Children's home run by Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 1 SC063219 Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment (CARE) Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to five children. In the statement of purpose, the provider states that the home provides care for children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since February 2013. The registered manager manages this and another of the provider‟s three homes.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children‟s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/11/2017 Full Good 13/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 24/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Young people‟s experiences, progress and outcomes are varied. Young people‟s disengagement with the help that is available to them at the home is the main reason for their slow progress, or the lack of it, in some areas of their lives.

p.3

improvement to be good

Young people‟s learning progress and educational attainments are not consistently good. Staff are unable to motivate young people to engage positively in their learning. In some cases, young people have refused completely to attend their educational facilities or engage with their personal tutors.

p.3

improvement to be good

Young people receive support from staff members and specialist services to reduce their misuse of illegal substances or alcohol. However, young people‟s progress in developing healthier lifestyles is limited. Some of them continue to struggle with the consequences of engaging in potentially harmful habits.

p.3

improvement to be good

Young people develop positive relationships with some staff members but not all. The frequency of young people‟s threatening behaviours which may include physical assaults on staff members reduces over time. However, outside the home‟s environment young people continue to behave in challenging ways and put themselves at risk, such as by wielding a knife in a public space.

p.3

improvement to be good

Young people have written care plans that are reviewed on a regular basis. However, the documents do not always show that young people receive individualised care that meets all of their needs. For example, one young person‟s care plan did not have any information about his race and ethnicity or advice for staff on how they should help him to develop these important aspects of his identity.

p.3

improvement to be good

A major refurbishment of the home that includes the fitting of new bathrooms is in progress. By providing a higher-quality physical environment, the registered provider said that it aims to enhance the positive experiences for young people. Staff help young people to develop life skills, including how to look after their bedrooms.

p.3

improvement to be good

The risk management practices in the home lack robustness. Risks are not always identified and assessed at the right level. The insufficiencies in the risk management increase the risk of young people not being safeguarded effectively.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have a limited understanding of contextual safeguarding within Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 4 the home. Impact risk assessments that consider the whole-group living dynamics and the potential impact of young people behaviours on each other do not form part of the home‟s admission process. This is the case even when there is a significant age difference between young people and a strong potential for negative peer-influence, such as evidence of young people going missing from care, misusing and dealing illegal substances, their involvement with gangs and weapons, and a history of violence.

p.3

improvement to be good

Each young person has their own risk assessment that identifies the type and the level of each risk. However, although the risk assessments are reviewed on a regular basis, they do not always consider all the information that is available. An example of this is the failure to take into account young people‟s threatening behaviours towards each other in the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff work closely with the police to safeguard young people who go missing from the home. The frequency with which young people go missing has reduced for some young people. However, other young people‟s episodes of going missing from the home have escalated since living in this home and they now go missing for longer periods of time.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff use a system of rewards and sanctions to help young people to develop more constructive behaviours. Staff use physical interventions as a last resort to protect the welfare of young people and adults. However, the records of sanctions and physical interventions do not always contain all the required details to show that good practices were followed.

p.4

improvement to be good

As part of the staff recruitment procedure, the leaders and managers obtain a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check for all staff before they start working in the home. However, the records of these checks are not always clear. Another weakness is that the letter that the provider sends out to request a professional reference does not ask why the employment ended.

p.4

improvement to be good

At times, staff are rostered to be working alone at the home, and this creates additional risks to the safety of young people and staff members. Staff members have received generic online training on working alone. However, the lone-working risk assessment for the home was last reviewed on 9 June 2016, despite staff members working alone every day for two weeks prior to this inspection.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers said that they are committed to young people and are determined to help them to live better lives. However, the home has not always been effective in achieving this.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers are working together with the network of professionals from other agencies to promote positive outcomes for young people. The professionals from these services said that although the outcomes for the young people are not always good, this was not for the lack of the home‟s staff trying to help young people. Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 5 The teams of leaders, managers and staff have been stable. Staff have appropriate levels of qualifications. Good training opportunities are enabling them to continue to improve their knowledge and skills.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The weaknesses in the home‟s records undermine the ability of leaders and managers to evidence consistently good practices. Examples include gaps in the home‟s statement of purpose, the records of probationary appraisals, staff supervision and the staff duty roster.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager failed to notify Ofsted of a significant incident that involved one young person physically assaulting another, significantly younger, person at the home. Consequently, the staffing levels were increased to safeguard the younger person before he was moved to a service that could meet his needs in a safer way. Not sending notifications of significant incidents as required has a negative impact on Ofsted‟s ability to monitor the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Ofsted receives the independent visitor‟s monthly monitoring reports and the registered person‟s six-monthly review-of-care reports on a regular basis. However, improvements made in the home are often in direct response to Ofsted inspections rather than as a result of leaders and managers being proactive.

p.5

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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.5

Statutory requirements

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‟.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account 01/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 6 information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‟s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi) (vii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that individual risk assessments accurately identify the risks and contain clear strategies for minimising those risks. For example, the registered person must review and develop a more robust approach to safeguarding young people from peer-on-peer abuse and managing those incidents when they are suspected or have occurred, and to reducing missing and substance misuse. The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home 01/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 7 can respond effectively to the child‟s assessed needs as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans and where the completed impact risk assessment demonstrates that they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children and them on the child whose placement is being considered. The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose provides accurate information about the relevant work experience that the registered manager and staff members have, and the previous inspection judgements. 01/09/2019

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. (Regulation 33 (1)(b)) 01/09/2019

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must evidence that the registered manager receives practice-related supervision. 01/09/2019

p.7

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

p.7

Requirement Due date

details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.7

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 01/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 8 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.8

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

p.8

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‟s home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff duty rosters of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked, as specified by Schedule 4.3, are kept and that they include the registered manager‟s hours. 01/09/2019

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.8

Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.8

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.8

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 01/09/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 9 a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.8

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a) (b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.9

Recommendations

 The guide describes „personalised care‟ as care which meets each child‟s needs and promotes their welfare, taking into account of the child‟s gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, any disability, their assessed needs, previous experiences and any relevant plans. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 14, paragraph 3.2) Specifically, the registered person should ensure that each young person‟s care plan reflects their racial and ethnic identity.  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their

p.9

Recommendations

confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Specifically, the registered person should be more effective at enabling young people to engage in their learning.  Contingency plans should be prepared in the event of a shortfall in staffing levels. If it is likely that there might only be one member of staff on duty at any time the manager should make a formal assessment of the implications for children‟s care, including any likely risks. This assessment should be recorded and available for inspection by Ofsted and placing authorities. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 54, paragraph 10.18)  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment,

p.9

Recommendations

supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Specifically, the registered person should ensure that the records on staff recruitment files contain clear information regarding any DBS checks, how they Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 10 were obtained and how any disclosures were risk assessed and, if a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, how the provider verified the reason why the employment ended.

p.9

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.

p.10

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: SC063219 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Children Assisted in a Real Environment (care) Ltd

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 144 Old Oak Road, London W3 7HF

p.11

Inspector

Seka Graovac, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC063219 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12