Children's Home run by Holibrook House Limited in Lewisham

Inspection report children’s home: SC377702 1 SC377702 Registered provider: Holibrook House Limited 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 six children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for children who present with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and as a result display challenging behaviour due to their early traumatic life experiences. In addition to having two other children’s homes, the company is also a registered education provider. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in January 2018.

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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. Children said that they liked living at this home. They reported having familiar staff working with them, that they like most of the staff and that the food is good. Children experience good stability living at this home, with one child living at the home for over two years. Two children who had long-term placements have left the home since the last inspection. One moved to semi-supported lodgings and the other returned to live with an extended family member. Two other children have moved into the home recently. There are clear risk assessments about their suitability to live with other children already living at the home. Although risk Inspection report children’s home: SC377702 2 assessments are clear and cover relevant information, some records contained references to previous residents where templates had been reused.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Both the new children admitted to the home had an opportunity to either visit the home or talk directly to the registered manager prior to coming to live there. This helped them to have a smoother transition and welcome to the home. The registered manager and the staff team are well established. The staff know the children well and work hard to give children a positive experience in a stable and consistent home. The staff take on individual ‘champions’ roles with responsibility for a key area of running the home, such as health and safety or activities for children. This encourages a joint responsibility and shared approach to the smooth running of the home. Staff say that they feel supported through regular supervision and have access to good- quality training. The organisation commissions a psychologist to work with the staff team. He attends regular team meetings to help the staff with strategies and to help

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

them to be more reflective in their practice. The registered manager has completed a review of the quality of care provided at the home. This report provides a good analysis of the care provided and is set out under the relevant quality standards and has an action plan for improvement. However, the report does not consider the feedback of children, parents and professionals and has not been sent to the regulator within the required timescales. Children make good progress. Leaders and managers actively promote engagement with education. This encourages a culture and expectation for children to attend some form of educational provision while living at the home. One child who was previously out of education for a significant period of time is now attending regularly. Episodes of children going missing from the home have significantly reduced. This is in part due to a change of children living at the home but is also due to different

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

approaches by staff and managers. For example, managers have a better understanding of why children are missing through completing audits and an improved analysis of information. They have also established better safety planning with children, and staff have gone to children’s known networks to find them, pick them up and return them to the home. Children’s views, wishes and feelings are regularly sought through ‘children’s chat’ meetings and via key-working sessions with staff. Children have recently helped to review the home’s policy on bullying. Children enjoy regular activities and are consulted about various aspects of the running of the home. The registered manager is trying to instil more restorative sanctions that show an understanding of the underlying causes of behaviours. However, on occasions there are some examples of sanctions recorded in the case files which are less understanding than they could be towards children’s previous experiences.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff team work collaboratively with placing authorities, parents, carers and the wider professional network. This enables good access to a range of resources and networks for children to promote their health and well-being. Staff ensure that children have access to services such as child and adolescent mental Inspection report children’s home: SC377702 3 health services and local drug and alcohol services. A student social worker presented a one-day workshop on health and well-being, with a focus on sexual health, that both children and staff participated in together. In addition, staff access more creative therapies for children, such as reflexology, massage and exercise. Staff are aware of the processes they need to follow to report child protection concerns. Allegations have been appropriately reported to the child protection teams and to the designated officer and proper process has been followed and notified to Ofsted.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has ensured that both of the requirements made at the last full inspection have been met. Six of the seven recommendations made are met and one is partly met. One recommendation is repeated, and two additional recommendations are made at this interim inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2018 Full Good 22/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person undertakes a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the report is sent to Ofsted and is informed by feedback from children, parents and professionals.  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) This is specifically in relation to having a therapeutic approach and an understanding of the underlying reasons why

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Recommendations

children present challenging behaviours.  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s Inspection report children’s home: SC377702 4 policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) This is specifically in relation to risk assessments, notifications and key-work sessions.

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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. 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. Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out

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Information about this inspection

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: Holibrook House Limited

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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: SC377702 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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Inspector

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