Children's Home run by Cornerways Care Limited in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2491062 1 Registered provider: Cornerways Care Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to two children who present with challenging complex behaviours. The home was registered with Ofsted in October 2018. The new manager was registered in January 2020. This is the managers first registered manger post. The manger holds a relevant professional qualifications relating to the care of children. She is currently studying for the required qualification to manage a children’s home.

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Inspection date: 11 March 2020

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

none Inspection report children's home: 2491062 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 improved effectiveness.

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Report notes

At the last inspection six requirements and two recommendations were set. The vast majority of these requirements and recommendations have been met.

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Report notes

The previous registered manager left shortly after the last inspection. The new manager has overseen a review of the homes processes and systems. She has given a clear sense of leadership to the service. The manager and the deputy work closely together with the staff to build the new staff team to drive improvement. The manager has a strong sense of the strengths of the home and a clear plan for further development.

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Report notes

The house provides the children with a warm welcoming and homely environment. The children are able to personalise their rooms with their school certificates, family photos and artwork. The children are beginning to collect memorabilia of their time in the home, such as trips to Legoland and photos of them with the staff.

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Report notes

The staff are individually caring towards the children and make every effort to build positive relationships with them. One child rushes in from school enthusiastically telling staff about their day and their music award. This child said they ‘just love’ spending time with the staff. When children are disengaged with the home the staff try their utmost to re-engage them. They work in partnership with families to ensure the child’s needs continue to be met. For example, the staff plan activities that can be done with a family member rather than staff. This ensures the child continues to have the opportunity to experience new things which they otherwise would not. A social worker said, ‘This is genuinely the best home I have ever worked with. 100% the staff genuinely nurture and care for my child.’

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Report notes

The staff work closely with families and partner professionals to promote the children’s wellbeing and ensure their mental, as well as physical, health needs are met. The home was not able to meet one child’s complex emotional and behavioural needs which resulted in placement breakdown. However, professionals remain consistently positive about the quality of care and the staff’s commitment to this child. One professional said, ‘I was very impressed with the committed, challenging, enthusiastic and reflective staff.’

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Report notes

Each child has an individual behaviour management plan. The behaviour management approach has moved from a previously punitive approach towards Inspection report children's home: 2491062 3 the development of positive relationships. The staff recognise and praise positive behaviour and a restorative approach to any negative behaviour is used. As a result, the children begin to develop improved personal self-regulation. They feel they are listened to and they learn to gain control over their lives through discussion rather than negative behaviour.

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Report notes

The staff now undertake individual risk assessments for each child and develop personalised risk management plans. These regularly reviewed risk assessments incorporate suitable risk management strategies.

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Report notes

Records management and oversight has greatly improved since the last inspection. children’s case files now contain the required information and significant incidents are clearly recorded. All incidents have a clearly documented review by the manager which demonstrates improved oversight of day to day care. The most recent review of the quality of care however, does not clearly incorporate stakeholder reviews which limits the breadth of the review.

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Report notes

The home has continued to struggle with ensuring stability and continuity in the staff team. The home employs six staff in a permanent capacity yet since the last inspection eight staff have left for various reasons. The provider has reviewed the recruitment and retention strategy and the staffing loss has significantly slowed in the last six months. The staffing changes have not unduly affected the relationships the staff have with the currently placed children. This is because these children have moved in within the last six months. However, it has caused challenges previously and continues to have a negative effect on staff training.

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Report notes

The majority of staff have received a variety of suitable and relevant training in areas relevant to the children’s needs, such as autism and mental health awareness. However, few staff have food hygiene training and many of the new staff do not have physical intervention training. The manager has updated the workforce development plan to include staff training within the next few months. Inspection report children's home: 2491062 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2491062 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 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(e)) 30/05/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should encourage children to share any concerns about their care or other matters as soon as they arise. Children must be able to take up issues or make a complaint with support and without any fear that this will result in any adverse consequences. Regulation 39 sets out the requirements on the registered person to have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 23, paragraph 4.13) In particular, ensure all concerns raised by children are recorded as complaints and are included in the summary of complaints held.  Regulation 45 sets out requirements for the registered person to have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulation at least once every six months; also see regulation 13(2)(h) (the leadership and management standard). The registered person should undertake a review that

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Recommendations

focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 64, paragraph 15.2) In particular, ensure that children, parents and partner professionals views are incorporated into the report of the quality of care review.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children's home: 2491062 6 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: 2491062 7

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Care Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: Eastway Enterprise Centre, 7 Paynes Park, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1EH

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2491062 8 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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