Children's Home run by Personal Security Service Limited in Essex

Inspection report children’s home: 1258658 1 Registered provider: Personal Security Service 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 four children. The organisation’s primary objective is to provide children with a safe, stable, happy and comfortable home, and to enable children to build on their confidence, self-esteem and resilience as they progress into adult life. The registered manager has been in post since 3 October 2018.

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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 outstanding

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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: 1258658 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2018 Full Good 22/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1258658 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 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

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Requirement Due date

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,

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Requirement Due date

allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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 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’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 31/12/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1258658 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children recognise the progress that they make at this home. They can see how the staff help them to achieve change. Discussions about difficulties are initiated by staff and children. A child said, ‘The staff listen to me. They have helped me to stay out of trouble and have helped me to move back home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff’s relationships with the children are extremely positive. The staff know the children well and spend time with them. The staff are adept at monitoring children’s relationships at the home and in the local community. The staff are vigilant; they spot behaviours that may indicate that inappropriate relationships are developing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have placed greater emphasis on supporting children’s education, which has improved the learning environment at the home. There are good plans to help children to study before their exams, and staff encourage the children to do their homework. Children now enjoy their education. They regularly talk about their education and their aspirations for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff enable children to see their family and friends. The staff work well with families and professionals to help the children to improve and enjoy their relationships with the people who are important to them. The staff understand and manage the impact that children’s relationships with their family and friends has on the children. Because of the staff’s close work with a family, one child will soon be returning home, which was never thought possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use several ways to help children to become more independent. A well-organised package of support considers children’s individual needs. These support programmes have been developed by the staff, in partnership with external professionals. One such programme has assisted the staff in preparing a child to return to living in the community. Children benefit from having opportunities to build their resilience and the skills that they will need when living independently or leaving the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, nurturing and welcoming. Children benefit from having a caravan that belongs to the home, so that they can have holidays. The children enjoy a range of activities including jet-skiing and riding their own banana boat.

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

Children said that they feel safe living at this home.

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

The staff team has excellent insight into the different risks and vulnerabilities that the children face. These are highlighted in the highly individualised and extremely detailed risk and behaviour management plans. The staff carefully plan their shifts and consider Inspection report children’s home: 1258658 5 managing every eventuality. This level of contingency planning is crucial, particularly for the children who are living at the home.

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

Staff are nurturing and caring, and have well-established relationships with the children. Professionals spoke of the trust and confidence that they have in the staff’s ability to care for the children. This includes some children who are vulnerable to and at risk of exploitation. An external professional said, ‘The staff are exceptional at keeping children safe. They go out of their way to ensure the children’s safety.’ Episodes of children going missing from the home have significantly decreased in number since the last inspection.

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

Behaviour management plans provide staff with clear instructions on what approach and measures to take if a child presents with self-injurious or negative behaviours. Children benefit greatly from having consistent routines and boundaries. The staff’s early intervention and excellent de-escalation skills help to restore calm when volatile situations arise. The manager’s monitoring of any incidents, together with regular discussions in team meetings, provides staff with the opportunity to reflect on their intervention. The manager and the staff refine their strategies. This has led to a reduction in the number of behavioural outbursts. Restraint is rarely used.

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

The staff team is committed to keeping children safe. New and ongoing training has developed the staff’s safeguarding knowledge, particularly in respect of children who are at risk of exploitation in all its forms. Staff carefully record and monitor all incidents. They are diligent in reporting any concerns to relevant professionals, who spoke of excellent communication and information sharing. Staff participate in core groups and child protection meetings. This provides a valuable contribution to multi-disciplinary working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leadership and management are highly effective. The registered manager is ‘hands-on’, but does not lose sight of her management responsibilities. She is uncompromising in her approach to improving the lives of children and ensuring excellent standards of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a strong advocate for the children. She is tenacious in ensuring that any decisions made in respect of a child are planned, well thought out and in the child’s best interest. She is an experienced and committed individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed an exceptionally positive culture at the home. Staff morale is high. Feedback from staff was positive. All staff reported that they have confidence in the manager’s leadership style. One staff member said, ‘The managers are excellent. From a personnel perspective, it’s great to work somewhere where the management give back rather than just [being here] to make money.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel well supported by each other and the manager. All staff fully contribute to the successful running of the home and feel valued and respected. They are tremendously proactive. Inspection report children’s home: 1258658 6 Throughout the inspection, the children and staff interacted in the way that family members would do while enjoying their summer holidays, including having water fights and fun together.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. This enables them to reflect on and develop their practice. They attend regular team meetings and have good peer support. Training is of a high standard. However, one member of staff has not achieved a suitable level 3 qualification within the required time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager monitors and reviews practice effectively. This ensures that there is oversight of children’s progress. The manager is committed to making continued improvements and is forward-thinking regarding the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met the one requirement 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: 1258658 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Personal Security Service Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 High Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5UW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Frederik Booysen

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Inspector

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1258658 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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