Children's home run by Exitus Children‟s Care Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 1 Registered provider: Exitus Children‟s Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The service is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have learning physical disabilities and/or emotional and 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 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

 Managers have not received all the information that they require to help them understand the needs of the young people.  Some areas of the home require improvement.  Young people‟s wishes and feelings are not always recorded.  Managers have not ensured that all young people have a fire evacuation plan.  Staff have not ensured that all risk assessments include strategies to manage identified risks.  Not all staff have provided their full employment history.  One physical intervention log is missing a young person‟s feedback.  There are gaps in staff training, particularly in: understanding the needs of young people who have learning disabilities; social media; moving and handling; and epilepsy awareness.  Not all young people attend school.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager is committed to improving the service.  Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff.  Staff liaise with specialist services to ensure that young people‟s global health needs are met.  Young people learn appropriate self-help skills, including baking, cooking, and helping with chores around their home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not applicable Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff seek to involve each child‟s placing authority effectively in the child‟s care, in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‟s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans; and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children‟s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d)).

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose care standard is that children receive care from staff who, in particular, to the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(c)(i)) 30/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who, in particular to the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‟s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(c)). 30/12/2017

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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 standard on paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure 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. (Regulation 12 (2)(b)). This relates to having a fire evacuation plan and risk assessment strategies for one young person. 30/12/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 4 The registered person must ensure full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)). In particular, a full employment history together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing. 30/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) In particular, receiving training in working with young people who have learning disabilities; the use of social media; moving and handling; and epilepsy awareness. 30/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c)) 30/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child, are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)). 30/12/2017

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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 14.4) In particular, include all required information when completing the home‟s admissions and discharge register.  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 provides 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 children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Ensure the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the

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Recommendations

home is reviewed at least every year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the homes location and strategies for managing these. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1) In particular, when new young people arrive at the home.  Ensure that young people receive care, which meets each child‟s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account the child‟s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. („Guide to the Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 5 children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 14, paragraph 3.2) In particular, include young people‟s cultural needs in their placement plans.

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improvement to be good

This is the home‟s first inspection since it was registered in July 2017. The inspection identified a number of areas requiring improvement.

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improvement to be good

Young people make progress in their communication skills and self-help skills. However, despite staff efforts, not all young people have a local authority care and placement plan. This means that managers and staff are not always clear about the care and support needs of individual young people.

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improvement to be good

Not all young people attend school. One young person does not have an education plan, despite expressing a wish to continue with education. This means that the young person does not have opportunities to learn and progress. Those who do attend school have excellent attendance. Records show that they make good academic progress. Staff support young people with extra-curricular activities. Young people enjoy a wide range of leisure activities in the home and in the community. These include going to the cinema, bowling, day trips, as well as doing arts and crafts. One young person said, „I love painting and doing things here. There‟s lots to do.‟

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improvement to be good

Young people‟s wishes and feelings are not always considered. For example, although key-work sessions are held regularly, young people‟s views and wishes are not always recorded. This does not promote young people‟s participation and inclusion in decisions affecting their lives.

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improvement to be good

The majority of the home is well presented. However, a strong smell in two bathrooms requires attention. This detracts from the overall very positive environment that young people enjoy.

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improvement to be good

Young people‟s health needs are met. Each young person is registered with local health services. Health professionals visit the home to see young people if they are unable to leave the home. Staff also liaise with specialist services to ensure that young people‟s global health needs are met.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between young people and staff are good. Staff provide a safe and motivating environment. Staff approach young people with dignity and respect. Staff persevere with young people to help them overcome the challenges that they face. This provides them with a sense of consistency and stability in their lives and demonstrates good team working.

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improvement to be good

Young people learn appropriate self-help skills, including baking, cooking, and helping Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 6 with chores around their home. They gain skills, improving their self-confidence. They feel pride in their achievements. One young person said, „I love baking; mine is the best!‟

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improvement to be good

Staff work well with young people‟s families including those who live far from the home. They support contact between young people and their parents. This means that young people keep in touch with people who are important to them. A parent commented, „I am happy with everything.‟ A social worker complimented the staff about the contact that she has with them, and their relationship with her young person, saying, „The communication is excellent. Staff have taken time to learn about him, his interests and his needs.‟

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff understand the risks relating to young people in their care. However, strategies to manage these risks are not always in place. For example, it is not clear what action staff will take if a young person refuses to leave their bedroom in the event of a fire. This could place a young person at risk of harm. Staff understand the risks associated with social media, but risk management strategies are not always consistently applied to all young people. In addition, young people‟s use of social media is not always in line with the organisation‟s social media policy, potentially confusing staff and young people.

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improvement to be good

One young person recently left the home, as staff were unable to keep him safe. He had repeated episodes of going missing from care that placed him at risk of harm. Managers have not fully completed the reports of missing from care incidents to include details of return home interviews. Consequently, it is difficult to ascertain whether return home interviews have taken place. As a result, the reasons for episodes of going missing are not fully understood.

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improvement to be good

Staff are skilled in managing young people‟s behaviour. They work as a team, applying consistent boundaries. Young people understand what is expected of them, and this leads to young people feeling relaxed around staff.

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improvement to be good

There has been one physical intervention involving one young person. However, the report was not fully completed, and it lacked feedback from the young person involved. This omission means that it is not clear whether the young person‟s views were heard

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment records are not always completed with sufficient detail to assess a person‟s suitability to work with young people. For example, some records do not contain a full employment history.

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improvement to be good

All staff have received safeguarding and anti-radicalisation training and are confident in what to do to protect and support young people. The manager attends meetings with the local police. This helps to promote the welfare and safety of young people in the Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 7 home. She is able to take effective action when police inform her about criminal and anti-social activity in the area.

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

The registered manager has worked at the home since it was registered in July 2017. She is due to start a level 5 diploma in leadership and management of children and young people‟s services. The manager is keen to develop and improve the service for the benefit of young people in her care.

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

The registered manager has not always escalated concerns that she has about a lack of information relating to some young people. This includes information relating to care planning, and one young person‟s lack of education. This is despite the young person expressing a wish to further their education.

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

Some young people‟s files lack key documentation. For example, school reports, education and health care plans, and records of immunisations. Consequently, staff do not have all the information that they need to understand young people‟s needs. Not all young people‟s case files identify their cultural needs. As a result, important information may be overlooked.

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

The registered manager has reviewed the location risk assessment. However, the assessment has not been reviewed when new young people are admitted. Consequently, managers and staff may miss potential safety issues in the locality, pertinent to new young people‟s specific needs.

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

Staff undertake a range of training opportunities. However, not all staff have completed training in essential areas, including health and safety; epilepsy awareness; caring for young people who have learning disabilities; and moving and handling. Therefore, staff do not have all the up-to-date skills and knowledge to care for young people effectively.

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

A small number of staff have gained the level 3 diploma in caring for children and young people in residential care. Other staff are working towards the required award.

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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. Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 8 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

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Information about this inspection

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: 1255095 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exitus Children‟s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, 2 Woodberry Grove, Finchley, London N12 0DR

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Inspector

Julia Wright, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1255095 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 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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