Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Hertsmere

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 1 SC407326

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CareTech Community Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children who have experienced trauma. A private organisation operates this setting. The on-site school provides education for children up to the age of 16.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, the manager has resigned, the deputy manager has handed in his notice and the provider has begun the process of voluntarily closing the home.

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Information about this children’s home

A number of managers from other services owned by the provider have been providing additional management support during this time.

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This monitoring visit

On 14 August 2018, Ofsted inspected Windsor house and found significant shortfalls. Areas of concern included: ■ Ineffective day-to-day and senior management oversight and monitoring. ■ The home not always being staffed with appropriately qualified and experienced staff. ■ A significant staff turnover. ■ A serious incident that could have resulted in a fatality or serious injury to a child and a member of staff. ■ Poor quality, out-of-date children’s risk assessments, which did not provide staff with essential information to act to reduce risks. ■ Measures identified in risk assessments to reduce risk not being enforced. ■ Risk assessments in relation to potential new admissions to the home containing contradictions and inaccuracies and not sufficiently considering the known risks explicitly as outlined in supporting documentation. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 2 ■ Information about a serious incident not having been shared with the placing

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This monitoring visit

The significant failures led Ofsted to reasonably believe that a child or young person may be at risk of harm if it allowed further admissions to the home. Therefore, Ofsted made the decision to serve a notice restricting accommodation. This notice was served on 21 August 2018.

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This monitoring visit

The primary purpose of this monitoring visit was to ensure that the provider is complying with the notice restricting accommodation. One young person is living at the home; no young people have left the home and no young people have been admitted since the last inspection. The provider is complying with the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit also considered the provider’s response to some of the requirements that were raised as result of the serious and widespread shortfalls identified at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Lack of effective risk assessment was identified as an area of concern at the interim inspection. This monitoring visit has found that issues remain with the risk assessments. A young person’s risk assessment still notes that staff need training in managing the risks associated with ligatures. Although some efforts have been made to arrange this training, this has not yet been provided. Therefore, measures to mitigate risks are still not consistently enforced.

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This monitoring visit

A young person’s behaviour risk assessment was not consistent with their personal risk assessment. These documents offered differing conclusions about the level of risk relating to the young person going missing. The behaviour risk assessment also contained inaccuracies regarding the young person’s access to internet-enabled devices. Despite a linked mental health specialist offering feedback on the behaviour risk assessment on 16 August 2018, the management team has not reviewed and updated the behaviour risk assessment since.

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This monitoring visit

The young person’s missing-from-home protocol is inaccurate. This contains out-of- date information about the free time that the young person can have.

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This monitoring visit

These shortfalls mean that the associated requirements are not met and have therefore been restated.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has acted on some requirements raised at the last inspection. However, as these actions are in their infancy they cannot yet be fully tested and have therefore been restated.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has reviewed the location risk assessment and begun to consult with relevant agencies regarding the risk that the location may pose. This assessment now considers the risks that may arise from the campsite located adjacent to the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 3 In respect of the home sharing information with placing authorities, the management team has shared information regarding the one incident that has occurred since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection found that there has been a reduction in the number of shifts when no level 3 qualified member of staff is working, and there have been no shifts that comprised only staff who are in their probationary period.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining requirements were not monitored as part of this visit and will be restated.

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This monitoring visit

The restriction of accommodation remains in place and is subject to ongoing monitoring.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/08/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2018 Full Good 24/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 22/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 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 meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that placing authorities are fully apprised of incidents at the home. 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that children’s individual and missing-from-home risk assessments are accurate, clear, comprehensive, known to staff and promptly updated in response to incidents. 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(vi)) 27/09/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 5 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that impact risk assessments are thorough and accurate, and to sufficiently considering the history of any child being placed at the home. 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)) 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. 27/09/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 6 The registered person must—

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

records of complaints (see regulation 39). (Regulation 38 (l)) 27/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 27/09/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the arrangements for contact and any contact details (telephone numbers etc.) are included in plans agreed between the registered person and the child’s placing authority and updated regularly. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.15)  Ensure that any records kept electronically enable information to be easily accessed by anyone with a legitimate need to view it and, if required, be reproduced in a legible form. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)

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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: SC407326 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson: social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC407326 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 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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