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

Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 1 SC384924 Registered provider: Rosedale Children’s Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care and accommodation for up to two children and young people on a short-, medium- or long-term basis. The home provides specialist care to children and young people who may present with emotional, behavioural and/or social needs, as well as those who may have attachment needs or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager. The home is currently being managed by the deputy manager while interviews for the permanent position take place.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC384924 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2019 Full Good 12/09/2017 Full Outstanding 06/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 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

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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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 30/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 4 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, record full details of conversations with other professionals.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people have built positive relationships with the staff, despite the numerous changes to the staff team. Children and young people are able to talk to staff, whom they know well and whom they feel comfortable with. The children and young people have a sense of permanence due to these relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are involved in decisions about the home and about their own lives. If meeting the requests made by the children and young people is not possible, this is explained and alternative plans or steps to achieve the initial plan are put in place. The children and young people feel involved and that they are listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is committed to supporting the children and young people with their education. One young person is now accessing additional tutoring to support her. The team has put in place revision and homework schedules to support her learning. The children and young people are aware of the importance of education due to the efforts of, and discussions with, the staff team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health needs of the children and young people are met and additional support is arranged when needed. This support has included additional assessments with the children and young people to make sure that they are receiving the correct support. The assessments underpin the work that the staff team is doing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The deputy manager has built positive relationships with other agencies and is confident in challenging them when actions are not met. Her approach has supported the children, young people and staff while maintaining positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Numerous key-work sessions are undertaken with the children and young people. They engage well, and the work is personalised to their individual needs and abilities. The work includes all aspects of the children and young people’s lives and it supports them to develop.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are offered, and take part in, various activities. They are encouraged to plan and budget for these to help to build their independence skills. The children and young people went on separate holidays in the summer. This is significant progress for them and was due to the planning and support given by the deputy manager and the staff team.

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

The children and young people have found it difficult at times to live together, and there have been some bullying incidents. However, the incidents have been managed effectively and both young people have been kept safe throughout. Individual work is carried out with the children and young people. In addition, the staff use weekly meetings to discuss how the children and young people are feeling. The team has Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 6 followed advice from the therapist to promote participation in small, positive activities together, which is working to reduce the incidents. The deputy manager has a clear understanding of the underlying issues, and she is using this to support the staff and to implement care plans.

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

Risks are assessed and plans put in place for the children and young people to reduce these risks. The work with the children and young people is helping them to recognise the dangers and gives them a better understanding of how to keep themselves safe. This interaction encourages children and young people to be more willing to adhere to the plans.

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

The staff work with the children and young people to discuss incidents and how they could learn from these, as well as completing proactive work with them. Despite the recent difficulties, the staff have been able to support the children and young people without the need to contact the police or criminalise them. Only one restraint has occurred, which was both necessary and proportionate. The de-escalation work of the team has been highly effective.

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

The deputy manager has positive relationships with external agencies that can offer additional support for the children and young people. These agencies include the police, youth offending teams, therapists and the safeguarding team. The children, young people and staff team have access to additional support and input as a result of these good relationships.

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

The environment is safe and repairs are completed as quickly as possible. Despite the recent damage to the home, the staff team has worked hard together with the children and young people to improve the decor. As a result, the home feels warm and welcoming.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Oversight by the previously registered manager has not been consistent. The ineffective management is evident in the lack of evaluation of the quality of care and her absence from the home. The manager delegated nearly all of her responsibilities to the deputy manager but prevented the deputy manager from putting in place plans that could have improved outcomes for the children and young people. However, the deputy manager has managed the home extremely well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been difficulties with staffing levels, which did affect the children and young people due to the lack of consistency. However, the deputy manager has put a clear plan in place to use specific agency staff and worked shifts herself while recruitment was taking place. The deputy manager identified and addressed inconsistency throughout this period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

All staff, including agency staff, have had reflective supervisions by the deputy manager. The deputy manager has used supervisions to continue to address the importance of consistency while supporting the staff to manage their own emotions. The team has Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 7 been able to work together, and the new team of staff is already having a positive effect on the morale and support that the children and young people are receiving.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The deputy manager has a clear oversight of the home. She is aware of the strengths and weaknesses and is clear on the vision for the home. Her focus is on improving the staff team and the therapeutic training in order to support the children and young people further. The deputy manager is also eager to change the culture of the home to one in which positives are recognised and focused on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The deputy manager is clear on the training needs of the staff team and the importance of developing and supporting the staff. The deputy manager has identified knowledge gaps. Some staff have completed additional training, and further training is planned. The deputy manager has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the needs of the children and young people, which she is sharing with the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings have not taken place regularly, however when they have taken place the meetings have been to a high standard. The meetings focus on the children and young people, as well as the home and staff team, and provide an open forum to discuss any issues. The recent implementation of clinical supervisions helps to support staff to manage their own emotions and build on their current skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The deputy manager has clear plans in place for the development of the home and has started to put these in place since the manager left. It is too early to assess the effectiveness of the changes. Inspection report children’s home: SC384924 8

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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 difference 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: SC384924 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: SC384924 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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