Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 1 SC040628 Registered provider: Surrey County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority. Its statement of purpose specifies that it will provide care and accommodation for up to seven children, aged between nine and 18, who are experiencing emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in 2013.

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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

Date of last inspection: 21 September 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2017 Full Good 18/05/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 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

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 the action completed following a fire risk assessment is recorded and that emergency lighting tests are recorded. 31/07/2018

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Recommendations

 Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that supervision of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that safeguarding children is discussed during all staff supervision sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Within a spacious and well-maintained home, staff have established a warm and welcoming environment where children develop, learn to manage their emotions and keep themselves safe. Children spoke positively of their experience of living at the home, describing the support they receive from staff, and particularly about how staff ‘keep them busy’. Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 4 Staff encourage children to participate in activities of their own choosing. Children have opportunities to extend their social experiences, pursue their personal interests and use their leisure time constructively. Staff know each child’s likes and dislikes and plan activities to develop the child’s individuality and sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are committed to ensuring that children receive appropriate education. Close communication between staff and education staff helps children to overcome their difficulties engaging with education, so they make progress. Children attend specialist, therapeutic education provision, mainstream school and alternative learning programmes with support from the virtual school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not have access to the internet in the home to support their education and learning, due to technical problems with the internet connection. The registered manager has made arrangements to try to resolve this ongoing issue. In the meantime, staff support children to access the internet at the local library or on a staff computer under close supervision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are confident in putting their views forward. Evening meals provide opportunities for staff to consult children and seek out their opinions, suggestions and ideas informally. Staff also ensure that they consult children on an individual basis to obtain their feedback on their experience of living at the home and their wishes, feelings and future plans.

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

Staff provide children with a stable and safe place to live where they settle quickly. Through thoughtful, consistent care and close supervision from staff, children develop trusting and positive relationships with staff. Children feel safe and know they can talk to any member of staff if they have any worries or concerns.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of each child’s needs and the risks relating to each child. Placement plans identify the support required from staff to assist children’s development. Detailed and current risk assessments are used by staff to keep children safe.

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

Individual sessions with staff members provide opportunities for staff to help children understand how to keep themselves safe. External, specialist support is provided for children when necessary, such as support to raise their awareness of their vulnerability to sexual exploitation.

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

The registered manager and staff have a good understanding of children’s therapeutic needs. Staff receive support from a worker from the child and adolescent mental health services, who attends team meetings monthly and advises staff on approaches to support children’s specific needs. Personalised plans and nurturing care from staff are helping children to manage their emotions and improve their behaviour. A social worker commented that through such consistent and individualised care from staff, the child Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 5 ‘feels safe, secure and loved’.

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

There have been incidents of children leaving the home without permission. Staff respond effectively, applying agreed procedures and safety plans to safeguard the child and ensure their safe return. One-to-one sessions with the child provide targeted support to address such high-risk behaviour and to help them develop an awareness of the risks they face.

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

Staff routinely carry out health and safety checks, but emergency lighting tests have not been recorded. Neither have the actions that have been taken in response to a recent fire audit. These omissions hinder the manager’s monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced registered manager has led the staff team through a difficult period when decisions from senior managers to place emergency admissions of children at the home were not promoting children’s welfare. Since the last inspection, she has resolutely considered the needs of the existing group, the compatibility of new children and the ability of staff to manage safely the known risks relating to children’s behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

With strong, supportive guidance from the registered manager, the resilient staff team has high aspirations for the children and an insightful understanding of their needs. The registered manager and staff are committed to improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Social workers spoke highly of communication with the registered manager, the deputy manager and the link workers. This effective communication has ensured that children’s needs and progress are well understood by all parties and contributes to future planning to achieve positive outcomes for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff undertake a broad range of training, with a particular focus on current safeguarding issues and extending their knowledge and understanding of matters relevant to children’s individual needs. Supervision for staff is regular but records are variable and there is not always a sharp focus on safeguarding children. The registered manager recognises the importance of reviewing staff practice. Training is planned for senior staff to enable them to provide effective support to staff.

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 6 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

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Information about this inspection

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: SC040628 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Quadrant Court, 35 Guildford Road, Woking GU22 7QQ

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Inspector:

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC040628 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 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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