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

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 1 SC022880

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Sherico Care Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home for six children who have emotional and/or behavioural needs. The provider has five children‟s homes registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted an inspection of this children‟s home on 26 July 2017, which resulted in a judgement of inadequate with six requirements, two recommendations and compliance action. As a result, Ofsted issued three compliance notices on 10 August 2017.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted two monitoring visits, one on 18 August 2017 and another on 4 September 2017. Both visits highlighted further concerns for the safety of children. The purpose of the second monitoring visit was to check the provider‟s progress against the three compliance notices. The inspector identified that staff and managers were unable to identify or effectively take action to reduce risks to children. As a result, Ofsted took enforcement action by issuing the home with a notice to restrict accommodation; the period of restriction was 4 September 2017 to 4 December 2017.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted a full inspection of the home on 9 October 2017. The inspector identified that staff‟s safeguarding practices remained poor, and that staff‟s supervision of children was inadequate. The inspection identified that an unknown person had remained in a child‟s bedroom, overnight, unnoticed by the staff team. This posed significant risk of harm to all those present in the building at the time. Therefore, Ofsted did not remove the notice to restrict accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the home‟s compliance with the notice to restrict accommodation, and review if there were grounds for the notice to continue. Requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection are Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 2 repeated at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

There are no children currently in placement. The home‟s responsible individual and two members of the staff team were present during the monitoring visit. The responsible individual outlined the actions that senior staff of the organisation had taken to improve the protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the provider ensures that, at a minimum, two members of staff are on shift at all times. The two staff members who were on duty at the time of the unauthorised overnight stay no longer work for the organisation. Senior managers have provided staff with training and guidance that have a strong focus on safeguarding. In particular, there has been training on the organisation‟s revised policies about visitors to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff demonstrate good awareness of safeguarding protocols and of the home‟s newly implemented policies about visiting. These require staff to more robustly scrutinise visitors to the home. Guests now need to identify themselves on arrival and sign the home‟s visitors‟ book if they are unknown to the staff team. Staff may contact family members or social workers to verify whether visitors are known to them, or pose any risks to children. The guidance advises staff to liaise with relevant local police teams to share intelligence about visitors that they believe may pose danger to children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand that the no visitor can stay at the home overnight.

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This monitoring visit

Staff know that they must, at night, periodically enter children‟s bedrooms and check that children are safe. Staff are to monitor closed-circuit television, which provides an overview of the front of the house. This is to alert staff to potential visitors at the front door.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers discourage staff from spending long periods in the staff office. Instead, staff are to go to communal areas to monitor and listen for children‟s movements. The provider is to consider installing audio monitoring systems to the home‟s exit points. This is in order for staff to monitor effectively any entry and exit points at the home, particularly at night.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual acknowledges that following the incident, a notification to Ofsted was required. She confirms that staff now ensure that they alert Ofsted of all incidents that are of a serious nature.

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This monitoring visit

In conclusion, the provider is complying with the notice to restrict accommodation, and staff‟s awareness of safeguarding practices shows improvement. This helps keep children safe from harm and abuse.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/10/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 3 25/07/2017 Full Inadequate 21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/09/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 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

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered provider must:

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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)(h)) 01/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

(4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person‟s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

(a) children are effectively safeguarded

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Requirement Due date

(b) the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a) and (b)) 01/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

(3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45(3)) 01/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered provider must ensure;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child‟s welfare. (Regulation 6(2)(ii)) 01/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The registered person must ensure: 01/01/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 5 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)) Employment of staff

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 01/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

An incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)(e)) 01/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6(2)(b)(vii)) 01/01/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, that bathroom locks are changed to allow staff access if bathroom doors are locked from the inside. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 6

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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.

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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: Sherico Care Homes Ltd, 2-4 Balmoral Road, 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 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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