Children's home run by Sherico Care Services Limited in Westminster

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 1 SC037543

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Sherico Care Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

◼ A private provider operates this home. ◼ The home provides care for up to three young people. ◼ The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home accommodates young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. ◼ The registered manager was registered by Ofsted in January 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we regulate. During this visit, the inspector 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 that these measures have had on staffing arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager and one of the young people were spoken to directly by the inspector as part of the visit to the home. In addition, the inspector held telephone discussions with the organisation’s quality assurance manager and the responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit assessed the home’s compliance with a restriction of accommodation notice, which was served on them by Ofsted on 28 April 2020. The home has complied with the notice, and the two young people remain living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

One of the young people remains subject to court-ordered curfew restriction and police bail conditions. The other young person has a referral to attend the youth Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 2 offending services for a previous offence committed. One of the young people has reduced their missing behaviour. The interim manager stated that the young person concerned has not gone missing from the home for 10 days.

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This monitoring visit

On arrival at the home, the inspector overheard one young person telling a member of staff, that they (the young person) had been drunk the previous day. This event was confirmed to have happened by the interim manager and was also recorded in case records.

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This monitoring visit

One young person does not settle to a consistent bedtime routine, and on a number of occasions staff have not been able to encourage them to sleep in their bedroom. There have been instances when the young person has slept in the living room and in the kitchen.

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This monitoring visit

One young person continues not to engage in their education. The home has arranged a third interview with a local education resource. Staff were unsuccessful in encouraging this young person to attend the interview on two previous occasions. The home reviews progress on a weekly basis with the allocated social worker and continues to share key information effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The second young person informed the inspector that they are ‘very happy’ in the home and looking forward to commencing a course at a local college in September. This young person continues to enjoy gardening and was very proud of some recent meals they have prepared with the support of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Concerningly, the home failed to inform Ofsted of a serious incident which occurred recently. The incident involved the hospitalisation of a young person after they had seemingly taken a non-prescribed drug. During the incident, staff also confiscated a bottle of vodka. Ofsted only received the notification following this visit.

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This monitoring visit

This incident had not been updated in the young person’s risk assessment, which was last updated in April. The interim manager stated that the capacity to record and update information is limited by the availability of only one computer for staff use.

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This monitoring visit

Last month, the interim manager applied for registration with Ofsted. However, the application was returned as it was missing several sources of documentation. The interim manager is still to enrol on the required management qualification course, despite having been in post since March.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager reported that staff morale is positive. Two new staff members have been recruited since the last monitoring visit, and no staff have left the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training is limited to online courses due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. One staff member stated that they have completed online courses on administering medication, food hygiene and fire safety. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 3 The interim manager reported that her knowledge and evaluation of staff training needs is limited by the fact that staff records are kept at the main offices of the organisation and not in the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/01/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 25/07/2019 Full Good 22/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate

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Requirement Due date

according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; 30/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 5 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; understand and communicate to children that bullying is

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Requirement Due date

unacceptable; have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11(1)(a‒c)(2)(a)(i‒xiii)(b)) Specifically, help the staff team members to work effectively together and maintain boundaries and respect in the home. Notification of a serious event The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 30/09/2020

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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— ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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; and use monitoring and review systems to make 30/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 6

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Requirement Due date

continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a‒b)(2)(b‒h)) Fitness of workers

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(b)) 30/09/2020

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; that arrangements are in place to— 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(1)(a‒b)(2)(a)(b)(iii)) 30/09/2020

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Recommendations

◼ The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 7 Specifically, this is in relation to ensuring management oversight of significant incidents and missing from home records. ◼ 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

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Recommendations

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) Specifically, this is in relation to ensuring consistency of records and recording actions that have been taken, such as requesting return home interviews.

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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: SC037543 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sherico Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sherico Care Homes Ltd, 2‒4 Balmoral Road, London E10 5ND

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Inspectors

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC037543 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. 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

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Inspectors

the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://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 .

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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