Children's Home run by Evoke Care Group Limited in Croydon

Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 1 Registered provider: Evoke Care 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 owned home provides care for up to three children. The home‟s statement of purpose confirms that the home provides care for children who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. This home was registered with Ofsted in June 2018. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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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: 5 February 2019

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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: 1273719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2019 Full Good 15/10/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 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

Behaviour management policies and records

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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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use 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 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)(vii)(b)(ii)(c)) 01/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. (Regulation 32(1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the home must consistently record the reasons for employment and the details regarding each staff member‟s induction. 01/11/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 4

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Recommendations

 For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the scuff marks on the walls should be removed.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, the home should ensure that risk assessments contain further details regarding children who identify as transgender in the community.

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff are familiar with the home‟s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful and clear recording. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, the home should ensure that daily staff handovers are recorded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children quickly settle into the home, which gives them stability and a strong sense of belonging. This is an achievement for some children who have previously experienced multiple placement breakdowns. A parent praised the „holistic support‟ and explained that this is „the best placement‟ that their child „ever had‟.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support to lead a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy nutritious, appetising meals from a range of cultures. They also enjoy a wide range of physical activities, which include going to the gym, cycling, playing basketball, free-jumping, boxing, swimming, tennis and trampolining.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are strong advocates for education, and all children are in some form of education. Home tuition is supplemented by informal learning, which provides children with individualised activities which enhance their skills and knowledge. A good example of this is a specialist provision focused on outdoor learning and bush craft.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy meaningful activities and they contribute to society through their work with the homeless. During the holidays, children have attended local summer programmes, which have included film making. They have also enjoyed going on day trips to theme parks and visitor attractions in central London. Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 5 Children benefit from focused key-working and external mentoring. These sessions assist with children‟s personal development, helping them to gain a better understanding of themselves and others. Children‟s rights are promoted, using independent advocates.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn to be proud of who they are and develop a positive self-identity. They receive support to follow their religious traditions. Children also learn to appreciate diversity through the home‟s cultural days.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of gender identity. The positive support for a transgender child is commendable. This has involved linking the child with an appropriate youth group and social activities, which has enabled them to feel part of a community.

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

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the trauma that children have experienced and ways in which this may have an impact on their behaviour. Children have access to a wide range of therapies, which include animal, art and drama therapy. Incidents of children displaying aggression have decreased, and children are given practical techniques to help them to calm down.

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

Children benefit from the registered manager‟s proactive approach to their health and well-being. This has resulted in the review of children‟s medication and their improved mental and emotional health. Children enjoy relaxing experiences, such as going to the spa or reading from an audiobook, which helps with their night-time routines.

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

Staff manage incidents effectively and they have never had to restrain a child. Staff help children become more accountable for their actions. A record is kept of sanctions; however, the effectiveness of the sanction, children‟s comments and manager‟s monitoring of the actual sanction are not always recorded.

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

Staff manage any concerns regarding bullying well. No children are involved in gang activity, sexual or criminal exploitation, radicalisation or extremism. There has also been a significant reduction in episodes of children go missing from the home.

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

The organisation has a satisfactory recruitment policy. However, record-keeping does not evidence the extent of the work that is undertaken to keep children safe. Those responsible for recruitment do not always record the reasons for employment or the details of each staff member‟s induction.

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

Child protection concerns are managed appropriately. Staff benefit from a wide range of safeguarding training and know how to report child protection concerns.

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

Health and safety arrangements ensure that young people live in a safe environment. Young people‟s risk assessments take into account their vulnerabilities. However, more Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 6 detail is needed for one assessment for a child who identifies as transgender.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff are ambitious for children and aim to make a positive difference in their lives. A mental health professional praised the „responsive‟ management and the „diligent work‟ undertaken to meet the complex needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a good quality assurance system. The registered manager‟s quality of care report and the independent visitor‟s constructive monthly reports both focus on continual improvement. Leaders and managers are aware of the home‟s areas for development and strive to improve the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recommendations from the last inspection have been addressed. However, the one requirement has been repeated. Sanction records do not meet the standard required by regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good partnership arrangements focus on meeting the varied needs of children. Leaders and managers are solution focused and wish to make a positive contribution to the social care sector. An example of this contribution is the responsible individual‟s appointment as a regional representative for an independent association for providers of children‟s residential care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a nurturing, culturally diverse and gender-balanced staff team. Staff receive a range of support, which includes regular training, reflective supervision, team meetings and external confidential counselling. Most staff praised the home‟s management and the „family style‟ atmosphere.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The high staffing ratio ensures that children receive the necessary supervision and support. The staffing structure includes numerous senior staff, who take responsibility for each shift. It is the expectation that staff handovers are completed. However, written evidence of these meetings is not always available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children live in a clean, comfortable and modern home. A parent described the house as „lovely‟, explaining that it is „a nice environment‟. The only issue of concern found during the inspection is that some of the walls in the hallways are scuffed and require repainting.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 7 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: 1273719 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71−75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Sharon Payne, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1273719 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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