Children's home run by Area Camden Limited

Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 1 Registered provider: Area Camden 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

 The home is owned by a limited company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children.  In their statement of purpose, the provider states that they provide care for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  Four female children currently live in the home.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: this is the first inspection of this home.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 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

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. (Regulation 16(1)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children‘s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and 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

(Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 31/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 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— the name of the child; details of the child‘s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 31/01/2019 Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 3 a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (―the user‖), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person

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Requirement Due date

to do so (―the authorised person‖)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 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. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) Specifically, record details of the consequences staff use so that the effectiveness of these may be monitored.

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Recommendations

 The children‘s guide should help children to understand: how to make a complaint in line with the home‘s complaints procedure; how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing or exploitation. They will also consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. There is no expectation that the registered person will review the home against every part of the Quality Standards every six months – registered persons should use their professional judgement to decide which factors to focus on. The review

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Recommendations

should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home‘s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 65, paragraph 15.4) Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel settled in this home. Children who have experienced multiple placement moves now experience stability. One child said, ‗I am always happy here.‘ Another said, ‗It‘s the best place I have lived in.‘ Children are very proud of their lovely, well- maintained and peaceful home. Staff have supported children to make positive changes in their lives. Most significant is the reduction in incidents of going missing from the home. Children go missing less frequently, and now stay in touch with staff while they are away. This reduces risks, such as from child sexual exploitation. Self-harming behaviour has significantly reduced, which improves children‘s safety. Children benefit from warm relationships with staff who they feel really care about them. Children talk to staff about their feelings and improve their resilience and self- confidence. One risk assessment and one behaviour management plan require updating

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

so that information is current. Children build on their independence skills, for example by travelling some distances to meet up with family members and obtaining passports. They enjoy working through good-quality independence books which also provide a record of their achievements. Children have very positive experiences which widen their horizons. This includes holidays in this country and abroad. Staff encourage children to aspire to things such as travelling, learning to drive, or saving to buy a car or a house. Children are encouraged to improve their health. Some children are now more willing to eat the healthy meals staff cook for them rather than buying ‗fast food‘. Exercise such as swimming and attending the gym are encouraged. Some children continue to use illicit substances but are ready to engage with support services as a step towards giving up. Children make good progress in their education. Those who were previously out of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

education now attend regularly. Some children are now working towards improving their punctuality. One child is not in education but has found employment and is exploring learning options to fit in with their working hours.

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

Children feel safe and secure in this home and do not experience bullying. Children‘s needs are well matched to what the home provides. Staff are trained to safeguard children and their focus is very much on improving children‘s safety by empowering them to recognise unsuitable relationships and people.

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

Behaviour improves. A social worker said their child‘s behaviour is improving because ‗key working is good – staff understand and contain her behaviour‘. Staff see the essence of behaviour management as ‗getting the girls to take responsibility‘. Restorative Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 5 justice is encouraged. Staff praise and reward children‘s efforts to improve aspects of their behaviour.

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

Improved arrangements for children to meet with their families, or to decide not to, have helped children feel more in control. Staff support children to come to terms with changes in arrangements to see their siblings. Children are encouraged to bring friends home. Staff do not use restraint or sanctions, preferring to help children understand the consequences of their behaviour. However, consequences are not recorded distinctly as such. This limits how the effectiveness of consequences is monitored. Leaders and managers are diligent in employing staff who can support the home‘s ethos and relate well to the children. Staff recruitment is generally sound, but would be improved if staff declared any previous allegations and/or disciplinary matters and by verifying the reason why previous employment ended.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The deputy manager is leading the home effectively in the registered manager‘s planned absence. Both managers are working towards achieving a suitable qualification. As this is mostly a newly-established team, most staff will work towards level 3 qualifications following completion of their probation. Staff describe effective support from the leadership and management team. Staff find the home a positive place to work. They value their training, which they find helps them to meet children‘s needs. Monitoring by an independent person is effective in developing the service. The deputy manager has also written a review of the service, but this does not fully reflect the quality standards. Social workers receive regular updates about the children‘s welfare and value the staff communication with them. Staff work effectively with other professionals involved in the children‘s care. Leaders and managers maintain the home to a very high standard. Children respect and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

value their surroundings. The statement of purpose and children‘s guide are quality documents providing most, but not all, relevant information.

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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 Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 6 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: 1272461 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Turnpike Lane, London, Middlesex N8 0EP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nuala Harrington

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Inspector

Jacqueline Graves, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children‘s home: 1272461 8 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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