Children's home run by RNIB Charity in Camden

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC485607 1 SC485607

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RNIB Charity

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a large children‘s home that provides care and accommodation for up to 30 children and young people in five purpose-built bungalows. The children and young people have a visual impairment, a learning and/or physical disability and/or sensory impairment. One of the bungalows is also registered by the Care Quality Commission and provides a specialist service to children and young people who have high health and medical needs, who require long-term ventilation, or who have life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. The establishment is owned by a large national charity. The majority of the children and young people attend a registered school on the same site. Some young people remain at the home until the age of 19 to complete their education.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in post. An interim manager has been appointed.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit took place to monitor a compliance notice and previous unmet requirements. The compliance notice was not met. This is because staff have limited understanding about children‘s and young people‘s risk assessments and behaviour management plans and their purpose. Staff are not competent in implementing and following risk assessments. This potentially places young people at risk of harm. This is evident in children and young people being hoisted inappropriately.

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This monitoring visit

Competency training for staff has started to be implemented and monitored, but most staff have not completed it. Children and young people are not being cared for by staff who have the skills to meet some of the children‘s and young people‘s complex health needs, such as epilepsy and having a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The inspectors also found that the home did not have consent for one child to receive medical treatment.

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This monitoring visit

Medication audits are being carried out by a nurse. These continue to identify Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC485607 2 ongoing errors in the administration of medication. Managers are in the process of changing the pharmacist and general practitioner in an attempt to improve this issue.

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This monitoring visit

Children do not receive continuity of care. Since the last monitoring visit that took place on 2 May 2018, in one bungalow 64 different staff have cared for children and young people. The staff records to evidence training and supervision are not clear or up to date.

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This monitoring visit

Concerns have been raised through complaints that staff hold children and young people‘s bedroom doors shut to prevent them from leaving their room. The provider is in the process of investigating this issue. While the inspectors did not see this practice, they did observe that the entrance to each bungalow could only be opened with a key fob, preventing children and young people from entering or leaving the property. There is no clear risk assessment about the rationale for the use of this measure.

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This monitoring visit

Leadership and management oversight is disjointed. Several consultants and managers have been appointed. Management meetings are held and monitoring systems are starting to be implemented. Despite this, there is a lack of action, accountability and oversight of continued and emerging shortfalls. The home‘s statement of purpose is incomplete, and the details of staff experience and qualifications are missing. The independent visitor‘s reports are not sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. The safeguarding notifications sent to Ofsted are not submitted within appropriate timescales and are of poor quality.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit on 2 May 2018, some requirements have been met. This is because children and young people are provided with more activities, have better access to health services and some behaviour management plans have been implemented. These are basic elements of care. Progress in other areas is slow with repeated shortfalls, and further requirements are being imposed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/11/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC485607 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 registered person must ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‘s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i))* 24/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person must— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‘s statement of purpose ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child ensure that the home‘s workforce provides continuity of care to each child use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1), (2)(a)(c)(e)(h)) 24/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‘s home a statement (―the statement of purpose‖) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(1), (3)(a)(b)) 24/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing— injury to any person (including the child), serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or a child who is accommodated in a secure children‘s home from absconding from the home. Restraint in relation to a 24/07/2018 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC485607 4 child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(1)(a)(b)(c), (2)) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‘s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 24/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 24/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e)) 24/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‘s home at least once each month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‘s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44(1) (7)(a)) 24/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC485607 5

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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 address: c/o RNIB, 105 Judd Street, Camden, London WC1H 9NE

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Inspector

Lisa O‘Donovan, social care inspector Rebecca Quested, social care inspector Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC485607 6 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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