Children's home run by Potton Homes Limited in Greenwich

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 1 SC393940

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Potton Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides residential care for up to five children, aged eight to 17, who have a diagnosed learning disability. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2013.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring inspection was undertaken to monitor the progress that the provider has made in meeting the two compliance notices and the restriction of admissions to the home that were served following the interim inspection in January 2019. This monitoring inspection found that the provider has not addressed all of the shortfalls that were raised at the last visit. Further shortfalls were identified at this visit. There have been no children admitted to the home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The internal investigation into concerns about the registered manager’s and staff members’ practice and the care provided to children is poor. The investigation failed to ensure that all reasonable lines of enquiry were pursued to gain a clear understanding of concerns and actions. Managers’ interview records that were provided to Ofsted are inconsistent in their lines of enquiry, and not all of the interviews covered the concerns raised. On 2 January 2019, the director of care and two other managers directly observed some serious and concerning practice at the home. Although some of the areas of concern have been addressed, accounts of the action taken are inconsistent and unclear.

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This monitoring visit

The provider failed to seek immediate medical attention following an incident in which a child stated that their wrist felt painful. Records evidence that staff did not seek medical attention until the child was at school the following day. In addition, the record states ‘she had hurt her’. It is unclear what this means and who it refers to. The incident involved the child slipping in the kitchen. However, the child was restrained by staff after they slipped. The provider has not considered whether the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 2 restraint was the cause of or had any impact on the injury. Failure to take necessary and timely action means that children are not safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not consistently update children’s risk assessments following significant incidents at the children’s home, such as self-injurious behaviour. The risk assessments fail to inform staff of all potential known risks and triggers and the action required to reduce the risk to the child. This does not safeguard children effectively.

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This monitoring visit

There are insufficient experienced and skilled staff to consistently meet the children’s individual care needs. Since the interim inspection, two newly appointed staff have left and one new member of staff has started. Of the eight permanent staff, and the interim manager who is working at the home, four are in their probationary period and have no prior experience of working at a children’s home. Despite the interim manager’s efforts to provide children with some consistency from bank and agency staff, most of the agency staff have minimal experience of working at a children’s home with children who have autism spectrum disorders and present with challenging behaviour. The provider delivered training in managing self-harm. However, only two staff attended this training. These shortfalls mean that children do not receive care and support from an experienced and skilled staff team that consistently meets their needs and keeps them safe.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s location risk assessment fails to include all information known about the location of the home and the measures to take to reduce the risks. This does not provide adequate guidance for staff to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s fire risk assessment fails to include information on the changes to the locking mechanism on the back gate and the bedroom doors that do not self-close. The information and guidance for staff are inadequate and do not equip them to keep children safe and to ensure that necessary fire prevention measures are implemented.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has not submitted an up-to-date statement of purpose to Ofsted. Despite some improvement to the management of the home, the provider continues to fail to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the statement of purpose. The lack of experienced, skilled and competent staff has hindered the interim manager’s ability to make sufficient progress towards the required improvements. In addition, this shortfall has affected the monitoring and oversight of records and the ability to make the improvements required to ensure that children receive appropriate and consistent care.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to ensure sufficient oversight and review of two physical intervention records. A further incident record was not available for examination. Therefore, it was not possible to establish whether all of the required actions were taken to ensure the child’s well-being. Shortfalls in recording and a lack of scrutiny of incident records fail to ensure that the management oversight is consistently effective. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 3 The manager provides Ofsted with statutory notifications of significant incidents. However, delays in submitting notifications continue. These delays do not enable Ofsted to have timely oversight of the action that staff take to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has made changes to the safeguarding and whistle-blowing policy to bring them in line with legislation. However, despite requesting that all staff read the policies and sign to say that they understand them, not all staff have complied with the manager’s request. Managers have failed to address this with the staff concerned. Consequently, managers cannot be sure that all staff fully understand the action to take if a safeguarding concern arises.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has now updated all of the policies at the home. These policies have not yet been implemented. The policies require personalisation to the home and time for the staff to read and understand the expectations of the provider.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made some improvements since the interim inspection. The registered manager is not currently working at the home. An interim manager who has sufficient experience and skills is managing the home with support of a senior manager. Together they are working hard to try to make the required improvements. However, they are hindered in their progress due to the lack of experienced and skilled staff to delegate tasks to. All of the permanent, bank and agency staff spoken with during the inspection spoke favourably of the support, guidance and advice that they now receive from the interim manager. This support has improved staff morale.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has made substantial changes to the administration of children’s medication. These changes include action to seek professional medical advice about a child who refuses to take her medication and an updated recording system. Medication belonging to children who no longer live at the home has been safely returned. Clear individual records show the medication that staff have administered. However, there are some recording errors in the new system. These errors have not affected children’s well-being.

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This monitoring visit

The managers have made significant changes to the home, providing a warm, safe and welcoming environment. Children’s bedrooms are now welcoming and personalised and provide them with a relaxing area, which they are encouraged to keep clean and tidy. The games room has been painted and a radiator has been replaced and covered to reduce the risk of a child burning themselves. During the inspection, children were observed to be using this room more than had been previously observed. The office has been decluttered and files and records are now accessible. A key cabinet and safe are easily accessible for staff to keep their keys safe in line with a child’s individual risk assessment. Children are now able to access the office when it is appropriate. The children’s shower no longer has a pungent smell. Further changes have been planned. These include laminating the kitchen floor to reduce the risk of injury from falling on a tiled floor, a new shower tray, new

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This monitoring visit

carpets and a new dining table. These changes are likely to further improve the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 4 children’s living environment.

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This monitoring visit

Children recognise the changes that have been made to the home. The children said that it is better. Staff engage with children and provide them with sensory items. A child who previously spent most of their time in their bedroom was observed engaging with staff and accessing all areas of the home. Improvement was seen in children’s confidence, with one child demonstrating this through singing to everyone. However, managers recognise that further improvements are required to holistically meet the children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has implemented the home’s disciplinary procedure to consider if any action is required. This is in relation to significant practice concerns. Due to timescales, the provider has not been able to provide Ofsted and the designated officer with an outcome. Therefore, at this stage the outcome of the process is unknown.

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This monitoring visit

All permanent staff have received training in physical intervention, safeguarding and fire safety and managing child sexual exploitation refresher training. This training equips the permanent staff with a better, current understanding of safeguarding children.

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This monitoring visit

A requirement in respect of staff supervision was not monitored at this inspection. It will be reviewed at the next inspection and therefore the requirement remains. Ofsted is taking further enforcement action and will continue to monitor the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2018 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good 30/01/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 01/03/2019

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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—

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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;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are 05/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 6 located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(b)(c))* 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(a)(c)(h))* 05/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to recording. 01/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33 (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to the implementation of the disciplinary procedure. 05/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 01/03/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 7 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC393940 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Potton Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Potton Homes, 1 Cresswell Park, Blackheath, London SE3 9RD

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Inspectors

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Mark Jackson, social care compliance inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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