Children's home run by Personal Security Service Limited in Enfield

Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 1 Registered provider: Personal Security Service Ltd

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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 home, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to four children. The organisation’s primary objective is to provide children with a safe, stable, happy and comfortable home, and to enable children to build on their confidence, self-esteem and resilience as they progress into adult life. The experienced registered manager has been in post since August 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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2017 Full Good 06/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement; raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as

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Requirement Due date

possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii)) 20/07/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(v)) 30/06/2018

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— 31/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 4 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is— in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time

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Requirement Due date

basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b))

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children relate and respond to staff positively because of the special relationships forged. These relationships empower and support children to communicate with the staff, bringing about a clear understanding of the children’s wishes and feelings. All of the children have confidence in speaking in front of their peers at house meetings, which are held regularly. The children have the opportunity to share their views on their feelings and likes and dislikes. This has resulted in children influencing their free time, hobbies and activities. Children experience a wide variety of social and leisure activities. These include frequent trips out to places such as the pleasure beach in Southend and the zoo. The home has recently purchased its own caravan, which will enable all of the children to go on several holidays throughout the holiday season. Not all of the children have an education placement. The staff have worked hard to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

provide alternative education provision, including the children learning practical and social skills at a local working farm, and providing a tutor. However, the children show a reluctance to engage and non-attendance is frequent, irrespective of the staff’s efforts and encouragement. This does not promote or support educational attainment for all of the children. Children live in a home that is spacious and immaculately clean. The home has been redecorated and a new modern kitchen has been installed since the last inspection. It is Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 5 decorated and furnished to a high standard throughout, and the large gardens give the children plenty of outdoor space.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding practice. They are fully aware of their responsibility to protect the children from abuse and they can confidently describe reporting procedures. The staff are fully aware of the roles of external agencies, and can confidently state the organisation’s whistle-blowing policy. This knowledge helps to ensure that any safeguarding concerns are reported and dealt with promptly. However, not all of the relevant information for one child is held in one central place, which means that there is a lack of clarity for the staff. Behaviour and care management plans are effective. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to safeguard the children and the staff. This is reflected in the use of physical intervention, which has only been used once since the last inspection. Staff work in partnership to enforce boundaries fairly and consistently. When incidents occur,

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

the children learn to apologise to the children and staff who have been affected. The staff are skilled in de-escalating challenging behaviour. Effective sanctioning, when appropriate, allows the children to make amends and reflect on their behaviour well. The staff understand the children’s vulnerabilities, and consider more specific risks in respect of the children’s individual needs. Formal risk assessment procedures are well managed, demonstrating the strategies deployed by the staff to keep children safe. Regular reviews of risk assessments and strategies ensure that risk management remains current and proactive. Consequently, the children develop and grow in a safe environment. There is an effective protocol in place to follow in the event that a child goes missing. A social worker said, ‘The practice of the home so far in relation to [the child] has been good. [The child] was a regular absconder prior to the placement starting and had been

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

missing for over three weeks.’ As a result of all staff’s determination and safeguarding practice, the incidents of this child going missing have decreased significantly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Strong and effective leadership is consistent and provided by an experienced manager who is currently undertaking a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She has been in post since 2017 and brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to this role. She is respected and valued by staff, who benefit from her supportive leadership. She leads by example through her involvement in all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home. Staff spoken with during this inspection reported high levels of satisfaction in their roles and in the support that they receive from the manager. One member of staff spoke with real passion of their role. Another member of staff said, ‘I literally love my job.’ The local police gave very good feedback about the home and the joined-up working between the home and the police. All of the staff are competent in their roles. They undertake mandatory training in core Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

areas including safeguarding, physical intervention and first aid. In addition, the staff undertake more specific or targeted training resulting from consultation with the manager or during supervision sessions. Training focuses on individual personal development plans, induction and the roles of the staff and their responsibilities to the children. This training ensures that the staff have the skills to meet the children’s individual needs. However, one member of staff has not completed a relevant level 3 qualification in the required timescale. This does not impact on the care that the children receive. Staff participate in regular team meetings to reflect on children’s progress, share important information about children’s plans and to discuss the running of the home. These forums provide opportunities for staff to develop their skills and understanding of legislation, policies and procedures. The staff’s contribution is an important feature in

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

making sure that they understand their roles, support children consistently and work as a cohesive and effective team. The registered manager has met the requirements and the four recommendations raised at the last inspection to good effect.

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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: 1228092 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Personal Security Service Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Personal Security Services Limited, 47 High Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5UW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Frederik Booysen

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Inspector

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1228092 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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