Children's home run by Area Camden Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 1 Registered provider: Area Camden Ltd

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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 children’s home provides care for up to five children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection following its registration with Ofsted in March 2019. The home has not had a registered manager since August.

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 2

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Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(a)(i)) 01/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

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(3)) 01/04/2020

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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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff’s recording of information is of a high standard. This relates to care plans, risk assessments, and young people’s independent living booklets. 01/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— 01/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 4 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)) 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 promotes their welfare.

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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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must review staff’s use of high-visibility jackets when monitoring children on the street. 01/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the document should include the contact details of the registered provider and the responsible individual. 01/04/2020

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide should help children to understand how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22). In particular, information about making complaints should be explicit in advising children that they can contact Ofsted to share any concerns they may have. Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 5  Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11). This relates to requests made by children at residents’ meetings.

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Recommendations

 Supervision of staff practice should ensure that individual adults in the home are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the home so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a child (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14). This relates to ensuring that auxiliary staff have basic knowledge of the home’s whistle blowing and key safeguarding policies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people achieve good outcomes at this home, and their experiences are largely positive. They have a good relationship with most staff and are encouraged to share their views and opinions. Children and young people receive individualised care that meets their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people live healthy lives. Where there are health concerns, staff support children and young people to ensure that they receive appropriate care, advice and treatment. If children and young people have injuries, staff ensure that they receive immediate treatment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well with children and young people to support their emotional, social and psychological well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children and young people’s learning outcomes are poor. A number of children and young people have not engaged in the educational resources made available to them. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they should academically.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people said that they know how to complain. The home has received no complaints from any child since its registration with Ofsted. Information about making complaints is not explicit in highlighting that children and young people can complain directly to Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are encouraged to make suggestions anonymously if they wish. The home has a suggestions box. Residents’ meetings provide another forum for children and young people to share their views about the home. However, records of these meetings indicated that managers do not always inform children and young people Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 6 of their decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people enjoy a good range of social and recreational opportunities. Despite this, some prefer to spend a lot of their time socialising with their friends outside the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have opportunities to develop practical skills, which helps to prepare them for adulthood. Staff support them with household chores such as cleaning, taking care of their personal hygiene and meal preparation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people benefit from staff’s effective working relationships with other professionals. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. This solo placement was due to the child’s vulnerabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff are careful to consider the impact of other children coming to live at the home. A social worker said of staff, ‘They go above and beyond. They didn’t give up on him (child). They’re invested in him.’

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

Children and young people are protected from harm and abuse. Risk assessments provide staff with strategies that help to reduce risk-taking behaviour. Some risk assessments, however, are inconsistent and do not accurately reflect risk levels.

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

The home’s physical environment is safe and secure, although the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) is not in line with recent Ofsted guidance. Managers and staff do not regularly review whether the use of CCTV is warranted. For example, at the time of the inspection, just one child was living in the home. The number of staff on shift is high, and incidents in the home are rare. Therefore, the use of CCTV under these circumstances is questionable. The home’s CCTV policy is currently under review.

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

Managers ensure that staff recruitment is in line with safe recruitment guidelines. Staff receive good training and guidance in relation to child protection policies and procedures.

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

Few critical incidents occur. There have been no allegations made against staff, no complaints have been made by children and no child has been restrained by staff.

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

Some children and young people have a history of unauthorised absences or going missing from care. For some, this trend continues. There is a very high incident of children and young people being absent from the home without staff’s permission. Children and young people benefit from the actions that staff take to encourage their safe return to the home.

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

Children and young people receive help and support to manage their behaviour and feelings safely. Staff regularly speak with them about how to keep themselves safe, Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 7 particularly when they are out in the community. Key work sessions and residents’ meetings often explore safeguarding matters.

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

Staff conduct room searches of children and young people’s bedrooms when there is reason to believe that risks exist. These are conducted sensitively and in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures. The corresponding records are clear.

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

Children and young people are advised about the hazards of internet use. Staff provide them with information and guidance about the safe use of the internet, especially when accessing social media.

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

The provider has appointed a permanent manager. The manager is appropriately qualified and has applied to be registered with Ofsted. The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of children and young people.

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

Managers undertake monitoring exercises that review the quality of care. However, some behavioural management strategies are not sufficiently reviewed to ensure that children and young people receive care that is in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. Currently staff wear high-visibility jackets on the street to defer the one child living at the home from causing any disturbance with his friends at the front of the home.

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

This practice is not congruent with the home’s stated aim: ‘Provide a safe, warm, nurturing and empowering environment for young people to live in.’ This approach to behaviour management is not a nurturing experience. The practice also potentially highlights to others in the community that he is a vulnerable child who requires the highest levels of supervision. This is not in the child’s best interest.

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

This practice had been prompted by two complaints received from neighbours. The complaints log does not include the written response given to one of the complainants. This is contrary to the home’s complaints policies.

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

Staff training opportunities are good. However, managers do not ensure that auxiliary staff have a basic knowledge of whistleblowing policies. This is to help keep children and young people safe.

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

The statement of purpose seen during the inspection is dated September 2018. This is also the most recent statement of purpose forwarded to Ofsted. The document fails to include the contact details of the registered persons as required. In addition, the children’s guide does not highlight that children and young people have a right to contact Ofsted directly if they so wish.

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

Case records are generally good and reflect the work staff complete with children and young people. This is especially the case for key work sessions. However, some Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 8 documents are insufficiently detailed. These include risk assessments, independence booklets and care planning documents.

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

Care staff receive good support and supervision. They have excellent training opportunities. Managers work well with external professionals and provide regular updates to them about children and young people’s placement issues. A child’s independent reviewing officer said, ‘I’m quite impressed with this placement. The staff are skilled, child focused. Staff’s communication is good. The young person was able to sit with me for the first time.’

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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 Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Turnpike Lane, London, Middlesex N8 0EP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nuala Harrington

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2506101 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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