Children's home run by The Good Support Group Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 1 Registered provider: The Good Support Group 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

A private organisation runs this home on behalf of the local authority. The home provides residential and respite care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people. The home‟s statement of purpose states that the home supports children and young people who have „autistic spectrum disorders, profound and multiple physical disabilities, learning disabilities and complex health needs‟.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since July 2017. The registered manager is on an extended leave of absence. The acting manager will be applying for Ofsted registration.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2018 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 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

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it;

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Requirement Due date

and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b)) 28/02/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; and

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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, the registered person must ensure that the home maintains a register of children. 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; 28/02/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 4 are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all young people accessing the service have a care plan, a placement plan, and where appropriate a copy of any education, health and care plan. Review of premises

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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 purpose of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement of regulation 12 (2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must update the current document with the correct children‟s home name. 28/02/2019

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Requirement Due date

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

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

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 28/02/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 5 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(5)) Employment of staff

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 28/02/2019

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Recommendations

 The children‟s home must produce a children‟s guide. The children‟s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 24, paragraph 4.21) In particular, a children‟s guide must be produced which differentiates between children who receive a short break service and those children who live at the home full time.  Children‟s homes must comply with the relevant health and safety legislation (food hygiene). („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Children‟s homes should be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of the children. They will in most cases be homely, domestic environments.

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Recommendations

(„Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, ensure that the identified window and door damage and the outside drain blockage are repaired.  The registered person should have a workforce plan, which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16 schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 6 experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home‟s Statement of Purpose. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in the home. As a result of partnership working with schools and parents, staff set age- and ability-based skills targets for young people. Young people‟s progress includes successes in developing their independence, practical and social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the young people very well and work skilfully to ensure that young people enjoy their time in the home. Young people‟s short breaks are arranged in advance, and arrangements include allocations based on their needs, sufficient staffing ratios and planned activities. This helps to ensure that young people have a safe and enjoyable stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Comprehensive shift planning enables young people to participate safely in a wealth of exciting activities both inside and outside the home. The local community Saturday cycle club and daytime disco are popular, alongside trips further afield to museums, zoos, farms and parks. Young people‟s short breaks are further enhanced by their participation in cultural celebrations, baking, arts and crafts and board games in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The large seven-bedded home provides comfortable bedrooms and a variety of activity rooms. These include a sensory room, activity room, soft play room and „chill out‟ area. However, the garden area has an overflowing drain area, and the part of the building currently designated as residential accommodation for two young people requires some refurbishment, including window and door repairs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff‟s use of alternative communication styles is effective and helps to ensure that young people who are non-verbal have a voice in the home. Young people attend their regular young people‟s meeting and they contribute where possible to their six-monthly reviews. After a recent young person‟s request, staff purchased more musical and educational toys for the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthy eating is encouraged and is combined with menu plans that reflect the young people‟s preferences, cultural requirements and any allergies. However, during the inspection out-of-date food was found in the kitchen fridges. While this was food belonging to the staff and not for young people‟s consumption, it demonstrates that staff are not conducting food safety checks consistently. Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 7

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

The home provides a safe physical environment for young people. The use of an electronic keypad system by which to enter and exit the building helps to keep young people safe, and they do not go missing from the home. Staff accompany young people in the community to ensure that they are kept safe without limiting their experiences.

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

A parent said, „I trust the staff and know my child is safe here.‟

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

The home‟s comprehensive risk management system and assessments highlight any risks in relation to each young person. Young people‟s community activities and other day-to-day activities, such as using school transport and attending appointments at the dentist or barbers, are risk assessed in detail. Such plans help to keep young people safe.

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

Staff use young people‟s behaviour support plans effectively to help support their individual needs and vulnerabilities. When staff use physical intervention, it is appropriate and helps to minimise the risk to the young person and others. After any incidents, staff consistently update young people‟s support plans, which helps to ensure that care and support are responsive to any changing needs.

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

Staff work collaboratively with parents, schools and social workers to ensure that young people‟s particular needs can be met. For example, when a young person‟s school transport escort arrangements were cancelled, two staff members were allocated this role. The young person‟s positive relationship with the staff escorts has provided a familiar environment during the journey, which has enabled the young person to continue to attend school.

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

Staff support young people who are new to the service effectively. If young people are anxious about staying away from their parents, individualised social stories help young people to understand their routines in the home and when they return to their own home. Staff‟s creative use of social stories with young people helps them to become less anxious and more settled.

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

The acting manager ensures that all statutory certificates for fire checks and health and safety checks are both current and reviewed in line with regulations. Regular fire drills are conducted when young people stay, and each young person has a personal emergency evacuation plan. This ensures that young people and staff are familiar with the procedures, should an emergency occur.

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

Young people and parents receive a young people‟s guide when they stay in the home, which sets out what young people can expect during their short break. However, this is not currently up to date or in a universally accessible format, nor does it represent the current arrangements of respite and residential care. The acting manager is developing newer versions of the young people‟s guides. Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 8

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

Since the last inspection, there have been a number of significant staff changes. The registered manager has taken an extended leave of absence, and the deputy manager and a number of support workers have left the service. Newly recruited support workers are in post as is a new acting manager for the home.

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

However, as a result of the staff changes, leaders and managers have not consistently audited all of the management systems and procedures that are in place in the home. This has not impacted on the good quality of care and support provided to young people. The responsible individual, the quality assurance manager and the acting manager recognise this shortfall, and there are plans in place to address this.

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

A number of administrative and regulatory requirements have not been met. These include a misnamed location risk assessment, an incomplete young people‟s register, some missing care plans, a number of unsigned and undated case records, an incomplete workforce development plan and an out-of-date statement of purpose.

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

Staff spoken with during the inspection described the impact of the recent staff turnover as causing „feelings of uncertainty… feelings of insecurity‟, and „a lack of staff cohesion‟. Despite these concerns being addressed at staff team meetings, staff have not received regular supervision, and annual appraisals are overdue. This limits leaders and managers‟ overview of the staff team‟s welfare, staff‟s skills and any areas for professional development.

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

The acting manager‟s quality of care review does not capture the views and opinions of young people, professionals, parents and staff. While the acting manager understands the home‟s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and has plans in place for further improvement, gaining valuable feedback from others is an opportunity to further inform the home‟s development plan.

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

The acting manager is visible and active in the home, joining shifts, actioning the independent visitor‟s recommendations, creating staff work plans and developing young people‟s questionnaires to further enhance the service. She is in the process of registering with Ofsted to be the new registered manager of the home.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 9 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: 1256364 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Good Support Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 200 Chargeable Lane, London E13 8DW

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1256364 11 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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