Children's Home run by Potton Homes Limited in Southend on Sea

Assurance visit report: SC438764 1 SC438764

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides long-term placements for up to six children who may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse. The provider owns the school located on the site.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the post in April 2020. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 14 February 2020

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: improved effectiveness

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Information about this visit

During this visit, the inspector also monitored the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notice that was served on 8 July 2020. Assurance visit report: SC438764 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any current serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. The provider has made sufficient progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notice.

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The care of children

The children have trusting relationships with most of the staff. They benefit from a staff team that spends good-quality time with them and is always available to them.

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The care of children

The staff seek the children’s views. The children have recently been involved in choosing new decoration for the home. Their bedrooms are warm and inviting, and the environment is welcoming.

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The care of children

The children continued to receive support for their emotional and mental health needs from independent health professionals during the time of lockdown and social distancing. However, although the staff attempted to support these needs, they lack enough knowledge and understanding in some areas, such as self-injurious behaviours.

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The care of children

The children have remained in touch with their families. With the easing of lockdown, the staff have supported the children to have face-to-face contact with their families.

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The care of children

The children engage in activities that they enjoy because the staff motivate them and take part in activities with them. The children have had a few days’ holiday in the organisation’s caravan. They have been fishing and to the seaside and enjoyed plenty of walks.

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The care of children

The staff have encouraged the children to continue to learn and progress in their education. The staff support the children to prepare them for re-engagement in their education provision. The staff have bought the children’s school uniforms for them in readiness, and the children know of their return dates and the expectations for their attendance.

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The safety of children

The inspector was aware during this assurance visit of a police investigation into a serious child protection allegation at the home. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the home in response to the allegation were considered alongside the other evidence available at the time of the assurance visit.

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The safety of children

The manager has not investigated further concerns raised by some children about some staff poor practice. Failure to respond to these concerns does not ensure that children are consistently listened to and that the appropriate action is taken. Assurance visit report: SC438764 3 The risk management plans for the children fail to inform the staff of all risks to children and the action to reduce those risks. Therefore, there is a potential that not all staff are aware of how to keep the children safe.

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The safety of children

The children said that the home has improved since the return of the previous registered manager. They identify this manager as a person whom they trust and who helps them to feel safe. Structured boundaries and improved responses to incidents of challenging behaviour have led to a recent reduction in incidents recurring.

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Leaders and managers

The home has been without a registered manager since April 2020. Since this time, a manager who was recruited by the provider left with immediate effect following a serious child protection allegation at the home. The previous registered manager has resumed the role of the manager on a temporary basis to provide some stability for the children and staff.

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Leaders and managers

The management team, once aware of the serious child protection allegation, swiftly implemented an ongoing learning outcomes document. The document demonstrates the immediate action taken to reduce further risk to the children. These actions include:

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Leaders and managers

 auditing of all staff recruitment processes to ensure that all staff are now suitably vetted  the appointment of an independent investigator to undertake an internal investigation  ensuring that no staff who are related to each other are working at the home  reconnecting relationships with partner agencies, providing opportunities for discussions for the children and the staff  providing a strong focus on strengthening trust and relationships with the children.

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Leaders and managers

The management team’s recent decision to focus on its own and the staff team’s relationship with the children, while imperative, took away the focus on the oversight and management of the children’s records and some monitoring of the home. Children’s placement plans are not current and have conflicting information. As a result, a failure by the home’s management to ensure that records are up to date and accurate means that staff are not equipped with the necessary information.

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Leaders and managers

Decisions made during incidents have not been sufficiently reviewed and addressed due to a decline in the management monitoring. The management team is clear about the improvements required. Assurance visit report: SC438764 4 The staff access training in a variety of formats. A new training provider offers the staff access to virtual training. This enables the staff to keep their training in date and to have a better understanding of the training that is accessed.

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Leaders and managers

During the pandemic, there has been some staff turnover. However, a core staff team and regular agency staff provide stability for the children.

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Leaders and managers

The requirement and recommendation made at the last inspection have been met.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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(1)(2)(a)(i)) 11/09/2020

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 30/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC438764 5 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)) 30/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership. (Regulation 27(1)(a)(b)(i)) 02/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. 11/09/2020 Assurance visit report: SC438764 6 (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b)(d)(e)) The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 18/09/2020

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Potton Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Potton Homes, 1 Cresswell Park, Blackheath, London SE3 9RD

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Inspector

Natalie Burton, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC438764 7 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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