Children's Home run by Area Camden Limited in Camden

Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 1 Registered provider: Area Camden Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately operated children’s home which is registered to care for up to three children. The homes statement of purpose confirms that the home cares for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: This is the home’s first inspection.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

N/A Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff make concerted efforts to develop positive relationships with children to help them to settle quickly into the home. The placing manager wrote, ‘This placement is the longest that the child has had, and it enables them to have a starting point for therapy.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend school. The staff help children to improve their educational outcomes. For example, staff attended an educational assessment for a child every day for a week, to support them with taking their first steps into education after a long absence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have key-work sessions that are of good quality and frequency. These are relevant to the child’s specific needs and responsive to emerging needs. Key-work sessions are reflective and engaging. Children’s views on complex matters, such as police stop-and-search protocols, are discussed and explored, to help to reduce the likelihood of children being criminalised.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to have fun, and they enjoy a wide range of activities. Children are kept stimulated and active when not in school. For example, they are encouraged to make regular use of local library time, and to keep fit through activities such as boxercise.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to be healthy. Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. They are supported with their diets, sexual health, mental health and medication. However, the use and disuse of medication are not consistently recorded.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to complain. However, the complaints process needs to be reviewed to ensure that complaints are responded to, and are well recorded. For example, the service received one written complaint from a child which was not seen or responded to by staff.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are supported to be safe. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to safeguard children. Children say that they feel safe in the home and that staff treat them with respect.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff support children with exploring and understanding their identity, culture and sexuality. Children are encouraged to safely explore and celebrate what makes them different. Staff challenge discriminatory behaviours effectively and support children to treat others with respect.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments are comprehensive and inform good behaviour management plans. Children are helped to manage their own behaviour. Child sexual exploitation, Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 4 self-harming and the risks and action plans associated with complex behaviours like going missing are all understood by all staff members.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children who go missing experience a coordinated response, and effective action is taken to reduce missing episodes. For example, staff contact children at least an hour before curfew times to encourage them to return to the home on time. Staff contact professionals, parents and other key individuals to try to locate children when they do go missing. Positive relationships with staff enable children to be more open about their movements.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are effective in managing challenging and complex behaviours. They demonstrate a good understanding of triggers for behaviour. They use effective de- escalation techniques, and actively plan alternative strategies for managing behaviour.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home environment is safe and very well maintained. However, closed-circuit television cameras in communal areas (except for bathrooms and bedrooms) are used for the safeguarding of the internal property. This does not take into account the need for privacy of children and those who visit the property, nor does it support the provision of a nurturing home environment.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home does not currently have a registered manager, as the previous registered manager has recently left. Recruitment and vetting of staff are thorough, resulting in staff who provide a high-quality service for children. Appraisals are of good quality and focus on progression, development and appropriate challenge. Staff say that they are passionate about providing a caring home for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive good-quality supervision, induction and training. Supervision covers key areas and promotes continuous learning and development. Training of staff is of a high standard and meets the specific needs of the children in the home. Team meetings take place regularly and staff feel supported by managers and leaders.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff know the children in their care. They regularly review the plans for children. They actively challenge the placing authority and partners and advocate strongly on behalf of the children when necessary.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers regularly review and act on any known risks to children, taking advice and guidance from local partners and agencies. Staff regularly review specialist support for children who have complex needs, to improve outcomes for these children. Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

p.5

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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)) 01/06/2020

p.5

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard

p.5

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from

p.5

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 6 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

p.6

Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is with reference to the response to and management of complaints.

p.6

Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) These relate to the clear recording of medication, particularly where medication has been discontinued. Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 7

p.6

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: 2535376 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Turnpike Lane, London, Middlesex N8 0EP

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nuala Harrington

p.8

Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2535376 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9