Children's home run by Chartwell Care Services Ltd in Islington

Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 1 SC468315 Registered provider: Chartwell Care Services Ltd Interim 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 four children and young people who have a learning disability. Children and young people have varying needs, including autism spectrum disorder, attachment issues and/or communication difficulties. They also may present specific challenges in terms of their behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been absent since 1 August 2019. She is not due to return to work before the home’s intended voluntary closure on 28 February 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection, there have been multiple changes in the home’s leadership and management and staff. As a result, children and young people have experienced many disruptions Some young people have lost key workers with whom they had built emotionally warm, positive and trusting relationships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two staff who have been recently promoted to the role of team leaders are in day- to-day charge of the home. However, these staff do not have the relevant qualifications and have not received an induction to their new role. The recently appointed responsible individual and a registered manager from the organisation’s care home for adults have recently started visiting the home on a weekly basis to provide oversight and support.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team leaders and staff are highly committed to children and young people. They are working closely with social workers to minimise the impact on children and young people during this period. Children and young people have continued to attend education and to see their families in line with their care plans.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders, managers and staff do not demonstrate that children and young people receive a service that is in line with regulations and quality standards. This inspection has identified eight regulatory breaches relating to leadership and management, the quality of the physical environment, fire safety, the quality of children and young people’s risk assessments, the use of surveillance, the staff register, the induction of staff and records of physical interventions. The three recommendations imposed at the full inspection have been repeated. They relate to shortfalls in the records of room searches, key-working sessions and staff supervision.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has applied to Ofsted to voluntarily cancel the home’s registration. The placing authorities are looking for new placements for their children and young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to the nature of children and young people’s complex needs, any moves are likely to be unsettling for them. For two young people, this has been their home for over three years. The third young person has also been very settled in the home. An example of this is that the frequency of this young person’s challenging behaviours has reduced from an average of twice a week to once a month.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The responsible individual provides weekly updates to Ofsted about the home, including any safeguarding matters and staffing issues. These reports, together with Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 3 the independent visitor’s robust monthly reports, enable Ofsted to closely monitor the home in the final weeks before it is due to close. Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/11/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard ensures that staff–

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6(2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the premises are maintained to a high standard and provide a homely environment for children and young people. 01/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children and young people’s risk assessments include online risks to their safety. 01/03/2020

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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

promotes their welfare. 01/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 6 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  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)(a)(b), (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)) 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 01/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 7 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)) After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must–

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire. (Regulation 25(1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the alarm-raising points are tested on a weekly basis. 01/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33(1)(a)) 01/03/2020

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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

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 spoken to the user about the measure; and

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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)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 01/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. 01/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 8

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home, visitors

A record showing in respect of each person working at the home–

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home, visitors

the person’s qualifications relevant to, and experience of, work involving children;

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home, visitors

whether the person works at the home full-time or part-time (whether paid or not), and if part-time, the average number of hours worked per week; and

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home, visitors

A record of any persons who reside or work at any time at the home, who are not mentioned in the records kept in accordance with paragraphs 1 or 2. (Regulation 37(1), (2)(a)(b)(c), Schedule 4.2 and 4.4)

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home, visitors

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff register is maintained.

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Recommendations

 A child’s bedroom should not generally be entered without their permission. Usually, rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20) Specifically, the registered person should ensure that the records of room searches are accurate.  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment and supervision safeguards children and minimises potential risks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Specifically, the registered person should ensure that supervision records evidence that staff receive regular supervision.

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 9  The home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) Specifically, the registered person should ensure that the information on young people’s files is comprehensive and well organised, and that there is evidence of key-working with young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 10

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC468315 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Chartwell Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 12 Helmet Row, London EC1V 3QJ

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC468315 12 to 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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