Children's Home run by Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd in Newham

Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 1 SC060545 Registered provider: Laurel Leaf Homes 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 privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to eight young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities. The service accepts emergency placements as well as provides long-term care.

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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 inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/10/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/04/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 2

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: 2(a) that staff: (i) 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; (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‘s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff and managers should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Risk assessments should include details of the steps the home will take to manage the risks on a day-to-day basis.

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Requirement Due date

Staff should help children manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would.

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Requirement Due date

When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. The home should ensure such arrangement is in place for the child and take account of the information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure: (1) that children: 30/08/2018 Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 3 (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children‘s home; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home; (2)(a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‘s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child‘s assessed needs and where they have fully considered the impact the placement will have on others. This includes emergency admissions.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure: (1) that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on: an understanding about acceptable behaviour; (2)(a) that staff: (i) meet each child‘s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‘s relevant plans; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‘s behaviour, in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (vii) help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from damaging, exploitative or harmful relationships; (xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Poor behaviour should be challenged; positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced. Staff should have the skills to respond to each child‘s individual behaviour. Where necessary they should manage conflict and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty (2) Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and 30/08/2018 Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 4 proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should evaluate whether the method of restraint utilised was appropriate and evaluate the impact of the restraint on the child.

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Requirement Due date

Maintain clear records of restraint which should be routinely reviewed so as to provide opportunities for amending practice to ensure that it meets the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person must ensure that – (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home a record is made which includes— (i) the name of the child (vi) the name of the person who used the measure, and of any other person present when the measure was used. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(vi)) 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must: (1) enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children‘s home that: (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (2) In particular, the registered person must: (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home‘s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should lead the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home‘s statement of purpose. The registered person should support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and ensure that staff can meet each child‘s needs in line with their responsibilities. The registered person is responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and developing good practice. 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered provider must appoint a person to manage 30/08/2018 Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 5 the children‘s home if— (a) There is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. (Regulations 32(1))

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Requirement Due date

(4) If a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, verification so far as reasonably practicable of the reason why the employment or position ended. (Schedule 2(4)) 30/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (―a quality of care review‖) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

(a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children‘s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 30/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Evaluation of missing-from-home incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what works well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  Ensure that notifications of serious events are sent to the regulator. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 63, paragraph 14.13)   Ensure that young people‘s educational needs are sufficiently met. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 26, paragraph 5.4)   Ensure that the individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‘s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the

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Recommendations

Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 6 home‘s care. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 65, paragraph 15.5)   Ensure that supervision records accurately reflect when and where supervision took place. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 61, paragraph 13.3)   Ensure that appraisal records are signed and dated. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 61, paragraph 13.5) 

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improvement to be good

Young people admitted to the home since the last inspection have not made good progress during their stay. One young person was missing from care over 60% of the time during his four-month placement in the home. The placement ended with the young person detained by the police and placed in a secure unit. The other young person repeatedly breached the conditions of his referral order. Consequently, he received a custodial sentence and was placed in a secure children‘s home.

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improvement to be good

Pre-admission impact assessments identify known risk factors but do not robustly evaluate how these factors might affect the young people. They do not evaluate the home‘s capacity to manage the risks effectively, other than allocating two-to-one staff support for the young person. Moreover, some of the identified risks are minimised, leading to ineffective management of the young people‘s vulnerabilities. These include risks associated with physical aggression towards young people and staff, gangs, exploitation and antisocial behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Young people‘s placement plans are not individualised and lack detailed assessment of need. They also do not contain specific, timely targets and clear desired outcomes. This includes arrangements to support young people who have learning difficulties. Young people‘s daily routines and support plans are not adhered to and there is limited evaluation of their effectiveness. Hence, the impact of the care plans on the young people is weak.

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, one young person who had lived in the home for 13 months was discharged in a planned move to another children‘s home. The young person was not in education for several months and went missing from care on numerous occasions. Work to help reduce the risks of child sexual exploitation was limited, and challenging behaviour was ineffectively managed, resulting in several police interventions. While this was the longest placement she has experienced since being in care, overall progress made in the key areas of her life was limited.

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improvement to be good

Staff are empathetic and show genuine concern for the difficulties the young people have experienced and continue to face. Relevant issues are discussed in key-working sessions that take place regularly. However, it is not clear what actual impact these Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 7 sessions have had on the young people. Also, risks identified in these sessions do not inform meaningful planning and management of the young people‘s needs.

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improvement to be good

Monthly progress reports completed by staff are strengths-based and do not always provide a full picture of the young people‘s experience. For example, a young person was described as ‗settled‘ in his placement when he was missing from the home 18 out of the 28 days during the reported month. Young people struggle to develop skills and strategies to manage their own conflicts.

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improvement to be good

One young person does not have a completed education, health and care plan, despite having additional needs. Young people are offered home tuition if they do not have a school placement. They also have access to an online educational resource. However, uptake by the young people is limited. A virtual school professional described the partnership working with the home as ‗very good‘, and that the home has been ‗vocal‘ about ensuring that the young person receives what he is due. Recent progress has been made in identifying an alternative provision for a young person. However, young people have not made good progress overall in their education despite the support provided.

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improvement to be good

Young people are in good health and receive good support with regard to their health needs. Young people have access to specialist services, such as the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). A CAMHS professional stated that the home has ‗done their best‘ to support the young person whose needs are very challenging. Young people‘s engagement with specialist services has been limited, despite efforts made by staff and managers for young people to receive mental health support.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers help young people to develop some independent living skills. A pathway plan is in place for a young person. Young people are supported to have positive contact with their family members. Young people‘s cultural backgrounds are respected.

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improvement to be good

A parent stated that she has no concerns about the quality of care provided to her child.

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improvement to be good

Young people do not receive good enough help and protection. Risk factors are identified, but not robustly assessed, resulting in ineffective safeguarding. A lack of rigorous analysis of the young people‘s static and dynamic risk factors results in plans that do not meet their complex needs. Furthermore, risk assessments are not always updated with pertinent information or emerging risks.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management plans set out strategies for managing difficult behaviour. However, some of the standard strategies have been ineffective in managing more challenging behaviour. Some of the sanctions utilised have been inappropriate and unavailing. The police have been called on several occasions to help manage difficult situations, including assaults against staff. Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 8 There have been eight incidents of physical restraint since the last inspection. Six of these have involved a technique that is not commonly practised. Systems in place for recording incidents are not clear or detailed. Young people‘s views are obtained but are not incorporated into their individual support plans. There is limited evidence of evaluating the use of restraint. It is not apparent how the home proactively promotes an environment of positive behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The home does not consistently notify Ofsted of serious incidents that have taken place, and there is no record justifying the reasons.

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improvement to be good

Staff follow the home‘s procedures when young people go missing from the home. However, there is a lack of effective action taken to reduce the persistent pattern of high-risk behaviour. Staff undertake debriefs with the young people when they return to the home but return home interviews by an independent person are not completed. Information and trends of missing incidents are not used to help reduce the risks for the young people.

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improvement to be good

Young people know how to complain. Complaints are managed appropriately by managers. Allegations against staff and managers are handled by the responsible individual in partnership with the designated officer. However, there is room for improvement in the quality of internal investigations and implementing learning from these incidents to prevent further occurrence.

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improvement to be good

A young person stated that he felt ‗safe‘ in the home and identified trusted adults he can speak to about anything.

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improvement to be good

A youth offending service professional stated the young person was supported by the staff although he had committed further offences since being placed in the home. A social worker described the partnership working as ‗brilliant‘ and that the home makes efforts to understand the young person‘s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager since October 2017. This is longer than 26 weeks and therefore the effectiveness of leaders and managers is inadequate. The last manager withdrew his application to register and left the service within a few months of starting his role. The changes of manager since the last inspection have caused disruption to the service. The responsible individual has recently recruited a manager with experience of running a children‘s home. This manager is due to start after references are checked. The registered provider stated that no additional young people will be admitted until the manager is in post.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual has been overseeing the home in the absence of a manager. Safe recruitment practice is in place. However, there is room for improvement in scrutinising work history. For example, there was no evidence of verification as to why previous employment regarding working with children had ended. Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 9 The home has reduced its reliance on agency staff to less than half of its workforce. However, the home is not adequately staffed to care for more than two young people at a time, especially if they require more than one-to-one support. Improvements are required in the supervision of the young people. For example, a young person, who is on two-to-one supervision, was able to bring a friend into the home overnight without the staff‘s knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff stated that they receive monthly supervision, which they find helpful. They also stated that they find training offered helpful in their practice. Staff who have not completed their level 3 qualification are enrolled on a course arranged by the registered provider. Staff have regular team meetings to discuss the young people. Staff come to know the young people‘s likes and dislikes and are keen to develop positive relationships with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are discrepancies between the dates of supervision sessions and the dates of staff and manager‘s presence in the home: on a few occasions, supervision took place when neither the staff nor the manager was on-site. It is not recorded if these were done by phone or any other means. Furthermore, some of the appraisals that have taken place do not have dates or signatures on the completed forms.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager‘s review of the service is not underpinned by the quality standards. It is not a rigorous assessment of the impact that the quality of care is having on the progress of the young people. There is no evaluation of the impact of training and supervision on staff development. The aspirations of staff and managers for the young people are not clear. The evidence of how the home is fulfilling its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose and reflecting its ethos is weak.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

An independent visitor produces a monthly report on the home‘s arrangements. However, the reports are not consistently rigorous in the evaluation of the home‘s safeguarding arrangements and how the young people‘s well-being is promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The views of professionals from partner agencies are largely positive in relation to the home‘s communication and partnership working.

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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: SC060545 10 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: SC060545 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 42 Stavordale Road, London N5 1NE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Mohammad Baulackey

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Inspectors

Linda Kim-Newby, social care inspector Patrick Sullivan, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report children‘s home: SC060545 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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