Children's home run by Sherico Care Services Limited in Westminster

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 1 SC010700

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Sherico Care Services Limited

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is one of several homes owned by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children as specified within the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 5 June 2018. Following this monitoring visit, there is no change to the judgement.

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This monitoring visit

Seven requirements and one recommendation resulted from the last full inspection. This monitoring visit assessed the progress made towards meeting these requirements and recommendations, although the completion date for all of the requirements is 31 August 2018.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring visit, no children were living in the home. One young person was moved by his placing authority shortly after the full inspection on 5 June 2018.

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This monitoring visit

The home has made progress towards addressing requirements for the education standard, child protection standard, employment records, employment of staff and other records. It has also made some progress to address the recommendation about children’s transition to independent living. There was limited opportunity to evidence progress at the home with no children present, no staff and limited records available.

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This monitoring visit

The home does not have a registered manager in place. The last registered manager left her post in April 2017. Therefore, the home has been be without a registered manager for over 26 weeks. No progress has been made on the appointment of a permanent manager. Progress has been made regarding the education standard, specifically ensuring that Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 2 proper routines and structures are in place for children’s time. The quality assurance manager facilitated an ‘Engaging in education with young people and meaningful activity’ training course on 7 August 2018. Leaders and managers have devised a template activity planner, which they propose to regularly audit.

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This monitoring visit

The home has made progress with the two requirements made under the protection of children standard. First, in relation to the proper supervision of children in line with their care plans, leaders and managers have organised external safeguarding training for all staff for 30 August 2018. They have also created a new file audit form, which they propose to complete every two weeks. Second, a requirement was made about the maintenance and repair of the home. Good progress has been made in this respect. Laminate flooring was replaced in all the bedrooms, the office, the front room and the hall. Windows have been made safe with correct fittings and restrictors. The kitchen is clean and the outside area is clear and tidy. The furniture has been replaced in the front room and most rooms have been painted and look fresher. There is still some refurbishment to complete, but overall the home’s general appearance has improved.

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This monitoring visit

The outcome of the environmental health team’s investigation regarding the home’s kitchen could take up to three months to reach a conclusion. The leaders and managers met with the environmental health team on 12 July 2018, but there is not yet an outcome of their investigation. Although the kitchen was reopened within one day, the provider may face a fine or further penalty. Environmental health will reinspect the kitchen when there are children living at the home, or sooner if the provider requests this.

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This monitoring visit

In respect of employment records, leaders and managers have asked the human resources department to undertake a file audit of staff employment histories. Where there are gaps, staff have been requested to explain these and a note made on their file. However, no employment records were available for inspection at this visit to verify this progress. The provider has set up safer recruitment training for all the human resources team, along with managers, for the end of September 2018.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers state that they have looked at staff supervision, its frequency and the records held. Overall, leaders and managers feel that supervision is regular. However, they acknowledge a problem with rotas and staff signing in and out of the building. This issue, along with the requirements made about other records, is being addressed via management meetings and through regular audits. Management meeting minutes were seen after the inspection and show that these issues have been discussed. However, currently there are no consistent managers to implement audits and checks at the home.

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This monitoring visit

With regard to the recommendation about young people’s transition to independent living, staff will be offered training on how to complete the forms. This training is scheduled for October 2018.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is making efforts to improve the service. These improvements will be Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 3 tested in full at the next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2018 Full Inadequate 06/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/05/2017 Full Good 06/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 4

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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 particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure ─

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Requirement Due date

that staff promote opportunities for each child to learn informally.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this is in ensuring that there are proper routines and structure to children’s time. 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure ─

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this is in relation to supervision of children where their care plan determines this to keep them safe. 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 5 The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure ─

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this is to ensure that the home is continuously maintained and repaired instead of occurring only when the regulator enforces action. 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if ─

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has ─

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction 31/08/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 6 The registered person must ensure that all employees ─

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33(1)(a)(4)(b)) Other records

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, there should be a register of children’s admission and discharge and a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. 31/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that as well as longer-term support for children to move on from the home effectively (regulation 6(2)(b)(vi)), the home has an important role in supporting each child leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9) Specifically, this is in relation to supporting young people with independent living skills in preparation for leaving the home.

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sherico Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sherico Care Homes Ltd, 2-4 Balmoral Road, London E10 5ND

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Inspectors

Christine Kennet, social care inspector Victoria Jones, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC010700 8 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 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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