Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 1 SC458141 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority operated home provides care for up to six children, aged between 10 and 18, who have been assessed as unable to live within the family home and require a period of positive residential care. The registered manager has over 20 years’ experience of working with adults and children who have learning and physical disabilities, in various residential and social settings.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2017 Full Good 02/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/09/2016 Full Good 11/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 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 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 in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 16/06/2018

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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)) 16/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children have individual personal emergency evacuation plans. 25/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, ensure that the recording of physical interventions is consistent, and that all records contain the required information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the children have been living at the home for a significant period. The children are settled and have positive relationships with the staff. The staff know the children, who have a range of complex behavioural, social and health needs, well and provide them with nurturing care. This good-quality care ensures that the children’s health, educational and social needs are met, and that the children thrive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work hard to create a homely feel. There are photographs, bright pictures and furnishings around the home, and the children’s bedrooms are nicely personalised. The home provides a large space, with specialist equipment to support the children. Outside in the garden there are numerous activities and games for the children to enjoy, and their enjoyment was evident during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have good links with education providers, and communication is effective, which supports the children at school and helps them to make progress towards their targets. One education professional said, ‘Communication is positive and the staff are very helpful. It is very easy to communicate with the staff, and issues are always dealt with. Living there [at the home] has made a significant difference to the children’s lives. Their behaviour and attendance has improved. They are doing well.’ Another professional said, ‘They [the staff] provide really good care. They are meticulous in one child’s care, and we work very closely together.’ All of the children attend school. The staff support the children to ensure that they are up and ready for the day. The staff provide transport for children if needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children have complex medical needs and require consistent care and monitoring throughout the day and night. The staff are effective at administering medication, and their systems are well embedded. A health professional said, ‘The staff are proactive at seeking health advice, support and treatment for their children. The manager and the staff appear to have coped well with the challenge of caring for children who have complex physical health needs.’ The children are healthy and well, and the staff encourage them to enjoy and participate in their various activities and favourite interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are very much involved with their families despite living away from their Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 5 family homes. Family members visit the children at the home, and the staff ensure that the children are taken to and from contact. Family members are happy with the care provided to their children and they say that communication is improving. Families say that their children are happy at the home and that the staff genuinely care for the children. If a family member has an issue, they make contact with their child’s key worker and the manager, and if necessary arrange a meeting to discuss and find a resolution. One family member said, ‘They [the staff] are looking after my child ever so well.’ Another said, ‘My child has so much support. I am really happy as I know how challenging this [caring for the child] can be.’

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant safeguarding incident. Although appropriate safeguarding steps have now been taken to address the concerns, the initial response was neither timely nor suitable. Recording and reporting was not adequate and was not in line with safeguarding procedures. Since this incident, measures have been put in place to address the shortfalls. The staff have refreshed their safeguarding training, and the matter has been explored in detail with the staff member concerned. Staffing ratios have been increased to ensure safety, and regular observational recording is now in place. Improved tools help the staff to keep better records and ensure that information is detailed and clear. This area continues to be addressed by the manager, and is identified as continuing to require improvement.

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improvement to be good

As part of the inspection, professionals and parents were spoken to in relation to the safeguarding incident. Although it is acknowledged that errors were made, professionals and parents working closely with the staff and the manager said that improvements have been made. Communication is effective and continues to improve. The home is now working effectively with other agencies and family members, ensuring that processes are transparent and accountability is paramount. The staff now have a good working knowledge of safeguarding and have been fully briefed on the incident and the expectations of them.

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improvement to be good

Fire checks and procedures are good, and fire drills take place regularly. Fire risk assessments are evident for each child. However, the children do not all have personal emergency evacuation plans. Although there is a clear evacuation process in place, a lack of clear written plans means that the staff are not fully informed and there is a lack of clarity regarding suitable escape arrangements for each child.

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improvement to be good

The staff use physical interventions only when necessary, to keep the children and others safe. The staff keep records of the incidents, and these are overseen by the manager. The records vary in quality; some are well detailed but some do not contain all of the information required. This variable quality of recording means that it is not always an accurate and transparent account of every incident. The manager identified that this is an area to improve and is currently working on a more effective reporting template. Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post for a significant period and knows the children and the staff well. Staffing vacancies are covered by agency staff as necessary. There is an ongoing plan to recruit new staff. The manager tries hard to use consistent staff who are known to the children or have worked at the home previously, in order to provide continuity of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff are committed to the children and they enjoy working at the home. The staff say that they are well supported by their manager and the team. There is a clear staffing structure, and a deputy manager now supports the registered manager. The staff are well trained, with most qualified to level 3 and newer staff planning to commence a relevant qualification in the near future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear vision for the home moving forward and this is reflected in the development plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and the staff understand the children’s needs and communication levels well. Staff deployment is effective. The shifts are well planned, and handovers are comprehensive. Children have the opportunity to participate in individual activities and group activities that they benefit from. The children have access to an independent advocate who spends time with them on a monthly basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The internal monitoring is effective and gives a clear picture of progress over previous months. The views of the children and others are sought to influence the development of the home. The external reporting is sound, identifying actions in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff do not consistently receive regular supervision, and some of the records of supervision are not available. This does not demonstrate that the staff are accessing effective systems of support on a regular basis to oversee their practice, or formal opportunities to reflect.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 7 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: SC458141 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Apsley One, Brindley Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 9BF

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Inspector

Debbie Young, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458141 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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Inspector

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