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

Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 1 SC426719 Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered for six young people. The home provides care for young people aged four to 18 who have physical and learning disabilities. The home is dually registered and both registered managers have extensive experience and are appropriately qualified. They are registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 February 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2018 Full Outstanding 14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/12/2016 Full Outstanding 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 3

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Recommendations

 Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Both managers are dedicated and skilled and together with the care staff ensure that young people receive a consistently high standard of care. As a result, young people make excellent progress in all aspects of their lives, including their education, health and well-being, and they enjoy many positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for young people and believe that they can achieve their potential. All young people regularly attend school and are all making significant progress from their starting points. For example, some young people’s school attendance has gone from 0% at their admission to 100% now. The level of progress has meant that one young person has made such significant progress that they are now moving to a new school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Despite young people having significant difficulties with social interaction, staff find creative ways to help each young person to take part in a variety of exciting leisure activities. For example, with the help of staff, young people enjoy going horse riding, skiing and going out for meals. They are involved in growing their own fruit and vegetables. They enjoy playing in the sensory room and in the garden. Young people have also benefited from going on trips to the seaside. All these positive experiences have helped the young people to grow confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Consultation with young people is excellent. Young people are actively involved in the day-to-day running of the home. Staff capture young people’s wishes and feelings in young people’s meetings, key-work sessions and in formal review meetings. Managers and staff listen and act on what young people say. This helps young people to feel valued and listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

An immaculately decorated home provides a warm, welcoming and cosy environment for young people to live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff manage young people’s moves into the home and out of the home tremendously Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 4 well. New young people quickly settle and feel at home. When young people are ready to leave the home, staff work hard to ensure that any transition is managed in a child- centre manner. This includes arranging multiple visits to a new placement and ensuring that essential information is promptly shared with new staff. This structured plan has ensured that one young person has made a positive move to adult care.

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

Young people’s safety and well-being are the highest priorities for staff and safeguarding practice is excellent. Staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding procedures and protocols and follow these diligently. Each member of staff ensures that young people’s risk assessments and risk management processes are of the highest quality. This helps to ensure that staff have well-developed and specialist knowledge about young people’s vulnerabilities.

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

Both managers and staff use research to inform and improve their practice. This helps the staff to see how young people’s autistic spectrum disorder impacts on them socially and emotionally. This knowledge is then used to formulate plans that help staff to work with young people to self-regulate their feelings safely.

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

Physical restraint is only ever used as a last resort measure and is proportionate. Since the last full inspection in February 2018, there has been a significant drop in the use of physical restraint. Rather than using physical restraint, staff help young people to find different ways to manage their emotions safely. However, on two occasions, the records made by staff following a physical restraint have missed out some detail.

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

Staff understand that young people are extremely vulnerable due to their disabilities and remain vigilant in keeping them safe. Excellent inter-agency working helps to strengthen young people’s safety. This collaborative approach means that any risks to young people are swiftly identified and support is quickly put in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Both managers are highly innovative and inspirational and are respected by staff, young people and partner agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Both managers know how well young people are doing because they are both actively involved at the home and meticulously track the progress of each young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and managers receive high-quality supervision and receive an annual appraisal. Staff feel well supported, highly valued and very much listened to. Both managers give highly creative staff the autonomy to run with their ideas to improve the home. Consequently, staff continue to take an active interest in developing the service with young people in mind.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Excellent internal and external monitoring systems help both managers to understand the strengths and needs of the service. When areas for development are identified, they Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 5 are both quick to respond. The managers use feedback from parents, young people and professionals to inform their biannual quality of care review. They have devised a development plan which supports the home’s continued improvement and shows a commitment to maintaining high standards of care.

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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 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: SC426719 6

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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: CareTech Community Services Limited, 5th Floor Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Lisa Greensill and Linsay Knox

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 7 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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