Children's home run by Personal Security Service Limited in Enfield

Inspection report children's home: 1228092 1 Registered provider: Personal Security Service Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home, which is run by a private organisation, provides care for up to four children. The organisation’s primary objective is to provide children with a safe, stable home and enable them to build on their confidence, self-esteem and resilience as they progress into adult life. The manager‟s fitness for registration was assessed on 13 November 2019 and registration was confirmed on 15 November 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 November 2019

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1228092 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2018 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good 06/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 1228092 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

The health and well-being standard is that–

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10(1)(c)) 31/12/2019

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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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Recommendations

 When children are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge the authority to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) Inspection report children's home: 1228092 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children continue to benefit from good-quality care that contributes to them making good progress in many aspects of their lives. This is because the staff team places children’s individual needs at the centre of its work. Relationships are warm and caring, and interactions between the children and staff are positive and engaging. Children are at ease with the staff and appear settled at their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

With staff’s help, children maintain positive relationships with their families when this is appropriate. Staff support these arrangements practically and provide emotional support when needed. Any restrictions on children communicating with family members are discussed with the children so that they understand why these are in place. This means that each child’s time with their family is a safe and positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Preparing children to move to independent living is a priority for the staff team. Children learn self-care and life skills. These skills widen their horizons and enable them to develop their own social skills and circles.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child, who previously refused education, has now started to engage in his educational provision. The child‟s social worker said, „Before moving to this home he never engaged in education but, due to staff‟s encouragement and support, he has made real progress.‟ However, those children who previously had fragmented attendance receive a minimal educational package. For example, two children receive only one hour and 40 minutes of education per day. Although staff were observed encouraging children to attend their education, the children appeared unmotivated. There is evidence of an ongoing commitment by the manager and staff team to secure for the children more education from the local authorities and the virtual school headteachers. The current arrangements, however, do not help children to meet their educational potential and marginalise children who have already missed out on significant aspects of education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are offered stimulating and fun activities, such as skydiving, holidays, jet skiing and visiting ‘escape rooms’. Often, children chose either to go out with friends or play on their game consoles. Staff have some success in engaging the children, and recently all the children went to an art gallery with the staff, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team continues to work hard to make the house and the garden a colourful, creative and lovely environment. Children personalise their bedrooms and also are integral to the decision-making on the decorating and furnishing of their home. This ensures that the children live in a comfortable, family-style home that does not stand out from other homes in their community. Inspection report children's home: 1228092 5

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

The manager and senior managers have created an open and transparent culture that protects children from harm. They are proactive in risk reduction but are not risk averse. This approach means that children understand and take proportionate risks. Because of this, the children are becoming increasingly aware of how to keep themselves safe. For example, one child reported a safeguarding concern, and this enabled managers to act, in consultation with other professionals, to keep a child safe.

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

Staff maintain positive relationships with the police missing-from-care coordinator, who talks to children to help them to understand the risks that they could place themselves at if they do not return home. Children who had a high rate of ‘missing’ episodes now rarely go missing from the home. However, when this does occur, staff take swift and immediate action to locate them. A social worker said, ‘There were lots of concerns regarding [the child] with gang affiliation, drug misuse and continued “missing” episodes. Because of the staff’s commitment, the child now has a better understanding of keeping safe and of risk-taking behaviour when out in the community, which has significantly improved.’

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

Staff know and understand the risks for each child, including those associated with previous trauma, drug misuse and social pressure. Staff have a clear insight into the reasons for this behaviour and implement effective strategies to reduce the risks. The staff work very well in partnership with other agencies, social workers and projects to ensure that there is a clear strategic plan to support the children. However, during the inspection, one child was found to have items for substance misuse in their bedroom following a room check undertaken by a member of staff. The inconsistent approaches undertaken by the staff put the children’s long-term health and well-being at risk of harm.

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

The staff’s calm approach helps them to support children when they are having a difficult time. The staff use well-planned strategies that help children to reduce and manage unsafe or aggressive behaviour. This is reflected in the decline in the number of physical interventions. The manager reviews each incident record, identifies effective practice and responds quickly to emerging issues. As a result, there have been only two physical interventions used in the last 17 months.

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

Individual placement plans, behaviour plans and risk assessments are of good quality. Records give a clear and vivid description of the work undertaken to meet children‟s behavioural and care needs. Any potential risks are swiftly identified, and the plans are updated accordingly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides effective leadership to the staff team and demonstrates a strong commitment to driving forward improvements at the home. Arrangements for monitoring practice ensure that there is good oversight of the care that is given to the children and the progress that they make. The staff’s combined skills, knowledge and commitment Inspection report children's home: 1228092 6 ensure the smooth operation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff use practice-based supervision, team meetings and consultation with senior management well. This approach enables the staff to reflect on children’s progress and on ways of improving the support that they provide to children. This reflective practice is helping to improve the outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff access a wide range of training which is centred on the children’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. Consequently, staff have the confidence and knowledge to provide the care that children need. However, one member of staff has not achieved within the requisite timeframe a suitable level 3 qualification in caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an effective advocate for children. She challenges not only for individual children but to effect change for the benefit of all the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built collaborative working relationships with partner agencies. This helps to ensure that the children receive a strong, focused, multi-agency response to meet their specific needs. External professionals were complimentary about the communication with the home and the good level of care that the children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The monitoring visits by an independent visitor are of a good standard. The visitor’s reports include feedback from children and professionals and make recommendations to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has met two of the three requirements raised at the last inspection. One requirement is restated, due to a new member of staff not achieving a suitable qualification within the required timeframe. Inspection report children's home: 1228092 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 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: 1228092 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Personal Security Service Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 High Street, Barnet EN5 5UW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Frederik Booysen

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Sharn-Marie Gruender

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Inspector

Cathy Russell: social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1228092 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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