Children's home run by Priory Education Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 1

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Priory Education Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have social and/or emotional difficulties. However, on 18 March 2020, a restriction notice was served to prevent further children being admitted to the home. There is one child living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since July 2019. The home is currently without a manager.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged to have declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 11 February 2020. Following this inspection, two compliance notices were issued. Ofsted imposed a variation to the condition of registration on 14 February 2020, reducing the number of young people that the home can care for to two.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring inspection took place on 16 March 2020. At this inspection, little progress was found in regard to meeting the compliance notices, and additional concerns were identified. On 18 March 2020, a restriction notice was served to prevent further children from being admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

A second monitoring inspection took place on 27 April 2020. This inspection was completed remotely due to COVID-19 (coronavirus).

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This monitoring visit

Little progress was found in regard to meeting the compliance notices, and additional concerns were identified. Practice issues within the staff team remained, and only two members of staff had successfully met performance targets within the timeframes identified by the provider. Two new requirements were raised following Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 2 the inspection, in relation to the administration of medication and shortfalls with the staff rota. The two compliance notices were not met and were re-issued.

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This monitoring visit

At this inspection, the manager informed the inspector that she would move permanently to another home in the company on 8 June 2020. She has been working in the home part time while managing another of the provider’s homes. This will leave insufficient management arrangements in the home. The deputy managers will have day-to-day responsibility for the home. However, they lack the skills and availability to manage the home effectively. There is a plan for the business manager to work from the home to offer additional support. She does not have the necessary qualifications or experience to manage a children’s home. The provider is in the process of recruiting a new manager for the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff consistently fail to read updated care plans, risk assessments or key policies as directed by the manager. In the manager’s absence, the deputy managers have not ensured that these essential tasks are completed.

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This monitoring visit

Concerns regarding staff skills and experience remain. Eight members of staff failed to achieve the targets set out in their individual performance plans. These members of staff will now be placed on formal development plans.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have failed to ensure that the interim manager receives supervision in line with the provider’s policy. The manager has not received supervision since December 2019. Other staff have not received regular supervision. This leaves staff without the opportunity to discuss practice issues and gain support.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to follow safeguarding processes and notify external agencies when required. For example, the manager has failed to notify Ofsted in a timely manner of a significant incident. In addition, the manager failed to notify Ofsted, as the regulator, and the designated safeguarding officer of a concern regarding a member of staff. This lack of action potentially places the young person at risk.

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This monitoring visit

At this inspection, there was only one young person living in the home. Although the young person is settled, her progress and experience have deteriorated. She spends long periods of time in her bedroom and has little structure or routine to her day. In addition, she frequently misses breakfast and lunch.

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This monitoring visit

The two compliance notices raised in the February 2020 inspection remain unmet. In addition, three of the six requirements raised at the interim inspection were not met and will be reissued. The manager has completed the location risk assessment, staff no longer lock doors to prevent the young person from accessing parts of the home and staff rotas are now clear and include all required information. One new requirement has been raised regarding shortfalls in notifying Ofsted of serious incidents. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/07/2019 Full Good 31/10/2018 Full Good 13/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 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 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)) 30/07/2020

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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 promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 30/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 5

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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)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))* The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 30/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 30/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36, schedule 3(14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the

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Recommendations

child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.31) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 6  Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Recommendations

 Examples of incidents that are likely to be considered serious affecting the welfare of a child include: a child being the victim or perpetrator of a serious assault; a serious illness or accident; a serious incident of self-harm, or serious concerns over a child’s missing behaviour, particularly where the child is considered to be at grave risk due to age or vulnerability or where they have been missing for a considerable period of time and their whereabouts are unknown. This is not an exhaustive list and homes must assess each case individually taking into account any patterns of behaviour or unusual behaviour which may indicate an increased risk to the child. Homes should also consider the frequency of incidents and judge whether their cumulative effect makes notification appropriate even if in isolation each event would not warrant this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.11) This is in regard to notifying Ofsted when a young person goes missing from home.

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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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: 1245979 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Priory Group, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245979 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 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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