Children's home run by Herman Allen

Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 1 SC067810 Registered provider: Lily House Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for up to seven children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. In addition to having two other children’s homes, the company is also a registered education provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children receive a warm welcome when they move into this home. The staff provide a nurturing experience and work hard to meet children’s needs. Staff receive support from a psychologist who works with the team to help them have a therapeutic understanding of children’s complex behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recent admissions to the home have tended to be emergency placements. The registered manager completes risk assessments which detail the presenting risks and the impact a child’s admission will have on existing children at the home. Children referred to the home have presented with a high level of complex needs and Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 2 the registered manager has identified potential strategies and resources to support the staff team to care for children safely. On occasions where additional resources or educational placements have not been available, children’s combined risks have been difficult for staff to manage. Some of the high-level needs for children could potentially have been predicted with closer scrutiny of the matching process.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager works very hard with her team and the placing authority to maintain children’s placements where possible. One child’s placement ended at the request of the registered manager on the grounds of not being able to keep him safe and to protect other children within the home. Overall, children receive good stability in this home, with one child living at the home for over two years.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children have made good progress. Areas of progress include children enjoying stability of placement, increased confidence, attending education/apprenticeships and reducing their difficult behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Those children who have come to live at the home recently have made less progress. The registered manager and the staff have drawn up structured timetables including educational trips, key-work sessions and activities for all children. Staff are providing high levels of supervision for children who are not yet in full-time education, although despite this, some children have continued with their risk-taking behaviours.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the running of the home, and records reflect a high level of intervention and understanding of children’s needs. Staff said they feel well supported to work together as a team and to understand children’s behaviours through reflective practice. There is an independent person who visits the home monthly and provides a report to the regulator and to the home to help it improve practice. However, these reports do not always seek children’s, parents’ or other professionals’ views.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has seen an increase in significant events and, consequently, an increase in the number of notifications that it has had to make to Ofsted since the last full inspection. Although these incidents have been managed appropriately, they have occurred in part due to the mix of children being cared for at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager encourages and facilitates good partnership working with placing authorities, the youth offending team, and education providers, among others. Feedback from professionals is mainly positive, with some concerns raised about the matching of children living together at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager strives to improve the home and has addressed the three recommendations made at the last full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2018 Full Good 14/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person only accepts placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Recommendations

Specifically, this is in relation to seeking children’s, parents’ and other professionals’ views about the services offered.

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 4 experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, 172 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 4QH

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Inspector

Christine Kennet, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 5 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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