Children's Home run by Satash Community Care Project Limited in Thurrock

Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 1 SC462450 Registered provider: Satash Community Care Project Limited

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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 home, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to six children and young people. The organisation places the needs of the children and the young people at the heart of the service, by promoting independence and providing care that respects children’s and young people’s choices, rights, privacy and dignity.

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Information about this children’s home

The qualified and experienced manager has been in post since March 2013.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Good 13/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 3

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)) 14/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(c)) 14/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person 30/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 4 visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)(4)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)  Children’s homes have a duty to provide access to a telephone that children can use privately (regulation 22(3)(a)). This can include the provision of a mobile phone when appropriate and safe for the child, as long as an alternative is in place for the child to make telephone calls in private if their personal mobile phone is lost, out of credit or broken. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.17)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy trusting and meaningful relationships with the staff. Staff know the children well and work out the best ways to engage with them. Staff are patient. They understand how difficult it may be for children to learn to trust adults. The staff’s friendly approach gives children strong messages that staff care about them. A child’s social worker said, ‘The staff took him to Euro Disney, which the manager and staff fought hard to get.’ Children know that staff are interested in their lives and want what is best for them. Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 5 The home has an excellent record of engaging children with their education. Each child is in full-time education. Attendance levels are exceptional, with only genuine illness contributing to absence. The continual progress that the children make can be tracked in various education reports provided by schools, and in the reports that the home

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

prepares for reviews and the feedback from other professionals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support children to attend various outside activities. One child attends a performing arts school each weekend. He recently performed in a musical at the theatre, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Another child has enjoyed a holiday to Disneyland in Florida, accompanied by two members of staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Contact arrangements are complex due to the need to protect children. However, staff work flexibly to ensure that contact arrangements are maintained. Staff travel long distances to facilitate children’s meetings with their families. The staff also enable children’s families to visit the home by helping with transport arrangements to ensure that arrangements go ahead.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a house that is indistinguishable from others around it, providing a warm, cosy, homely and child-friendly environment. There is space for the children to play or to be on their own if they wish. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to suit their tastes and complex needs. The overall state of repair and the quality of decor, furnishings, fixtures and equipment are excellent. However, children do not have access to a phone, or to a computer to complete homework or research educational subjects.

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

Staff use a nurturing approach and positive rewards and incentives to encourage good behaviour, and largely this works very well. Staff have not used physical intervention or imposed sanctions and no children have gone missing from the home since the last inspection.

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

Well-detailed and regularly reviewed risk assessments identify risks at the home and in the local community. These risk assessments provide effective guidance for staff and add to the levels of safety. Children said that they feel safe.

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

Staff review incidents and use this reflection as a learning opportunity to help them improve practice. The debriefing sessions that occur after incidents help the staff to manage children’s behaviours more effectively.

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

Inductions for new staff are good. Staff are well prepared for working at the home. New staff shadow established and experienced staff before they work directly with children. This means that new staff develop their confidence in working with the children, and that the children can gradually become familiar with them. Staff have protected time that allows them to read care plans and policies. However, two members of staff were not able to fully describe the safeguarding protocol to follow should an allegation be made about the manager or the responsible individual. Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides good leadership and support for the staff team, as well as the children. He is a good role model and is ambitious for staff and children. He creates a culture of expecting everyone to do their best for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children receive conscientious and close support. Their progress is closely monitored. As a result, changes to plans can be made quickly and effectively if a child is not progressing. Parents and carers and all relevant professionals are kept involved and informed. Care plans are adapted and implemented so that children have a greater chance of success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they benefit from having a range of training opportunities, which vary from online programmes to face-to-face delivery from internal trainers and external providers. Unqualified staff are enrolled on an appropriate qualification and their progress is tracked through supervision. One member of staff’s practice has particularly benefited from training in autistic spectrum conditions. Staff said that, in addition to formal reflective supervision, the manager is available for informal practice discussion whenever this is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff participate in regular team meetings to reflect on children’s progress, share important information about children’s plans and discuss the running of the home. These forums provide opportunities for staff to develop their skills and their understanding of legislation, policies and procedures. The staff’s contribution is an important feature in making sure that they understand their roles, support children consistently and work as a cohesive and effective team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Visits conducted by an independent person provide detailed and impartial scrutiny of the running of the home. The independent person’s reports show children’s progress and experiences. However, the reports do not always include the views of children, parents and professionals, and do not always give the independent person’s opinion on whether the children are safeguarded and their well-being is promoted. The manager’s review of the quality of care is informative.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that people working at the home go through a rigorous selection procedure, and that their suitability is carefully checked. The manager obtains all available information to make decisions about a person’s suitability. This includes verifying by telephone the information from previous employers and referees about a person’s practice, experience and abilities. However, one member of staff’s medical history and risk assessment have not been included in the staff member’s recruitment

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the three requirements raised at the last inspection to good effect.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 7 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: SC462450 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Satash Community Care Project Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 25 Balham High Road, London SW12 9AL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Thanaletchmi Loganathan

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Vyramuthu Loganathan

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Inspectors

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC462450 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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