Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 1 SC477900 Registered provider: Care Focus 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

This privately run home is registered to provide care for up to four young women who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 21 to 22 November 2017

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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 outstanding

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 The children’s plans are highly personalised and regularly reviewed.  Risk assessments clearly identify the strategies needed to help to keep the children safe.  The vast majority of the children make significant and positive progress from Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 2 their starting points.  The incidents of missing are few. The staff work together and respond quickly when children leave the building.  Routine and structure underpin all of the activities in this home.  The frequency and intensity of outbursts from children are reducing.  Each child has the opportunity to attend weekly therapy.  All of the children are in education.  The children learn new life skills.  The children have the opportunity to take part in activities in the local community.  The staff and registered manager go above and beyond to support family contact.  The managers and senior managers take any issues brought to their attention

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Key findings from this inspection

seriously, and take positive action to address any areas for improvement.  Effective monitoring of the home helps to ensure that systems remain efficient, and fit for purpose.  The staff receive excellent support from the registered manager.  An external review of the service ensures that any areas to improve the quality of the work are identified.

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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

 For staff appraisal, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff members over the year should be taken into account, as well as the views of the children in the home’s care.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2017 Full Outstanding 16/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/02/2016 Full Outstanding 11/08/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the annual staff appraisal takes into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home makes a positive difference to the vast majority of children who come to live here. Many have very good experiences, and make significant progress from their starting points. Three of the children have continued to live together since the last inspection, and each child continues to make noticeable and steady progress most of the time. Children’s progress is routinely monitored by the managers, and this ensures that where difficulties emerge, plans are readjusted if possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three other children have been admitted to the home, and have left for different reasons. One child had a planned move, one child moved to another home in the group and one child’s placement came to an end after careful consideration from the managers. The managers do not take decisions to end placements lightly, but they do recognise that if this home cannot safeguard a child effectively, then the placement should end. The manager said, ‘Child A needed more than we were able to offer her here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children come to this home because they have been assessed to be at significant risk in the wider community; for example, they could have a history of going missing or may have been sexually exploited. The managers and staff quickly come to understand and respond to each child’s health and well-being needs. They ensure that the children are registered with, and have access to, all of the health and dental services they require. The staff seek to develop trusting, supportive relationships with the children, and encourage them to act on any advice given by other professionals. Some of the children attend weekly therapy sessions, and this helps to ensure that the children’s emotional well-being and mental health are prioritised and discussed on an ongoing basis with each child’s placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One room is used as a classroom. The children wear a uniform for school and are aware from the beginning that school attendance is part of the daily routine. This information is reiterated in the children’s guide. Some of the children have missed out on education across their childhood, and so engaging and participating meaningfully can take time Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 4 and patience. The staff understand the model of care, and they work well together to encourage the children to learn by participating in the classroom with them. Working together, the education and care staff make learning fun, and help to teach the children new skills. The staff are aware that during the early stages of placement, and during times of individual emotional crisis, some children will resist. The staff persevere and help the children to see the value of learning and, as a result, all of the children attend

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

school, and some have 100% attendance. The children are studying for GCSEs. This consistent arrangement of staff working together and involving each child helps to ensure that children fulfil their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and the staff share good relationships. One child said, ‘Yes, all the staff are pretty good really.’ The children say, and records show, that the staff listen to the children and take their views into account. Across the day there are many opportunities for the staff and the children to talk to one another. For example, the children and the staff share mealtimes and play family board games together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is an expectation that each child participates in some daily, light household chores, which are carried out with support and encouragement from the staff. For example, the children take turns to clear the table or wash the dishes, while the staff dry or put dishes away. This community expectation helps the children to prepare for independence, and to experience the routine of family life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are encouraged to make friends, and they benefit from taking part in a range of activities in the local community, including horse riding, scouts, gym and attending a local youth club. This helps the children to maintain peer relationships, and to practise skills in keeping safe in the wider community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff recognise the importance of family and extended family. They go above and beyond to ensure that the children build on any significant relationships, when this is at all possible. For example, where relationships are less secure staff look to find child-centred solutions to promote and improve contact, when this fits with the local authority plan for the child. This helps to value children’s identity and promotes positive self-esteem.

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

The home is a structured environment, and the children are cared for on a one-to-one basis. This means that there are lots of adults available every day who are ready and prepared to dedicate time to spend with the children. Each of the children can identify who they might approach in the event of anything causing upset. The staff are appropriately sensitive and respectful of children’s preferences and moods around the process of accepting help. The children can identify more than one trusted adult to communicate with.

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

The children are routinely involved in discussions about their placement plans, and feel protected. One child said, ‘I feel safer here than I have before.’ They say that they experience meaningful responses from the staff and the managers at times when they Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 5 perceive that decisions are unfair. The children may not always agree with the model of care, but they recognise that it helps them to be safe.

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

Prior to their arrival, any known risks with children’s behaviour are clearly documented. Written risk assessments are reviewed. The written information about the children is thorough, and clearly communicates the strategies for dealing with any known risk. The risk assessments and the children’s placement plans describe the approach required to help to involve each child in reducing any identified risk. Regular and creative key-work sessions help the children to learn more about how to be safe. The children learn about the process of good decision making. For example, the staff help the children learn more about child sexual exploitation and grooming.

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

Children rarely go missing from this home. For example, the three children who have lived in this home since the last inspection have not gone missing, and this represents a significant achievement. When a child does go missing, the staff and managers respond very efficiently. Staff come in when they are not on shift to go out to look for children. The relevant agencies are notified immediately. The response from staff is both heartfelt and well organised, and this helps to ensure that when children do go missing they are located more quickly. The manager said, ‘All that we do here is about keeping the children safe. Safeguarding the children is of paramount importance to us.’

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

There are incidents in the home, and although they are decreasing, the frequency and intensity tends to increase around the time of any new admissions to the group. There are times when the staff are assaulted by individual children. This home uses physical intervention, but only as a last resort when children are placing themselves and others at risk of harm. Some of the children are not held, but for those who are, there has been a noticeable decline in both the intensity and frequency of such interventions in recent months.

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

There are occasions when some children make allegations. For example, it has been alleged that some staff do not at all times follow agreed procedures during a physical intervention. The staff and managers have good professional working relationships with the designated officer, and take any allegations made by any child seriously. Information is discussed with placing local authorities, and when appropriate internal investigations are carried out. The managers are keen to identify where practice can be improved and lessons can be learned. For example, the staff make time to discuss and practice physical interventions on one another This helps to ensure that staff who may be less confident have the opportunity to reflect on and improve their practice. This in turn helps to ensure that the risk of children coming to unintentional harm is reduced. One child said, ‘I know that they are fair and that they know what I need, and that it does

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

The staff implement clear boundaries. The home operates a daily, points-based reward system. After each shift, the staff reflect together on areas such as each child’s behaviour, attitude and school attendance, when this is relevant. The children are then awarded points accordingly. Each of the children has the opportunity to be involved in this process, and discuss their points with the staff. For example, the staff meet with the Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 6 children, at least on a weekly basis, to plan for the week, and at the same time encourage them to identify their own rewards or incentives to work towards. The staff praise the children, and give additional rewards spontaneously when they see examples of good or thoughtful behaviour. This helps the children to feel valued, and emphasises the benefits of daily participation in their placement plan. The approach works very well

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

for those children who are able to respond to this structure.

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

When children are making particular progress, or the home is helping to prepare the children to become more independent, the staff encourage the children to do more and to take more age-appropriate risks as part of their social development. This is a carefully managed process which is overseen by the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has changed. The new registered manager has transferred across from another home within the group. The transition was planned, and both managers worked alongside one another before the change. This provided reassurance and continuity for the children and for the staff during this well- managed process. The registered manager has a nurturing approach, and this enables her to quickly build meaningful relationships with all of the children who seek her out. The registered manager builds time into the week to spend with the children; for example, she attends the children’s weekly meetings. She knows all of the children well, and takes an active role in seeking their views and wishes about their care. This ensures the children’s participation in their placement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has a comprehensive understanding of working with vulnerable children. She is very experienced and knowledgeable, and she is keen to continue to seek out and develop ways to improve practice in the home. She has the required level 5 diploma, and continues to build on her professional knowledge. For example, she implements ideas from research and completes additional online training. This ensures that she is up to date on, and can talk to staff and the children about, current themes in social care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There have been some changes to the staff team since the last inspection. Some of the staff are qualified, and others are completing the required qualification. Where possible, the provider has sought to employ staff who bring some understanding of emotional well-being to their role, and this helps them to deliver the service that the provider describes in the home’s statement of purpose. One member of staff said, ‘When we care for the children we use our head, heart and hands.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are in regular discussion with the managers and senior managers about their work. They access relevant training, attend regular supervision and have the opportunity to reflect on their practice and any incidents that take place in the home. This ensures that they share the provider’s aspirations for the children, and understand the theory behind the work that they are doing with the children every day. The staff speak positively about their experiences of supporting the children and of being supported by their managers. One member of staff said, ‘We do have a lot of training, which is Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 7 important in helping us to understand how to talk to the children and to understand how they might be feeling or thinking.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Some of the staff have been in post for over a year, and they have received annual appraisals. This process helps them to identify, with their managers, their areas of strength and areas for professional development. The manager advises that feedback from the children is included in the staff annual review process. However, evidence of feedback from other professionals who have worked with staff across the year has not been sought to ensure that the annual appraisal takes account of information from a range of sources.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers and leaders do advocate for the children; for example, they ask to meet with placing authorities to complement the care-planning processes. External monitoring of the home is effective, and provides an additional layer of safeguarding. The registered manager scrutinises and oversees written information effectively, and this helps her to identify and act on any patterns or trends. She competently models the practice that she expects from staff, and passes on her knowledge and understanding to encourage professional growth and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Experienced and innovative senior managers know this home well. They play a pivotal role in ensuring that all of the staff understand and adhere to the core values and ethos of this home. The senior managers value feedback and reflection. For example, they arrange for external peer reviews to take place in the home. This enables them to learn from sharing practice with others, to continually improve the service in the home. This creative approach and the process of striving for excellence help to provide high-quality experiences for the children.

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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: SC477900 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 24 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4YX

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Kayleigh Alden-Hollinsworth Paula Warren

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Inspector

Rosie Davie, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC477900 9 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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