Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 1 SC382138 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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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 local authority children’s home aims to provide high-quality care that makes children and young people feel safe and nurtured. The manager has been in post since November 2019 and is registered with Ofsted.

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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: 21 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/07/2018 Full Good 03/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 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

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 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 31/03/2020

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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 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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and 16/08/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 4 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)) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5) 30/09/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that any discrepancies in staff complying with the procedures to be followed when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission are explored and reviewed, with appropriate learning points identified and actions taken. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 5 including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children receive good-quality care from a well-established staff team. The staff know the children well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children spoke positively about the care that they receive. A child said, ‘The staff are really nice. They are good at looking after me emotionally when I am feeling low. All my other placements gave up on me quite quickly as they were not able to deal with the level of risk that I presented. [The staff here] give me the belief that they care about me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made significant progress with their education. Children who were not attending education are now doing so. A specialist education professional said, ‘The staff are really good. They are very proactive.’ Referring to one child, a professional said, ‘[The staff] have worked meticulously with us, which means that we have been able to place [the child] in a school. As a result, the child has settled in really well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children whose experiences mean that they struggle to trust people are now beginning to do so. A social worker said, ‘We have relationships forming. This is significant progress for her.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite good relationships forming and excellent multi-agency working, some children have not reduced the level of high-risk behaviour. However, external professionals, including mental health specialists, are absolutely clear that this lack of progress is not the result of poor or ineffective care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work well with families and professionals to encourage and enable the children to spend time with their families. When this is not what the child wants, or is detrimental to their well-being, the staff manage the situations sensitively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are creative in finding activities for the children to enjoy. For example, a personal fitness specialist has been commissioned to work with the children.

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

The service works with children who are at high risk of self-harm. The management team works very closely with a multi-professional group to manage these risks. There are regular multi-agency meetings and correspondence to manage and explore the risk for children. Professionals said that the quality of care and the quality of risk management are very high.

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

Some children go missing from this home. The staff work with the police to locate them. Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 6 Feedback from the police about the way in which staff manage these incidents was positive.

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

Missing-from-home protocols are thorough and up to date. However, there are occasions when staff do not fully follow the protocols. There are sometimes short gaps between children going missing and staff reporting them to the police as missing. This is contrary to the missing-from-care protocols. These gaps, although short in duration, have not been identified in monitoring.

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

Professionals said that staff manage incidents well. There is regular and timely communication with professionals to agree responses. This results in consistent practice in complex situations.

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

The children said that they can talk to staff if they are feeling worried or angry. A professional spoke about the strength of the relationships between the children and the staff. The professional said, ‘The staff are able to reflect with the young people. They help the young people gain insight.’

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

When concerns about staff practice arise, these are promptly referred to the designated officer. The management team acts quickly to follow up any concerns and carry out investigations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a comprehensive understanding of the needs and experiences of the children. He is empathetic and insightful to their experiences. He advocates on their behalf.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of professional relationships is outstanding. These relationships are essential to maintaining a safe service in respect of children whose behaviour is high-risk. Exceptionally strong feedback was provided by external professionals. A professional said, ‘The staff have been incredible. I think that they have put in place everything that they possibly can to manage the risks.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home each month. However, they have not gathered parental or family feedback since October 2018. Therefore, the independent visits are not gaining this important element of feedback to inform the visitor’s view of the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff reported being very well led. They said that they feel supported and well managed. The staff receive regular supervision and training. However, one member of staff has not achieved a relevant qualification within the requisite time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The service uses temporary agency staff. Recruitment records held by the management team for the agency staff do not meet regulatory requirements. The records do not demonstrate that the required safe recruitment checks have been made. This shortfall could result in unsuitable people working with the children. Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 7

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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: SC382138 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC382138 9 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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