Children's home run by Priory Education Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 1 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since July 2019. The current manager has been in post since September 2019 but has recently withdrawn her application to register with Ofsted.

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Inspection date: 11 February 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last 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

Following this inspection, two compliance notices were issued. Ofsted imposed a variation to the condition of registration on 14 February 2020, reducing the number of young people that the home can care for to two. As a result of this inspection, three new requirements have been raised and three requirements reissued.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were three young people living at the home. One young person had recently arrived. A second young person was waiting to move into semi-independent living. The home had served notice to the third young person, as it was no longer able to keep him safe or meet his needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been a number of serious incidents within the home where one young person has been placed at risk; this is due to poor management of the young person and an inadequate response by staff to address concerning behaviours. Staff consistently fail to follow the home’s policies and protocols that are in place to keep young people safe. For example, on 20 July 2019, the young person went missing. Although staff completed searches for the young person, they failed to check the area the young person had previously told staff that he would be in. The failure by staff to take basic steps to locate the young person resulted in a delay in the young person being returned to the safety of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

While the young person was missing on 31 October 2019, he was arrested. The police found a large knife, a quantity of drugs and money on his person. During the inspection on 11 February 2020, the manager confirmed that she had not thought to establish more details about his arrest, such as how much money or drugs he had at the time of his arrest. This lack of professional curiosity affects the quality of risk management planning to keep young people safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On 30 December 2019, staff permitted the young person to have unsupervised ‘free time’. Staff failed to follow risk management plans and ask the young person where he was going or who he would be with. The young person did not return from ‘free time’ and went missing. Staff efforts to locate the young person were affected by their failure to follow agreed plans. Furthermore, following the young person’s return to the home, there was a significant delay in the young person being spoken to by staff about the reason for him going missing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On 31 December 2019, the young person went missing again. Staff did not follow agreed risk management plans and, as a result, there was a delay in the young person being reported missing to the police. On 6 January 2020, the manager reviewed this missing-from-care incident and identified that staff had failed to correctly document their actions in relation to the incident. Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 3 During the inspection on 11 February 2020, the manager informed the inspector that while the young person was missing on 30 and 31 December 2019, several staff members had left the home at the end of their shifts. This was despite the young person still being missing and related paperwork having not been completed. This practice is not consistent with the home’s missing-from-care protocol that all staff have signed to say that they have read.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments do not provide sufficient information to staff in order to keep young people safe. For example, one young person’s risk assessment was found to have a page missing. Staff had signed to say that they had read the risk assessment, but none of them had noticed this error.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Even when staff do understand the guidance to protect young people, they do not always adhere to this. For example, staff do not conduct weekly room searches as directed by one young person’s risk assessment. Furthermore, when staff have believed that a young person may have access to cannabis they have failed to complete room searches to locate the drugs. This demonstrates a disregard for the safety of some young people. In addition, staff fail to follow the risk assessment in place for monitoring this young person’s phone.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been no registered manager in post since July 2019. The current manager has been in post since September 2019. However, she has recently withdrawn her application to Ofsted to be the registered manager. Although the manager intends to remain in post for the short term, at the time of the inspection, there was no clear plan as to when a suitable, permanent, registered manager would be appointed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Currently, 16 members of staff are on performance improvement plans. In addition, seven senior residential support workers are not permitted to lead a shift due to concerns about their ability to lead a team and follow protocols in place to safeguard young people. Furthermore, there are ongoing investigations into the practices of 11 members of staff due to concerns about their practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is overwhelmed by the scale of staff performance issues. This is having an impact on her capacity to monitor and improve the care young people receive. This has contributed to the chaotic and disorganised approach to safeguarding practices in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have not consistently received supervision. This means that there are missed opportunities to review and address staff’s performance.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

As a result of enforcement action by Ofsted, in respect of some of the provider’s other children’s homes, there has been an influx of staff to this home. During the inspection, the inspector found that there were eight members of staff on shift in addition to the managers. This was despite there only being one young person at home during the daytime. The excessive number of staff on duty means that young Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 4 people receive care from a high number of staff. This has an impact on the continuity of care and reduces the extent to which the property feels like a home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff have not effectively challenged the placing authorities in respect of ensuring that they have all essential paperwork in relation to young people. A young person’s care plan had not been received following the review in September 2019. This means that staff do not have the most up-to-date plans for young people. Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/07/2019 Full Good 31/10/2018 Full Good 13/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 6

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 24/04/2020

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))* 24/04/2020

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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— 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— 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; 24/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 7 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; 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)(c)(e)(f)(h))* The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 24/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 24/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 24/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3) Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 8  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This information should be

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Recommendations

shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31)  Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Recommendations

 Examples of incidents that are likely to be considered serious affecting the welfare of a child include: a child being the victim or perpetrator of a serious assault; a serious illness or accident; a serious incident of self-harm, or serious concerns over a child’s missing behaviour, particularly where the child is considered to be at grave risk due to age or vulnerability or where they have been missing for a considerable period of time and their whereabouts is unknown. This is not an exhaustive list and homes must assess each case individually taking into account any patterns of behaviour or unusual behaviour which may indicate an increased risk to the child. Homes should also consider the frequency of incidents and judge whether their cumulative effect makes notification appropriate even if in isolation each event would not warrant this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.11)

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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, Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 9 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: 1245979 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1245979 11 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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