Children's Home run by Turning Point Care Limited in Enfield

Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 1 SC010699 Registered provider: Turning Point Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

 A private provider operates this home.  The home provides care for up to five children.  The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home accommodates children with emotional and/or behaviour difficulties.  The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was conducted on 30 August 2019 to monitor the homes compliance with regulation 12. As a result of the visit, Ofsted imposed a notice restricting accommodation at the home. A further monitoring visit was conducted on Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 2 23 September 2019 to monitor the homes compliance with regulations 13 and 32.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The notice restricting accommodation at the home was lifted by Ofsted on 1 November. Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2019 Full Inadequate 27/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 4

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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 may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if–

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this is in relation to updating the CCTV policy to reflect new guidance and the individual needs of children. 17/01/2020

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Recommendations

 The children’s home must produce a children’s guide. The children’s guide must be made available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21) Specifically, this document should be revised to present the information in a more positive, child-friendly way.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. The Statement of Purpose is an important document in the process of care planning

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 5 as it sets out the needs of children the home is set up and equipped to care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4) Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 6

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improvement to be good

The quality of the individualised care and support provided to children is improving. Children are now receiving more consistent messages from the staff team, and this has helped to create better routines and boundaries. One child, who was frequently late for school, is now arriving on time. The headteacher stated, ‘He is coming in on time for breakfast, and communication has improved’.

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improvement to be good

Relationships between staff and children are improving. Staff have started therapeutic training. This training is helping staff to understand children’s behaviours and how to respond appropriately. Planned activity sessions between staff and children have improved the discussion and listening, and the key-work sessions have increased.

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improvement to be good

Children spoken with said that they are happy living at the home. They stated that they like their bedrooms and most of the staff. There is a new complaints letterbox at the home, and this allows children to raise any issues anonymously, if they wish. There are also regular children’s meetings at which children can have a say on how the home is run. In addition, the registered manager now makes time to sit down to talk individually with each child.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to learn life skills, dependent on their age and experience. All children are encouraged to cook with staff, keep their own rooms tidy and bring their laundry for washing. Healthy eating is generally promoted and fresh fruit and healthy snacks are available. However, there have been some inconsistencies, such as staff allowing children to eat sugary cereals and to take away snacks before meals.

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improvement to be good

The feedback from professionals and the written records seen during the inspection highlight inconsistencies regarding children’s transitions from the home. One professional stated, ‘I don’t feel there is consistency in the team approach. I’m not clear what they do and don’t allow.’

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improvement to be good

There have also been some mixed messages to children, making the transitions more challenging. One professional said, ‘I didn’t feel they trusted me or the plan’. Despite the challenges, children have been supported to a point where their care plan is for them to move back into a foster placement. Staff have facilitated positive endings via a celebration event or a special meal.

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improvement to be good

Children receive a written children’s guide when they are admitted to the home. The guide meets regulation and includes all the necessary information. However, it currently has the house rules and ‘do’s and don’ts’ on the first page and, therefore, lacks positivity and is not child-friendly.

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

Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 7

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improvement to be good

A monitoring visit on 30 August 2019 inspected the home’s compliance with the child protection standard and found that insufficient steps had been taken towards addressing this requirement. A restriction of accommodation notice was subsequently issued by Ofsted to prevent the home from admitting any new children. The restriction notice came into effect on 16 September 2019.

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improvement to be good

A further monitoring visit on 23 September 2019 found a much-improved position in terms of the home’s ability to safeguard children. Following this visit, a case review decided that the restriction notice would remain in place until this full reinspection of the home.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has improved and initiated systems to support the safety of children living at the home. The risk assessments and behaviour management plans have all been revised, and staff have signed to say that they have read them. Child protection records are now written up and collated in a single folder, making it easier to understand what is happening when allegations are made. Furthermore, staff have undertaken online safeguarding training and are booked onto face-to-face training in November 2019 and January 2020.

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improvement to be good

A new deputy manager has updated the home’s matching/impact risk assessment. This will determine the level of risk that any newly referred child may present to the existing children living at the home and whether the staff have the necessary skills and experience to manage such risk. Previously, the matching of children coming to live at the home has been an area of concern and has led to bullying incidents among children.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager has updated the policy relating to the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the home and has obtained consents from those with parental responsibility for the children living at the home. However, the new CCTV policy does not yet take account of the updated Ofsted guidance or identify individual children’s needs under this level of monitoring.

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improvement to be good

The restriction of accommodation notice has meant that the matching of children to live at the home has not yet been tested. However, a case review held by Ofsted following this inspection concluded that the notice to restrict accommodation could be lifted.

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

The leadership and management have improved significantly at the home. The registered manager, supported by a new deputy manager, has worked hard to bring about positive changes to the working practices at the home.

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

Several professionals and partners were consulted as part of this inspection. Overall, they fed back positively on what they have seen in practice at the home. Their comments include:  better organisation at the home Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 8  better structures in place  better communication from staff members  improved documents and management oversight  they understood the changes to the management structure  overall, children are happy and safe at the placement.

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

Monitoring has improved at the home. The registered manager has used the independent visitor’s reports to continue to improve practice at the home. She has written a quality of care review which clearly identifies the new management arrangements at the home. This report documents the feedback from professionals, staff and children and includes an action plan which indicates how the improvements will be embedded in practice.

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

The home’s statement of purpose has been updated to reflect new changes in the management structure at the home. Staff are more familiar with this document and have been discussing it at staff meetings, as well as improving their understanding of the quality standards.

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

The previous deputy manager has now started engaging in supervisions. He has begun his training and is happy with the current arrangements. He will continue to work at the home, however he will not take on further responsibility and will work with someone more senior when on shifts.

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

The registered manager’s supervisor has been very clear that the changes to the management structure need to be embedded in practice. This is to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities at the home. When the supervisor was asked how she felt the management changes were going, she stated, ‘I see very positive changes emerging’. Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 9

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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 Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 10

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dawnette Legister

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Inspector(s)

Christine Kennet, social care inspector Patrick Sullivan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC010699 11 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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