Children's home run by Sherico Care Services Limited in Westminster

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 1 SC022880

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Sherico Care Services Limited

Monitoring visit 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 six children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home accommodates children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 17 October 2019. On 10 January 2020, a case review decided to extend the restriction notice that had been in place since 24 October 2019. A new restriction notice was issued from 16 January 2020. This restriction is due to end on 9 April 2020. This is the second period of restriction.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was to monitor compliance with the restriction notice. The visit also considered other areas of progress made since the last monitoring visit on 9 January 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit found further progress to the improvements at the home. The downstairs toilet has been completely refurbished, and the kitchen now has new flooring.

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This monitoring visit

One child has left the home since the last monitoring visit. This was a poorly planned transition by the placing authority. The staff and the interim manager challenged the placing authority and advocated well on behalf of the child. This resulted in the placing authority changing their plans to enable the child to make a visit to the new placement prior to moving on from the home.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no new admissions to the home and there is full compliance with the restriction notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 2 There were four staff at the home at the time of this visit as the shift was changing. Several staff were spoken to during the visit and all of them confirmed that they had attended safeguarding training in January. The home’s training schedule showed that there is training planned around the risks of child sexual exploitation. Furthermore, the police are coming to talk to all staff about the procedures when children go missing from the home. All four staff confirmed that they receive regular online and face-to-face training.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is working hard with the staff team to provide more consistency and quality of care. Children do not always engage with day-to-day life at the home despite staff efforts, and some children have entrenched behaviours which staff still struggle to challenge despite receiving further training. For example, staff struggle to engage children in education, provide structure and routines, set and enforce clear boundaries, and ensure that they know where children are going when they leave the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is aware of the areas that require improvement and what needs to change. She is making positive changes and is helping staff to take on and fulfil their roles and responsibilities. There are now two deputy managers in post who are supporting the registered manager. They will require further experience, support and training to understand how to support staff effectively to manage children’s complex behaviours. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/10/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 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 must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI; upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located; the placing authorities of children; the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and the responsible individual (if one is nominated).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report"). 30/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 5 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45(1)(2a-c)(3)(4a-b)(5)) 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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this is in relation to the need for the provider to take a robust approach with placing authorities to ensure that return home interviews are offered when children have been missing and any information shared is used to help protect the children and keep them safe. In addition, this is in relation to understanding the level of risks for children and identifying these for staff in written risk assessments. 30/06/2020

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(2)(d)) 30/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 6 Specifically, this is in relation to ensuring the continuation of repairs and maintenance of the home, including the fitting of an upstairs bathroom blind, bedroom furniture and kitchen flooring, and the refurbishment of the bathrooms. 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

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this is in relation to ensuring that leaders and managers who have invested in and are committed to running this home have clear oversight of what is happening at the home, to enable children to thrive and meet their potential. 30/06/2020

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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; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that there is a record of which staff are working, and that they have signed in when they come to work and signed out when they leave the home at the end of their shift. 30/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33(4)(b)) 28/02/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 7 Specifically, this is in relation to ensuring that new staff members receive consistent supervision in line with the provider’s statement of purpose. The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that the experience and skills of the staff match the complexity of needs and the challenging behaviours of the children cared for at this home. In addition, it relates to ensuring that any gaps in employment are explored. 30/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 8

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 9

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Unique reference number: SC022880

Registered provider: Sherico Care Services Limited

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Unique reference number: SC022880

Registered provider address: 2-4 Balmoral Road, London E10 5ND

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Inspector

Christine Kennet, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC022880 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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