Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 1 SC400301 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This five-bedded home is owned by a local authority. The home aims to provide high- quality care that makes children and young people feel safe and nurtured. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2015.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/06/2017 Full Good 02/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 12/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care. From their starting points, progress is evident in most aspects of their development. The manager and staff team provide a stable environment that the children respond well to. The stability helps children to maintain long-term placements. Two of the children have lived at the home for over two years. A parent said, ‘[My child] has come a long way since being placed there. He is very happy at the home. It would be catastrophic if he was to be moved. The manager and staff are very supportive of him.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff implement comprehensive care plans that fully recognise children’s individual needs. These plans detail the child’s personality well and incorporate the child’s opinions and what they would like to achieve. Fully including children in their plans enables them to make known their views and ambitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person is working part-time, and most of the children are working towards vocational qualifications. Two of the children are currently receiving one-to-one tuition at the home. When children disengage, or their behaviour prevents them from attending school, the manager works in partnership with education professionals to source alternative provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to discuss any issues or problems that they have in meetings or one-to-one sessions. This ensures that staff are aware of any complaints or grumbles. The children said that they feel listened to and know how to make a complaint. There has been one complaint since the last inspection. The child received an outcome letter and was consulted throughout the process. Including children in the process means that they feel valued and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help children to access interests and hobbies. The home has a fitness evening once a week. A trainer visits, and several of the children enjoy working out with ropes and undertaking strength courses. Other children enjoy walking, cycling, going to the cinema and swimming. These activities help the children to grow in confidence and increase their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Older children have independence plans that help them to gain skills in cooking, budgeting and public travel. All the children are encouraged to undertake tasks that staff have recognised they may struggle with. For example, a child who found it difficult to speak with shop assistants was recently successful in asking for his own drink while out with staff. Learning vital future life skills helps children to grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Transitions to semi-independence are well planned. Key workers ensure that children are given time to familiarise themselves with their new home prior to moving. Staff help with the actual move and continue to support through outreach work. Recently, when a child’s initial transition placement became unsuccessful, it was arranged for the key worker to help with the move to an alternative provision. Providing the child with a Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 4 familiar and trusted person meant that they were reassured during an unsettling time.

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

The children respond well to a consistent team that knows them well. A parent said, ‘He is not as angry as he used to be. He is just not that boy any more. He responds to requests in a reasonable way now.’

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

The staff develop comprehensive, good-quality risk assessments, which the manager monitors and updates regularly. All of the children now have individual support plans that detail targets to aim for over the next two months. Staff help children to achieve these targets by undertaking key-work sessions with them. This helps to focus children on a goal and encourages them to reduce risk-taking behaviour.

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

Children have built trusting relationships with staff. During this inspection, they were confident in expressing their views openly with staff present and individually with the inspector. Children spoke about liking their home, and their first impressions. One child said, ‘I felt welcomed when I arrived. I want to stay here. I like it. I feel safe here with staff.’

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

When a child goes missing from the home, staff follow the procedures outlined in the child’s individual missing person policy. One of the children had a significant history of going missing. However, over the last several months, the number of incidents has reduced greatly. Staff ensure that children have independent return home interviews. Staff work in a consistent, nurturing way to help children recognise the dangers associated with this behaviour.

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

The new ‘learn and earn’ initiative scheme at the home encourages positive behaviour. When negative behaviour is displayed, staff apply sanctions. However, the children do not comment on the record of the sanction. Consequently, it is not clear what reflection has taken place with children on their behaviour.

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

Staff de-escalate challenging behaviour successfully. Physical intervention is only used when necessary to prevent children from hurting themselves or others. Incidents are recorded well and include the children’s views. All of the staff are trained in physical intervention techniques. However, several staff are not up to date with refresher training. The manager is in the process of sourcing appropriate training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a knowledgeable and experienced manager who has a level 5 diploma in management and leadership. The manager is well supported by the newly appointed deputy manager. Together, they run a good-quality service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are now receiving regular supervision and yearly appraisals. Supervision is of good quality, with discussions about the children, safeguarding practices, reflective practice and personal development. Alongside this, regular staff meetings and separate clinical Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 5 meetings are held. The therapist suggests strategies to aid progress in areas in which the children may be struggling. Staff are well equipped with the necessary skills to enable children to reach their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff are strong advocates for the children, ensuring that the children’s individual needs are recognised. Detailed weekly reports are sent to social workers and families and any new information is shared promptly. The team is dedicated to not giving up on children who present with extremely complex behaviour. A social work professional said, ‘Having a consistent home is key to [the child] making progress. I think that they are doing an amazing job under difficult circumstances.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular in-house training. The manager is proactive in ensuring that staff have access to good-quality training courses. However, the record of staff training does not clearly prompt when training updates are required. This makes it difficult for each member of staff to track their training or to identify any further courses that may be required for their professional development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recording systems are generally good, although a shortfall was found in the records of bullying. These incidents are clearly recorded and detail the quality work that is undertaken with the victim and perpetrator. However, staff are not consistently recording the children’s comments and giving them the opportunity to sign the records. It is therefore not clear whether the outcome reached was agreeable to each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the three requirements and five recommendations set at the last inspection to good effect. Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 6

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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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff have up-to-date training in de- escalation and physical intervention techniques. 28/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint, 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)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to records of the use of sanctions. 28/06/2019

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Recommendations

 Implement a workforce plan or training plan that details the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety and mandatory qualifications). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording, and that information regarding the child is 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) In particular, ensure that the log of incidents of bullying includes the opinions of the children on the outcome of the incident. Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 7

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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: SC400301 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hertfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Apsley One, Brindley Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 9BF

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Inspector

Lynne Drage, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC400301 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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