Children's home run by Rosedale Children’s Services Limited in Hertsmere

Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 1 SC062939 Registered provider: Rosedale Children’s Services 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

The home is privately run. It provides care for up to three children or young people on a short-, medium- or long-term basis. The home is able to support children who may have learning difficulties and complex needs. The home aims to provide a safe, nurturing environment where children receive an excellent delivery of care. The registered manager is suitably qualified.

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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 inadequate

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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

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2018

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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: SC062939 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2018 Full Good 14/08/2017 Full Good 17/01/2017 Full Good 29/09/2016 Interim Not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 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, The Children’s home (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)) In particular, to improve communication methods, including the sharing of reports. To effectively challenge and escalate concerns when issues arise. 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) In particular, when a child has been missing from home on three occasions a strategy meeting is arranged and attended. 30/09/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 4

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff on shift are aware of their own roles and those of the designated shift leader. Ensure that the manager assesses and effectively manages risks around individual staff members. The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)(c)) Ensure that staff have monthly supervisions which are focused on reflection, emotional impact, development and include targets. Ensure that support is in place when a member of staff has been off for a long period of time. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which— include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) In particular, this refers to the incident book, accident book and visitors’ book. 30/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 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— a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 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’)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35(3)(iv)(v)(b)(i)(ii)) 30/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— an understanding about acceptable behaviour. 30/08/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11(1)(b)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)) In particular, to undertake frequent work with the children to

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Requirement Due date

help them understand how to manage their emotions and behaviours. The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) In particular, ensure that staff have the relevant qualifications within timescales and that the team is supported by qualified staff. All staff must be aware, and follow, strategies in place to reduce risk. Ensure that managers and leaders have an oversight of the home and identify areas of improvement for the 30/08/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 6 home and children’s plans. To actively make the changes and support all staff to understand these. Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(1)(3)) In particular, ensure that the manager clearly records all concerns raised by staff and the actions taken. 30/08/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in line with their individual health plans and the ethos of the home, children are offered advice, support and guidance on health and well-being to enhance, and supplement that provided by their school through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Staff should have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand, and where necessary work to change negative behaviours in key areas of health and well- being such as, but not limited to, nutrition and healthy diet, exercise, mental health, sexual relationships, sexual health, contraception and use of legal highs, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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improvement to be good

The judgment for leadership and management, and the judgement for help and protect limit this judgement. There has been an absence of key staff members and lack of oversight during the period since the last inspection. Children have experienced an unstable environment. This affects the emotional well-being of the children and their progress. Children’s wishes and feelings are listened to and plans are adapted to reflect them. This includes the introduction of an additional communal area in the home. This space offers the children room to take part in activities. Routine health appointments occur which maintain the children’s physical health. However, therapy is an identified need for the children but is not in place. This means that the children are not receiving the benefit that this may bring. The children are doing well at school and activities are encouraged. This improves the children’s educational and social development.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 7

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improvement to be good

Staff follow missing persons procedures effectively. However, strategy meetings have not been arranged as per regulations. Partnership working has not occurred to implement strategies to reduce risks. Detailed behaviour management plans and risk assessments are in place. There is no evidence that the plans and assessments are being followed or that the effectiveness of any strategy is being reviewed. Staff are unable to support children effectively to manage their behaviours. The number of physical interventions is high and not in line with the children’s strategies. The interventions are not accurately recorded. Debriefs following incidents do not promote learning or development to reduce the interventions. Staff do not complete proactive work with the children on how to express their emotions in a positive way. Children do not have the skills to manage their emotions and no progress is made in this area.

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improvement to be good

Positive key-worker sessions do occur and explore different topics. This includes road safety, stranger awareness, and going missing. However, identified risks about exploitation, drugs, alcohol or smoking are not discussed. Children feel safe and protected and it is clear in how they interact that they can speak to staff. Children can raise concerns and ask for support when needed. The staff know what to do in the event of a child protection issue and said that they would raise concerns. This is a protective factor for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not effectively monitor the home. Evaluation does not occur and the areas for improvement are not identified or acted on. This results in poor recordings and a lack of oversight of the children’s needs. The lack of action then provides limited guidance for the staff team. Supervisions are not effective. They do not provide reflection on issues, emotional support, or identify development needs. This limits the staff’s progression and limits the support that they are able to offer the children. Some of the staff are not qualified and lack experience. Risks around this are not identified or managed. Staff and children are vulnerable, and children do not receive high-quality care. The manager does not follow staff development plans implemented by higher management. Discussions, which were to be used to validate knowledge and understanding of the new policies, have not taken place. One member of staff had not

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

been provided with the new policies. This meant that these policies could not be discussed during the supervision. Team meetings, to allow staff to reflect and have input Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 8 into strategies, had not taken place. The manager lacks an awareness of the potential safeguarding risks regarding staff members. The manager does not always act on concerns received by staff members. There are no recordings of the issues raised or action taken. There are no risk assessments or plans in place to reduce the impact of these risks. The manager is working on improving communication with professionals. However, she is not proactive in finding alternative ways to communicate, such as access to reports about the children. The manager does not challenge professionals or escalate her concerns to senior managers when action is not taken. This leads to a lack of support and strategies for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does listen to advice from external professionals when this is offered. However, there is a lack of evidence to show that evaluation of the advice is taking place, nor does it influence next steps. As a result of the lack of evaluation, there is no opportunity to use it to develop staff. Overall, there is a lack of oversight and leadership of the home which is having a negative effect on the children and staff.

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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 home (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rosedale Children’s Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Debra Boldy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062939 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 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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