Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Greenwich

Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 1 SC386134 Registered provider: Esland South 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 provides care and accommodation for up to four young people aged between 12 and 17 years who have social and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager was registered by Ofsted on 4 July 2019. However, he resigned his position on the first day of this inspection. The previous registered manager and her deputy were dismissed in December 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean young people are not protected or their welfare is not safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/08/2018 Full Good 23/11/2017 Full Good 08/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 10/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure—

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that effective support is provided for young people who remain at risk of running from the home. 30/09/2019

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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 the specific risk posed by gangs and child sexual exploitation in the local area. 30/09/2019

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 4 harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home has a working alarm system. Employment of staff

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is with reference to ensuring that the home keeps records of staff supervision and that supervision occurs on a regular basis. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is suitable furniture in the garden and the living room area is suitably decorated. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 5 the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent.

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Requirement Due date

Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and

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Requirement Due date

have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff adhere to the missing procedure and report young people when they are unsure of their location. The enjoyment and achievement standard

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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

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; 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)(iii)(b)) 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 6 revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) Medicines

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Paragraph (2) does not apply to medicine which—

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is stored by the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it; and

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may be safely self-administered by that child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff should ensure that prompt action is taken when young people refuse prescribed medication. 30/09/2019

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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—

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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should have oversight of all physical 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 7 interventions in the home. Review of quality of care

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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;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 30/09/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that case records are kept up to date (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3). In particular, ensure that all key work sessions are recorded and evaluated.  The following elements of the workforce plan should be included in the Statement of Purpose: the staffing structure and experience and qualifications of staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.10)  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)  The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are

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Recommendations

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)  Ensure that any staff member placed in a supervisory role such as ‘shift leader’ has substantial relevant experience of working in a children’s home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.21)  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 Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 8 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

9.30).  Ensure that a workforce plan is in place which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: − detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose; − detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); − detail the process for managing and improving poor performance. 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

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Recommendations

manager. This is also with reference to ensuring staff training in radicalisation and refresher training in safeguarding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  Ensure the behaviour management strategy is always understood and applied by staff and kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.34)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely and domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

15, paragraph 3.9)  Staff should take account of information provided by return home interviews following episodes when a child has been missing. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Serious safeguarding failures in this home mean that young people are at risk of harm. One young person, who is highly vulnerable, was able to leave the home overnight Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 9 without staff noticing. The young person was missing for five hours before staff realised. During the period of absence, the young person was subjected to serious incidents that presented significant risk.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The approach to behaviour management is largely ineffective. Recently, one staff member failed to follow a behaviour management plan. This led to police being called to the home unnecessarily.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The staff group’s approach to sanctions is punitive and overly focused on imposing financial penalties. Recently, staff did not address the reason why one young person sought to damage the home. This limited an opportunity for staff and young people to reflect on the cause of his behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home environment is inadequate. The garden lacks any furniture, while the communal areas of the home require redecoration. The interior of the home lacks a homely feel and appears institutional.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff fail to engage young people in a broad range of activities. One young person spent an entire weekend on a games console and informed the inspector, ‘It was really boring.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the concerns, young people who spoke with the inspector reported feeling that they are happy living at the home. One young person was very proud of her pet rabbit, which she had earned for her positive behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff prioritise the importance of education. Staff appropriately pursue placing authorities to ensure that young people have school placements. School staff reported that there are good levels of communication between them and the home and confirmed that the home’s staff provide strong support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home values the importance of family contact and actively promotes this. For example, one young person was transported to a family wedding outside London. This offered him the opportunity to re-establish contact with relatives and friends.

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

Young people are unsafe when they go missing from the home. In addition to an incident in which one highly vulnerable young person was able to leave the home overnight without staff being aware, during a separate incident staff failed to follow the home’s own procedures and verify the whereabouts of another vulnerable young person for a period of two nights. This poor practice placed the young person concerned at serious risk of harm.

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

Staff do not record the provision of independent return to care interviews or evaluate their effectiveness. This limits the assessment of young people’s needs and potential risks, at a time of increased vulnerability. Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 10 The home’s local area risk assessment fails to address the risk posed by gangs and the wider risks of exploitation. This means that staff are not guided sufficiently in how to keep young people safe in the local community.

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

The home environment fails to safeguard young people effectively. Neither the closed- circuit television nor front door alarm system worked effectively to alert staff to the fact that one young person had left the home during the night.

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

Medication procedures are unsafe and are not followed consistently by staff. Staff failed to alert a young person’s doctor of the young person’s refusal to take his prescribed medication for three days. This placed him at risk of harm.

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

Staff advocate for young people effectively. For example, after the home challenged a local authority for failing to provide adequate support for a young person, staff contacted the Children’s Commissioner to escalate their concerns on the young person’s behalf.

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

Despite poor case recording practice, risk assessments offer a clear evaluation of the needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management of the home is inconsistent and unstable. Following the resignation of the registered manager, which coincided with the start of this inspection, the home is now seeking a third manager in just eight months.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers fail to appropriately assess or match the care needs of young people on their admission to the home. Managers failed to fully evaluate the vulnerability of a young person at risk of child sexual exploitation, despite the local area being highlighted by police as a ‘hotspot’ for such risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior members of staff lack the training and expertise to effectively deputise in the absence of the home’s manager. Managers have also failed to evaluate two recent incidents of physical restraint in the home to ensure that the restraint was both necessary and undertaken correctly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On-call management support is inconsistent. For example, during one incident in the home, staff were unable to contact a senior manager for advice and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers’ monitoring of the home is inadequate. Ofsted has not received a management monitoring report as required, and the home does not have an up-to-date workforce development plan. This limits the ability of leaders and managers to properly assess the strengths and areas for development of the home or gain a clear understanding of the training and development needs of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose is inaccurate and requires updating. It does not reflect Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 11 the services on offer in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff retention is poor and morale low. Staff reported feeling unsettled by the frequent management changes and the limited amount of supervision and support that they receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Concerns raised at the previous inspection remain unaddressed. The quality of recording remains a concern, as this limits staff’s ability to evaluate the progress achieved by young people.

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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: SC386134 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Esland South Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suites 1 and 5, Riverside Business Centre, Foundry Lane, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 0RN

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC386134 13 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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