Children's Home run by Creating Care Choices Limited in Lewisham

Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 1 SC025657 Registered provider: Creating Care Choices Limited Interim 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 up to 11 young people who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 24 October 2017

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection : none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has addressed most of the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are settled in their daily routines. Staff understand the expectations placed on them to engage positively with the young people. Key-working sessions evidence the young people being encouraged to choose their activities and meals as well as to talk about what makes them happy or not.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The admission planning process is good. The process includes impact analysis and meeting with the young person and partner agencies to better understand the needs of the young person. One young person has been admitted, in a planned way, since the last inspection. His social worker stated that, since being placed in the home, the young person has ‘presented as more stable and coherent within his social presentation’, and that ‘staff have been good at communicating information’ to the social worker promptly. Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 2 The two young people who have left the home since the last inspection were supported to move to residential specialist schools. The manager and staff work with young people to help them prepare for the transition to a new environment. Three more young people, who are soon to be discharged from the home, are receiving appropriate levels of support from the staff and manager to facilitate the move to adult placements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been a reduction in serious incidents requiring police intervention. Young people rarely go missing, assault staff or cause property damage. Young people’s challenging behaviour is managed effectively for the most part. However, some of the staff need to work more consistently to the young people’s individual behavioural support plans. This includes utilising the de-escalation strategies specifically identified for a young person.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s risk assessments outline their vulnerabilities and ways to manage the risks. However, the quality of the risk assessments varies, with some being more detailed than others. Staff understand what makes young people vulnerable, but it is not clear how they are helping young people to understand what abuse is, especially if the young person has complex needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been no allegations of harm made against adults working in the home since the last inspection. Concerns raised by parents and staff are shared with the placing authority and adequately handled by the registered manager. However, there is room for improvement in recording a clear, defensible decision for the lack of notification to the regulator.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The systems in place for recording sanctions and restraints are generally appropriate. There has been no use of restraint since the last inspection. There is evidence of the manager’s evaluation of sanctions, and any learning for the staff is discussed in team meetings. However, young people’s views are not routinely included, and there is no explanation of why they are not recorded.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s health needs are sufficiently met. Young people have access to specialist services when necessary. Young people who are not in education receive tuition at the home, as arranged by the virtual school. The registered manager has persistently advocated for a school placement to be identified for one young person and has secured a personal educational plan meeting to move this process forward.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has ensured that all of the staff members who had not begun their level 3 qualifications have now enrolled on a course. The manager has also ensured that the home is adequately staffed to meet the young people’s needs. Newly appointed staff undergo a safe recruitment process through an external human resources agency contracted by the provider.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager audits files and observes the staff’s practice, providing feedback to the staff to help improve their practice. Staff are offered regular supervision. However, the quality of supervision delivered by the senior staff varies, and there is still Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 3 a need for a deputy manager to support the service monitoring. A deputy manager was appointed but did not start on the agreed date, later rescinding her intent to work for the provider. The provider is seeking to recruit a deputy through an agency and expects to have the post filled within a few weeks of this inspection. The registered manager does not intend to admit another young person or hire additional staff until a deputy manager is in post.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

While all staff are required to undertake, and have attended, safeguarding training, some need to undertake a refresher session, which is planned for April. Other training, such as working with children who have learning disabilities, has been planned for the staff. A staff member stated that he feels well supported by the manager and finds the training he has undertaken so far helpful in his work with the young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered provider has ensured that the home’s safeguarding policy includes detailed information on the arrangements to protect young people from radicalisation. However, the policy does not include information on gangs, female genital mutilation and e-safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children’s guide includes information on the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. Young people can also access independent advocacy services arranged by the placing authorities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the registered provider has hired a new independent visitor to fulfil its requirements under regulation 44. The independent visitor’s reports are comprehensive and include interviews with the young people and those who matter to them. The independent visitor states his opinion as to whether the young people are safeguarded and their well-being promoted by the home. However, there is room for improvement in ensuring that the independent visitor’s assessments are consistently rigorous and devoid of factual inaccuracy.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is now more child friendly, and the necessary repairs have been completed.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/06/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 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 protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure–- that staff— (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the young people are supported by staff to understand what abuse is; help young people to understand how to protect themselves both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person must ensure–- (a) that staff— (i) meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (2)(i)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff utilise the de-escalating strategies outlined in the young person’s behavioural support plan. 01/04/2018

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 5  The registered provider should ensure that the home’s safeguarding policy includes detailed information on the arrangements for the safeguarding of young people from e-safety, gangs and female genital mutilation. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should judge whether an incident is sufficiently serious to make formal notification and, if it is, which other relevant persons may be notified. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.12)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that skills in safeguarding are refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce development plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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Recommendations

 The home should play a full part in promoting the best interests of the child, proactively advocating for the child to ensure that others play their role and deliver the high-quality support that is needed. Such partnership working should always take place. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 6 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Creating Care Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Castle Drive, Ilford, Essex IG4 5AE

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Inspector

Linda Kim-Newby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC025657 7 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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