New Park Project (The)

Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 1 SC065046 Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group

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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 registered for up to four children.  The home provides care for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The children’s home is owned and run by a private company that operates three other homes in the area.  The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2018

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—  seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;  if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard 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—  take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and  are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, safeguarding records need to be comprehensive and contain information about all activities related to the event and include minutes of meetings and guidance given by the designated officer. Investigations into safeguarding events must not be commenced without the agreement of the designated officer. 31/8/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 4 33: Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff need to undertake safeguarding training early in their induction. 30/9/2018

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure records of the supervision and appraisal are good quality, reflect the discussion that takes place and record any required actions to be taken. These actions need be reviewed at the next session to assess progress. 30/9/2018

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records The registered person must ensure that— within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the person speaking to the child is not a member of staff involved in the restraint. 31/8/2018

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improvement to be good

Weaknesses in how well children are helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers work mean that the overall experiences of children require improvement.

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improvement to be good

On one occasion, an internal investigation into a child protection concern was started before permission was given by the designated officer. This approach does not Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 5 adequately protect children and is not in line with child protection procedures.

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improvement to be good

Although the use of restraint has decreased since the last inspection, children do not always have the opportunity to speak with a member of staff that was not involved in holding them. This can limit the opportunity for children to speak openly about their feelings and the staff involved.

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improvement to be good

On too many occasions, one child did not receive a return home interview after they had been missing. Leaders and managers have not escalated this serious omission in practice to senior leaders in the placing authority.

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improvement to be good

Children have effective bonds with the staff who care for them. They benefit from receiving individualised care from staff.

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improvement to be good

Children are making progress from their starting point when they arrived in this home. This is particularly accurate in relation to developing increased self-confidence and an ability to self-regulate some of their behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Currently, only one child is in full-time education. The other two children are receiving one-to-one tuition and their engagement in this learning has improved. Attempts to reintegrate these two children back into full-time education have not been successful. This work is ongoing and the registered manager is advocating for the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to take part in a wide range of fun and interesting activities. Some children attend local clubs and events, which helps to build their social networks outside of the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide children with a nurturing environment in which to live. Children are currently involved in changing the décor and furnishings at the home. Each child has their own garden. Some children have chosen to grow flowers and vegetables. Children are very proud of these gardens.

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improvement to be good

Social workers and other professionals said that the staff are good at keeping them up to date about the progress children are making.

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improvement to be good

The management of safeguarding systems requires improvement. Records of safeguarding events do not reliably contain all of the required information. In addition, safeguarding records documented by the previous designated lead are no longer available for review. On one occasion, the previous designated safeguarding lead began an investigation into a child protection concern prior to receiving permission from the designated officer as required. Since in post, the new designated safeguarding lead has changed the safeguarding systems. Overall, missing from home incidents, behaviour incidents and the use of restraint have reduced since the last inspection. However, meaningful de-brief discussions with children Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 6 after they have been missing and after restraint has been used are weak.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks for individual children and put appropriate strategies in place to minimise these risks. This has included adjusting staff work patterns to meet children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour is managed well. Each child has a bespoke behaviour management plan that is regularly reviewed and updated. Staff work with children to help them to understand their behaviours and to develop self-management techniques.

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improvement to be good

The recruitment of staff follows safer recruitment practices, which helps to protect children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The quality of the supervision that staff receive is variable. Some supervision records lack details about the discussions held and the actions agreed between the manager and the member of staff. Overall, records of staff annual appraisals are the same variable quality. However, the most recent appraisal that was completed did show some improvement in this area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

New staff have not yet received safeguarding training. This can limit their understanding about how to keep children safe. The other training that staff have received is varied and of good quality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is experienced in residential care and appropriately qualified for the role. He has an understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement identified at this inspection. Plans are in place to address these shortfalls. This work is ongoing so does not yet have a discernible impact. The manager has a clear long-term aim to provide good-quality care for children. This aim is endorsed by the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has ensured that the requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection have been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Children’s care planning records are well organised. These documents are up to date and provide staff with guidance about how to meet the children’s needs. There have been occasions when review minutes have not been sent to the home despite frequent requests by the manager. The registered manager has not escalated these requests to senior leaders in the placing authority.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 7 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: SC065046 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Beaufort Care Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 42 Lytton Road, New Barnet, Barnet EN5 5BY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jennifer Kendall

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Inspector

Wendy Anderson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065046 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 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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