Children's Home run by Kartikeya Solutions Limited in Haringey

Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 1 SC483623 Registered provider: Kartikeya Solutions Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately-run home for up to five children and young people. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home provides care and accommodation for children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The provider also has a registered school on-site.

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Inspection date: 3 March 2020

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 3 March 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 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. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people have positive experiences at the home and most are making progress. They enjoy spending time with staff and have good relationships with them. Children and young people largely lead healthy lives and are encouraged to take their education seriously. They have fun and are working towards developing practical life skills. There is weakness in the leadership and management of the home. The home’s last inspection highlighted a number of shortfalls. Some of these have been resolved, although others remain unresolved. Since the last inspection, a registered manager had been appointed. This individual resigned very recently, and a new manager has been employed. The last inspection also highlighted that the vetting of new staff was not thorough. This remains the case. The provider has failed to obtain important staff recruitment information. This includes written references, staff photographs and records of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

interviews. These processes are necessary to confirm that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable children and young people. In addition, the last inspection highlighted that staff did not consistently follow children and young people’s behaviour management plans. This is found to be the case at this inspection. In one incident, a volatile situation involving a young person was escalated due to the actions of a staff member. The action taken was contrary to the guidance in the young person’s behaviour management plan. This is not in children or young people’s best interests. The recording of restraint incidents was cause for concern at the last inspection. Since the last inspection, staff have restrained one young person. Records of this incident failed to include the signature of any staff member as required. Some records of children going missing are incomplete. Staff do not consistently record their observations of children and young people’s presentation when they

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

return to the home or record the discussions that they have with them. This is a missed opportunity to find out the circumstances surrounding the absence and the degree to which children and young people have kept themselves safe. The quality of some other records is not good. Some care plans do not include an adequate assessment of children and young people’s needs. Plans are largely descriptive. They do not identify what action needs to be taken to ensure that children and young people’s identified needs are met. Some records of key-work sessions and risk assessments are missing from case files. Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 3 Staff do not consistently receive formal supervision and there are gaps in managers’ completion of staff appraisals. These shortfalls fail to ensure that staff’s work performance is of a high standard and that their learning needs are formally reviewed. Since the last inspection, the provider has focused on strengthening the staff’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

understanding and practices in the home’s therapeutic approach. The four young people living there are the same four who were resident at the last inspection. Their placements are stable, some have formed very good attachments with staff and are responding positively to staff supporting them. Largely, children and young people are making steady progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/07/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/06/2018 Full Good 18/04/2017 Full Good 16/11/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 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 registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if— the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete; full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2; the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person. The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure

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Requirement Due date

that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(8)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 01/06/2020

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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 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 6 promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff’s recording of information is of a high quality. This relates to care plans and missing records. Managers must also ensure that key-work sessions and updated risk assessments are consistently completed and are available on case files.

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards (2015)’, page 46, paragraph 9.34) In particular, the provider must ensure that the behaviour management interventions are informed by the home’s therapeutic support and behaviour management plans. Managers’ review of behaviour incidents should also promote learning in line with the therapeutic principles of the home.  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards (2015)’, page 49, paragraph 9.59) In particular, it is essential that the review of any physical intervention is confirmed by the manager by countersigning restraint records.  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs19 and 20). The plan should:  detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the homes Statement of Purpose;  detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding and health and safety and mandatory qualifications);  detail the process for managing and improving poor performance;

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Recommendations

 detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 7 The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards (2015)’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC483623 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kartikeya Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Kartikeya Solutions Limited, 47 Hillfield Park, London N10 3QU

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483623 9 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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