Children's Home run by Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd in Newham

Inspection report children’s home: SC060545 1 SC060545 Registered provider: Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd Interim inspection 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 care and accommodation for up to eight children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since October 2017. The current manager sent in an application for registration with Ofsted on 17 January 2019 and this is currently in progress.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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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 requires improvement to be 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

The most recent manager was appointed in July 2018. Since her appointment, the manager has been working hard to meet the requirements and recommendations that were made at the last full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Six of the requirements are met, while two requirements have been partly met. Six recommendations were made at the last full inspection. Four are met and two are partly met. Those partly met have been repeated. One further recommendation is made at this interim inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC060545 2 There have been five children placed since the last full inspection. Since the new manager has been in post, better matching and clearer risk assessments are evident.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Outcomes for children leaving the home have improved. Two children have moved back to their home areas, while one child now lives in a foster placement. One child was effectively supported to stay in the home, following a placement stability meeting and improved care planning.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two children’s placements were ended by the manager, as the staff were unable to meet their needs. Risk assessments indicated that matching for these children was not robust enough. The manager now has a more robust process in place for new admissions. This process shows a clearer understanding of the impact on children at the home when admitting new children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of care is improving at the home. The manager is aware of the areas for improvement and has a clear vision to improve the service. An independent visitor visits the home monthly and provides a report which is helping the manager to improve the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff interviewed during the inspection said they felt supported. They said they felt that proper systems are being established and that training is helping them to work together as a team. The manager has completed probationary reports for new staff working at the home. She has booked existing staff appointments to appraise their practice, but these meetings have not yet happened. Yearly reviews of staff practice help support the manager to understand the strengths and areas of development within the staff team.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children do not always experience enough structure within the home. The manager and staff team are working hard to establish activities for children who do not have a school placement. This is improving, however there has been a culture of non-engagement with education/employment within the home. The manager is aware of this culture and is working hard to achieve change. One social worker said, ‘The home is working together with me. They have an action plan and are working hard with a young person who is refusing education.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Episodes of children going missing from the home have significantly reduced. Staff understand the protocol for reporting children who go missing. The manager and staff engage with children to understand why they go missing and key-work sessions show they discuss the risks with children. However, there is not yet enough challenge to placing authorities to offer independent return home interviews for children. Such interviews ensure that children have an opportunity to share any concerns about the home in case this is their reason for going missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although the home has been refurbished in recent years, some rooms now require redecoration. The garden area needs clearing so that it is a pleasant place for children to use. Inspection report children’s home: SC060545 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/12/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Ensure that where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school role for some other reason, the registered person and staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time educations as soon as possible. In the interim the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account,

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Recommendations

where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. As part of the performance process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Ensure the registered person only accepts placements for children where they are

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Recommendations

satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as Inspection report children’s home: SC060545 4 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)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, this is in respect of the redecoration, continued refurbishment of the home and improvement of the garden at 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 after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and 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: Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 42 Stavordale Road, London N5 1NE Inspection report children’s home: SC060545 5 Responsible individual: Mohammad Baulackey

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Inspector

Christine Kennet, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC060545 6 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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