by de-escalation prevents incidents. One serious incident recorded was not notified to Ofsted. This incident did not have any detrimental impact on any young people. However, if Ofsted is not advised of serious incidents it cannot determine if the home is taking the necessary actions to safeguard young people.

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

The registered manager and staff’s responses to young people who go missing from the home is good. Young people do not always appreciate this response as they are followed by staff when they leave the home and staff attempt to persuade them to return. Staff Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 6 make regular attempts to contact young people when they are away from the home and work closely with the police and placing authorities to change their behaviours.

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

The home’s policy and procedures regarding going missing are good. Staff know and understand what they need to do when a young person does not return to the home when expected and their whereabouts are unknown. The registered manager and staff request and attend regular strategy meetings about young people who frequently go missing. The deputy manager has reminded the placing authorities of their responsibility to offer an independent return home interview. However, some placing authorities are not routinely providing these interviews.

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

Young people say they feel safe and are free from being bullied. They have access to a young people’s guide and they know how to complain. Most contentious issues are resolved amicably via a ‘grumbles’ book, where young people can write down their concerns. Young people can also raise issues during a young person’s meeting. The registered manager then has an opportunity to resolve these minor issues prior to them becoming complaints. One young person raised a formal complaint since the last inspection, which was resolved appropriately via the home’s complaint policy. Observations during the inspection showed young people having relaxed and meaningful relationships with all staff, including leaders and managers, on a regular basis.

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

Staff are managing the high-level complex needs of young people and they work well as a team. There are consistent boundaries set for young people.

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

Safeguarding is at the centre of practice in this home. Staff understand this, and there is excellent training on offer for staff, including the risk of child sexual exploitation, the risk of radicalisation and other relevant training, which meet the needs of specific children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is also the registered person and oversees the other resources operated by the company. The registered manager has a social work qualification and a wealth of experience running a residential provision. An experienced deputy manager supports the day-to-day operation of the home. She holds a national vocational qualification, level 4 in caring for children and young people, and is currently undertaking the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The two managers work well as a team and have established an effective service for young people. An established staff team strives to offer good services for the young people whom they care for. They all have a minimum national vocational qualification, level 3, or are working towards this. One of the seniors is working towards a level 5.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are responsive to placing authorities with whom they have established excellent working relationships. Commissioners state that the company offers ‘value for money’ and ‘do not claim to offer what they cannot provide’. Matching is good and the registered manager is more than happy to carry a vacancy until there is a suitable match. This ensures that young people’s placements remain as stable as possible and reduces disruption when new residents move in. Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 7 Leaders and managers work hard to increase their partnership working with placing authorities and other professionals. One social worker says, ‘I’ve been really happy with this home and how we work together.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has met the requirement made at the last inspection. This was in respect of using research to inform practice in the home. The registered manager ordered textbooks about social work practice, and staff have considered theories such as ‘attachment’, ‘motivational interviewing’ and ‘conflict resolution’. Staff members present research and relevant theories in team meetings. This learning is applied to the work environment and staff use this in recordings and evidencing which quality standards they aim to meet.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good external monitoring of the home. An independent person visits the home once a month and provides a report, taking into account the views of young people, parents and other professionals. These reports highlight the areas for improvement within the home. The registered manager uses them well and this helps her to improve the practice within the home. Previous inspections have highlighted that these reports do not always provide a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the young people. The reports have improved but are inconsistent. The registered manager has employed a consultant to support the management team. This consultant will undertake psychodynamic work with the staff team and work alongside the independent person to improve reporting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager completes her own six-monthly quality of care review. This shows a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. It informs the home’s business development plan and training schedule for staff. The registered manager is also the responsible individual for this and several other children and family resources owned by the company. The registered manager has a clear succession plan to ensure that she can focus on a holistic approach to all the services and employ a new manager to run the day-to-day services at this home. The leaders and managers show vision and innovation in promoting and leading good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent and experienced staff team working at this home. The rotas indicate a good level of staff to young people, with additional workers on shift when required to cover additional needs. This indicates good forward planning and ensures that young people have individual attention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported. This is an area of real strength for leaders and managers. There is good, established support through relevant training, supervision and appraisal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has an updated statement of purpose and is working well towards its stated aims and objectives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are inspirational, confident and ambitious for young people. They want to change the lives of those young people in their care, to get the appropriate support and to make good progress towards meeting their goals. Leaders and managers Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 8 encourage staff to think and re-think about their understanding of the young people in their care. They encourage staff to consider how they can influence and change the lives of those living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are visible in the home. They are available and lead by example. They regularly get involved in spending time with young people and suggest different ideas for inclusion, such as activities, holidays and gardening.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are aware of the strengths and areas for improvement, and are already working on issues where shortfalls have been identified. They are always seeking to improve the service; they welcome inspection and want to learn from the experience. They continually seek to improve what is already a very effective service and have established excellent working relationships with partners and other agencies/professionals who can help and support outcomes for young people.

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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: SC052946 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 46 The Ridgeway, North Harrow, Middlesex HA2 7QN

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mehnaaz Chaudhary

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Inspector

Christine Kennet, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC052946 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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