Children's Home run by S P Homes Limited in Lambeth

Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 1 SC065535 Registered provider: S P Homes 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 privately run children’s home caters for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The previous registered manager left her post in January 2019. An acting manager has applied to Ofsted for formal registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2018 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good 16/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 3

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improvement to be good

Progress in education requires improvement. Despite three of the young people engaging in education, one young person doesn’t attend education and doesn’t have a plan for any daily activities. This has resulted in increased missing episodes from the home.

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improvement to be good

The quality of behaviour management is mixed. Young people said that expectations are clear, and staff act consistently. However, sanctions are not restorative and are too focused on financial penalties, limiting their effectiveness.

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improvement to be good

Restraint practice is not safe in this home. The written record of a recent restraint failed to evidence whether or not the staff member offering a debrief was independent of the incident .

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improvement to be good

Young people informed the inspector that they are happy living in this home. One young person commented that, ‘It is great here. The staff are really good to me.’ This was supported by a social worker, who said that her allocated young person is ‘thriving’ in the home.

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improvement to be good

Young people enjoy a good range of activities. Staff gently push young people to explore their own interests, such as attending boxing or a recording studio.

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improvement to be good

Staff strive to promote contact between the young people and their families. Recently, this included paying for transport and an activity. This helps young people to develop important, permanent relationships with their families.

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improvement to be good

Maintenance of the home is poor. Window restrictors were missing on one bedroom window, presenting a risk to young people. In addition, the hallway carpet and bathroom areas were dirty.

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improvement to be good

The response to when young people go missing from the home requires improvement. The home does not monitor the provision of independent return home interviews or evaluate the level of missing behaviour effectively. This is a missed opportunity to assess an important area of risk.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments offer a clear picture of the needs of young people. Young people understand assessments and feed into them. However, one risk assessment requires updating and lacks key information. Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 4 Staff enjoy good-quality training. They are keenly aware of key areas of risk such as child sexual exploitation. Staff skilfully link their training in these areas to the possible risks posed to the young people in the community. This helps young people to develop keep-safe skills, such as avoiding risky neighbourhoods.

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improvement to be good

Multi-agency work is positive. Staff act quickly to convene professionals’ meetings to share information and update safety plans.

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate strongly for young people and challenge local authorities when planning is not in the best interest of young people. Recently, this included introducing a plan for increased contact with a parent, to support a young person’s desire to live with his mother.

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

The home has experienced three managers in the last two years. This has resulted in instability and uncertainty for both staff and the young people.

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

Ofsted has received a registration application from the current deputy manager. The application is currently undergoing formal checks. The deputy manager is being supported and mentored by an experienced operations manager.

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

Managers do not always report incidents as required. The home failed to notify Ofsted of a serious incident that occurred recently. This shortfall limits Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home effectively.

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

Ofsted has not received a management monitoring report since October 2018, and the home is lacking an updated workforce development plan.

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

Staff are happy in the home and retention is improved. Staff describe the help and support offered by managers as ‘inspirational’. However, one staff member has failed to gain the required qualification within the required timescale.

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

Admissions to the home have improved. Prior to the arrival of the operations manager in January 2019, concerns had been expressed by local police as to the suitability of some young people. The improved admissions policy has helped to stabilise the home.

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

The home lacks an effective risk assessment of the local community. The current assessment does not address the risk of gang activity in the local area. This limits the risk assessment of potential referrals.

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

Recruitment practice requires improvement. One staff member’s file did not contain all their previous employment history. Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 5

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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

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system of monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 30/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (3)(a)(e)) 30/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered provider must ensure;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that bedrooms contain window restrictors, and hallways and bathrooms are kept clean. 30/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by 30/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 6 the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’). (Regulation 32 (4)(a)) 46: Review of premises

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to ensuring that the assessment is up to date and addresses the specific risk posed by gangs in the local area. 30/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to ensuring that the home offers young people constructive and educational activity when they are not in school or receiving tuition at home. 30/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(b)) 30/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers 30/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 7 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only—

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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 requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that files consistently record and evaluate the previous history of staff.

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should 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)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a restraint occurs that young people be given the opportunity to express their feelings about the experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable, ideally within 24 hours of the restraint incident, taking the age of the child and the circumstances of the restraint into account. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60) Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 8  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph

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Recommendations

 Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3 (14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC065535 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 163 Manor Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1JT

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065535 10 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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