Children's Home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 1 SC379199 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home aims to provide a place in which children can feel valued, safe and cared for. The team strives to form positive attachments, with care and attention given to the child’s life prior to coming into care. The manager registered with Ofsted in 2014 and possesses a suitable level 5 qualification.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/07/2018 Full Good 11/07/2017 Full Good 03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 31/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)) 08/07/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) In particular, ensure that information in the assessments relates to the specific risks. 10/06/2019

p.3

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to their full potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous 08/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 4 improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(h)) The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that

p.3

Requirement Due date

they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) Ensure that records contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of any sanction that has been applied. 10/06/2019

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Five children have successfully moved on from the home since the last inspection. Staff continue to support those children through outreach work. Some of the children have returned to visit staff. Five children have moved into the home. This has led to the home being unsettled at times. Children are beginning to make good progress. They have built positive, trusting relationships with a staff team that understands the children’s past trauma and the impact that trauma can have on their behaviours. Children spoke positively about the staff. They said that they enjoy spending time with the staff at the home and during activities. Two children went on a holiday with staff, which they said they really enjoyed. Children feel valued and listened to. Children attend house meetings, during which a wide variety of topics are discussed. One child said that he found the workshops useful and is looking forward to the understanding gangs and county lines workshop that is

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

coming up. Children are all registered with local health professionals. However, inconsistent records mean that it is difficult to identify dates and outcomes of appointments. Not all children attend full-time education. However, staff have worked closely with the virtual school and education providers to help children back into education. A headteacher has asked the deputy manager of the home to deliver some training at their school to support school staff who work with traumatised children. The home is decorated and maintained to a high standard. Children said that they are Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 5 involved in choosing the decor for the communal areas and their bedrooms. This helps children to feel part of the decision-making about the home.

p.4

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

Children said that they feel safe because they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset. They said that staff would listen to and help them. Sanctions are fair and proportionate. However, the manager does not evaluate records of sanctions to establish their effectiveness. Staff recognise when children have done well through the use of verbal praise and rewards. The approval and acknowledgment reinforce positive behaviours. Physical interventions have increased since the last inspection. They mainly relate to two children. However, these interventions have started to decrease as the children have built positive relationships with the staff. Staff record interventions. However, children are not always debriefed within the required timescale to help them to understand unwanted behaviour and to discuss ways in which they can manage their behaviour more positively. Staff challenge unwanted behaviour and reinforce boundaries. They can de-escalate

p.5

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

difficult behaviours. Staff use kind words during incidents so that the children know that, although they are displaying unwanted behaviours, the staff are not rejecting them. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. However, when the assessments are updated, inaccurate formatting means that actions to reduce risk are not consistently clear. There have been incidents of bullying at the home. Staff speak with the victim and the perpetrator. However, records are not always clear or kept in the same place, which makes it difficult to monitor trends and patterns. A safeguarding incident was reported to Ofsted. The manager has worked closely with the police and local authority. The incident is in the process of being concluded. The manager plans to share the outcome as a learning opportunity for staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that helps them to work with the children effectively and enables the individual’s personal development. Regular staff meetings and meetings with the therapist provide good forums in which to discuss children’s needs and care practice issues. Staff have undertaken the organisation’s mandatory training and have also undertaken additional training on trauma to support their work with the children. All eligible staff hold a relevant level 3 qualification. The manager has worked with the police to understand gangs and county lines. She has written a policy to support staff to recognise signs and guide them on who to report concerns to. Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 6 Monitoring is not effective. It has failed to identify shortfalls in record-keeping and storage. For example, the manager had not picked up errors in risk assessments and health plans. Consequently, information is not always clear or readily available in a

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

consistent place. The manager has met the two recommendations from the last inspection.

p.6

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.6

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: SC379199 7

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspectors

Trish Palmer, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 8 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.

p.7

Inspectors

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.8

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8