Children's home run by Langley House (Harwich) Limited in Tendring

Inspection report children’s home: SC060282 1 SC060282 Registered provider: Langley House (Harwich) 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 is run by a private organisation. The home provides full-time care for up to five children who have a range of complex needs including learning disabilities and associated behaviours. The children may require personal care, medication and behavioural management and support with learning and achievement.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager’s fitness was assessed on 2 July 2019 and registration was confirmed on 5 July 2019.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2018

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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: SC060282 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2018 Full Good 14/06/2017 Full Good 03/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC060282 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 enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 31/07/2019

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 31/07/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC060282 4 the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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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; and

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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’)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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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))

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A stable, long-serving and well-trained staff team provides a good, consistent standard of care. Children arrive at the home having had many bad experiences. Over time, they build strong bonds, lasting relationships and trust with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make steady and consistent progress in most areas of their lives, when measured against their starting points, following admission to the home. One child at admission was described as ‘completely out of control’. The child’s social worker said, ‘He has made amazing progress. He is like a different child. He had 13 different placements before living here. When I visited, or staff took him out, he would have his bags packed ready to move again. He doesn’t do that any more. He is listened to and given opportunities to reflect on his behaviour.’ A teacher spoken with about the same child said that the child has made ‘fantastic progress’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are at school full time and have excellent attendance. School staff and home staff communicate well with each other. This promotes children’s educational progress, as well as ensuring that staff are prepared if a child needs additional help when they return from school. Children are helped to start their day in a positive way. A teacher said, ‘We have good communication with staff. I only have positive things to say about the home.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC060282 5 Most children’s day-to-day life experiences are fun and enjoyable. They enjoy a good range of activities at the home and in the community. Activities include crabbing, sports clubs, swimming and cinema trips. In addition, children enjoy local resources, such as walks to the park, train spotting or games and activities at the home. However, one child does not receive the same standard of activities as the others due to their behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This practice does not promote inclusion for this child.

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

Children are kept safe at this home. The manager and staff are very clear about risks. They assess these risks well and take appropriate steps to minimise and control them. Staff give children clear expectations and boundaries, which works well. Consequently, the home is very settled and there are few instances of challenging behaviour. A child was very clear that they can go to staff with any problems and named the staff member whom they would approach by preference.

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

The home has good systems to ensure children’s and staff members’ safety. For example, detailed risk assessments identify risks at the home and in the local community effectively. The risk assessments are reviewed and updated regularly, which keeps them current. Appropriate service contracts ensure that safety equipment is well maintained, which adds to the levels of safety at the home.

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

Vulnerable children are kept safe and confirm that they feel safe at the home. They are well supported and managed within the local community, which adds to their feeling of safety. Although safeguarding procedures have not been instigated since the last inspection, clear procedures are in place and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. No children have gone missing from this home in many years. Safeguarding training is refreshed regularly.

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

Staff at the home use a nurturing approach that relies heavily on positive rewards and incentives, and, largely, this works very well. There are many recorded positive rewards. However, the records of physical interventions and sanctions do not always contain the clarity of information required. For example, the views of the staff and children involved are not always recorded and there is no duration of sanctions given.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is very child-centred and clearly gives the needs of the children the highest priority. She has excellent relationships with all the children and spends time with them individually on a daily basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to establish and maintain good working relationships with families and other professionals. She has in place a formal system of consultation with families, social workers and teachers, and it is clear from records that regular informal contact is ongoing. Family members, placing social workers and teachers spoken with during the inspection all commented on the high quality of communication between themselves, the manager and the staff team. Inspection report children’s home: SC060282 6 The manager takes time to monitor the care of the children. She offers regular and good-quality supervision to all the staff and gives training a high priority. All the staff either have a suitable level 3 qualification or are working towards one and are due to finish within required timescales. Annual appraisals have taken place. The staff team has undertaken a great deal of training over the past year. Staff said that they are well

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

supported and supervised, and records indicate that these processes are thorough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of team meetings has improved. Staff participate in regular team meetings to reflect on children’s progress, share important information about children’s plans and to discuss the running of the home. These forums provide opportunities for staff to develop their skills and 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. For example, quizzes in team meetings on legislation and procedures, including whistle-blowing, help the staff to stay on top of current practice and be aware of ongoing themes and changes or updates in legislation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring of the home, both internally and externally, is of a good standard. Records are monitored regularly by the manager and senior staff, who inject meaningful evaluation and comment into their development plan. These plans identify strengths and areas for improvement at the home, including in the outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the one requirement and one recommendation raised at the last inspection to good effect.

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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: SC060282 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Langley House (Harwich) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 90 Lee Road, Harwich, Essex CO12 3SB

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Inspector

Cathy Russell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC060282 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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