Esther House

Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 1 SC474150 Registered provider: Benjamin UK Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in May 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/08/2018 Full Good 15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this visit, children were feeling unsettled by the significant changes to the staff team and resident group after a period of stability. A core group of staff know the children well and reflect this in their individualised responses to them. However, this knowledge is not captured in the care planning records. Some children do not have current local authority care plans and the in-house care plans are not sufficiently detailed. As a result, new staff do not have access to comprehensive, up- to-date information about how to care for the children living in the home. This also potentially compromises the effective management and review of children’s plans.

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improvement to be good

There is a mixed picture for children about moves into and out of the home. Planning by placing authorities for children about to turn 18 years of age who have lived there for two years and more and who are to move out of the home has been rushed. This has not given children enough opportunity to be sure that the move is to the right place at the right time for them. Staff have effectively supported children with these moves, but it is not clear how staff have challenged the placing authorities about the lack of planning. Most children moving into the home have benefited from well-considered reflection on how their needs can be met and how they will fit into the home. New admissions are informed by up-to-date and accurate information from placing authorities. This has led to structured introductions that work well for all.

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improvement to be good

Children have built positive relationships with the core group of staff and each other. This has enabled them to make progress in a range of areas. Children talk proudly of their achievements and feel that living in the home has made a positive difference. A trip to celebrate a child’s birthday was enjoyed by all. A social worker described some ‘great trusting relationships with staff’ which has seen the child that she supports be more honest and open than in previous settings, and there has also been a huge reduction in missing from home episodes. She said, ‘I feel like she is in good hands with them.’ A child said, ‘Staff are good at dealing with challenges. There’s always someone to talk to.’

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improvement to be good

Despite the best combined efforts of both education and care staff, not all children have attended regular education, employment or training. Those who do engage are achieving well and are enjoying learning, at the organisation’s own school and at a local college. One older child not in formal education has a varied timetable, presented in a visual format. This includes driving lessons and practice theory tests, alongside learning other skills needed for adult life. This individual approach is also evident in the varied activities that reflect children’s individual interests.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a sound understanding of children’s health needs and these are well met. Staff are proactive in seeking and following up professional support to meet children’s mental health needs. There is a strong organisational focus on the emotional well-being of children, with regular opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Children value the very regular availability of therapists and the Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 4 opportunity it affords them to explore how they are feeling and why and what they could do differently. The records of the monthly multi-disciplinary child-focused meetings, which children can attend, miss an opportunity to capture children’s progress and to support the celebration of all of the small successes that they achieve.

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improvement to be good

Staff elicit children’s views and, where possible, act on what they say. Children were pleased to talk about their choices in the redecoration of the living areas in the home. Children understand how to complain and, when they do, their complaints are taken seriously. One child reflected that changes made following a complaint are not always sustained.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate an improved awareness and understanding of the risks that children may be exposed to, particularly in relation to sexual exploitation and self- harm, and their duty to report any concerns. This is a positive response to shortfalls identified in the last inspection. However, the numerous supporting risk assessments do not include all areas of potential risk, for example potential risks associated with mobile phones and social media use. Risk assessments are not routinely updated to acknowledge changes in children’s behaviour that have reduced risks. Much of the information contained in a template entitled ‘Individual risk assessment’ is identical for children of differing ages and stages in life. This serves to devalue the assessment and does not reflect the good-quality interaction and intervention observed during the visit. In one case a sexual exploitation risk assessment indicates

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improvement to be good

that action is needed by external professionals, this has not happened and there is no evidence that staff have followed this up or that it is no longer required.

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improvement to be good

Despite staff having a sound understanding of wider issues around exploitation, there is no recorded evidence of professional curiosity by staff about children’s acquisition of substances to ensure that they are not being exploited. Staff can describe how they believe children are obtaining tobacco, but it is not clear that this has been verified, for example by discussion with parents. For one child, staff were not able to effect a sustained change to cannabis misuse, despite persistent efforts by a range of professionals over a long period of time.

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improvement to be good

Allegations against staff are managed well by managers in the home and senior managers in the organisation. Concerns are appropriately shared with partner agencies and action is taken in response to any guidance or recommendations made. Enhanced partnership working is achieved by the manager’s attendance at multi-agency safeguarding meetings to share information across the wider community.

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improvement to be good

Effective staff support has enabled children to significantly reduce the frequency and duration of missing from home episodes. The positive relationships and children’s good understanding of how staff implement the well-established behaviour management strategies mean that staff use sanctions and physical intervention infrequently. Children talk positively about therapeutic key-work sessions. One child Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 5 demonstrated how she used a template with staff to reflect on the possible triggers for challenging behaviour, her emotional responses and her learning from incidents. She acknowledged that it wasn’t easy to apply the learning next time, but it did help.

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improvement to be good

The living areas of the home and the garden are generally well maintained and safe. One toilet door cannot be opened from the outside in the event of an emergency. Staff are not monitoring children’s rooms well enough to ensure that they receive the support necessary to achieve and maintain an acceptable standard of safety. There are also concerns relating to a child covering a smoke detector and evidence of smoking. There are also concerns relating to poor hygiene such as dirty clothing and congealed plates of food, and cleanliness of the bedrooms.

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good

The registered manager returned from a notified period of absence on the second day of this inspection. The first interim manager appointed did not stay in post long and was replaced by a second interim manager who has provided consistent support to staff and children. The handover between managers has been planned to support a smooth transition. This is particularly important because of the recent significant changes in the composition of the staff team. This has been for a variety of reasons, many positive, for example career development. However, children feel that at the moment there are too many new faces, whether from within the organisation or agency staff. There are some new staff, but not the number reported by children. At the time of this visit, children’s feelings were exacerbated by the news of another staff member leaving at the end of the month. Two new staff have been recruited pending the completion of all the necessary checks.

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good

The recruitment of staff meets the requirements of the regulations to ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with children. The last inspection required the provider to ensure the presence of clear information about the applicants’ experience and knowledge. This has been achieved but has not been used to inform additional training needs for one new member of staff.

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good

Staff are not familiar with the lengthy and complicated statement of purpose for the home. It is not immediately obvious how all the therapeutic strands fit together, for example the token economy system and trauma-informed care.

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good

Monitoring is undertaken as required. Recent management analysis and evaluation of incidents has led to an understanding of triggers for children’s behaviours. This understanding had been used to inform and improve behaviour management practice. This quality of evaluation is not reflected in the independent visitor’s reports and six-monthly manager’s reports which are primarily descriptive.

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good

The frequency of supervision has not consistently met the organisation’s policy. The records of supervision are not sufficiently detailed and do not provide clear targets to support staff development. Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 6 Both managers convey a strong sense of aspiration for children. They enable staff to work at the individual pace and ability of children, for example to develop independent living skills and to build the confidence to try new things. Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 7

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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 care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14(2)(b)(ii)(iii)) Specifically, ensure that placing authorities provide the information needed to support meaningful in-house care planning and review. 30/04/2020

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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. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)) Specifically, identify all potential risks (including phone and social media use), address these in personalised risk assessments and update these when risks change. 30/04/2020

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(2)(d)) Specifically, ensure that children’s bedrooms are safe, clean and maintained in a manner that reduces dirt and grime 14/4/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 8 build-up and that all lockable rooms that children have access to are openable from the outside in an emergency. The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In

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Requirement Due date

particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6(2)(b)(i)) In particular, review the statement of purpose to ensure it is child focused and uses accessible language and terms. 31/5/2020

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Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged to develop positive relationships with others both in and outside the home as set out in the positive relationships standard. However, staff should be alert to the possibility that children may be at risk from such relationships including with other children in the home, staff, family members, friends and others outside the home, and they therefore should take appropriate steps to protect a child where there are concerns for a child’s safety. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.13) In particular, staff need to assure themselves that children are not putting themselves at risk to obtain tobacco and other substances.  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11) In particular, ensure that any identified gaps in the experience and/or knowledge of new staff inform induction training needs where necessary.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that supervision is at the required frequency and that records of this support performance management.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 9 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: SC474150 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Church Farm House, Station Road, Aldbury, Tring HP23 5RS

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Claudette Rudman

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Inspector

Maire Atherton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC474150 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 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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