Esther House

Assurance visit report: SC474150 1 SC474150

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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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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: requires improvement to be good

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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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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit. Assurance visit report: SC474150 2

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The care of children

Children enjoy living at the home and, over the course of the last few months, have settled into positive routines and are developing good relationships with staff. The restrictions in the home, as a result of COVID-19, have meant that the children have had to adapt to new ways of spending more time with staff and each other. A ‘post- COVID-19 to-do list’ is proudly displayed in the home. This has been created with the children and there are firm plans to tick off each activity.

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The care of children

Despite the anxieties caused by the pandemic, children have made progress over the last few months. Children who have left the home have done so in a planned and nurturing way. Children who have come to live at the home have been supported to settle into routines and make links in the local community, subject to any restrictions in place. More time together has meant that children have been able to talk openly about their needs, wishes and views. This has led to children exploring their identities in a safe and enabling way.

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The care of children

All children have an education placement, although attendance is variable. However, staff ensure that there are clear expectations in place for children to attend school. The provider’s school provides some educational input at the home and there is a focus on supporting children to learn and make academic, and vocational, progress. Despite periods of lockdown, children have been given ample opportunity to continue with their educational studies. This has provided children with a structured routine during some very uncertain times. For example, the organisation’s school created a project around the outdoor world and children enjoyed taking part in this activity.

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The care of children

Children make informed choices about food, clothing, activities and the day-to-day running of the home. However, when children smoke cigarettes in the home’s garden, this is not challenged or acted upon. This means that children’s health is affected and an opportunity to promote healthy lifestyles is missed. Although key- work sessions are regular, there have been no sessions that focus on the proven health risks of smoking tobacco.

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The safety of children

A child was missing during the inspection. Managers reviewed the incident with the inspector, and it was identified that there was a 90-minute delay between the child going missing and appropriate agencies being informed. The child’s risk assessment, and missing protocol, was not followed and staff failed to take effective actions as required. On this one occasion, staff were too slow to recognise the potential risk to the child. However, when other incidents have happened, they have been well managed.

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The safety of children

Sanctions are used effectively, although the recording of these is, in places, poor. For example, two children had the same sanction record. This meant that an individual record was not created and an opportunity to explore any antecedents was missed. Restraint is used very rarely and only as a last resort. Records of such incidents are Assurance visit report: SC474150 3 detailed and include the views of children. Incidents have not increased during the last few months and this can be attributed to managers and staff creating a calm and relaxed atmosphere. A social worker commented that, because of the support from staff, a child’s missing episodes have decreased significantly.

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The safety of children

There have been no complaints from children since the previous inspection in March 2020. Similarly, there have been no complaints from other parties. The registered manager has invested in building relationships with the local and wider community and local parish council. This supports children’s safety as the children feel integrated into their neighbourhood.

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The safety of children

Medication procedures remain effective and staff ensure that they follow any specialist guidance in supporting children’s health needs. Staff and managers review records and have a range of quality assurance systems in place to monitor compliance with health and safety. There are clear procedures in place to minimise the potential risk of COVID-19 to visitors, staff and children.

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Leaders and managers

The manager returned from extended leave in March 2020 and has led the home throughout the challenges of lockdown. Prior to the manager’s return, the home was short staffed and reliant on agency staff and staff from the organisation’s other homes. This led to an increase in incidents which has subsequently been brought under control. The registered manager has worked hard to motivate, enthuse and inspire staff and children. However, there are some areas that require further development.

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Leaders and managers

All staff are supervised regularly, using the organisation’s preferred template for these meetings. Although there is a range of topics on the template, the notes recorded by the supervisor lack detail or a summary of discussion. For example, on one occasion, a potential performance issue was mentioned but corresponding notes lacked detail. Another record had no discussion about safeguarding, despite there being space on the record to do so.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has ensured that all requirements and recommendations from the last inspection have been met. The home’s development plan has identified some specific areas to work on, with clear plans to address them. The registered manager can quality assure most processes and systems effectively, using the monitoring systems in place.

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Leaders and managers

The statement of purpose is a complex and, in places, lengthy document. However, a simplified version is now available for children to read if they so wish. This is an improvement since the March 2020 inspection. The admissions and discharges register has not been kept updated as required. Key-work sessions are numerous but there is no sense of direction, theme or topic. There is the potential that key aspects are not discussed, as staff are not guided towards either the child’s placement plan targets or aims of the placement. This is a missed opportunity to Assurance visit report: SC474150 4 guide staff about discussing the emotional impact of COVID-19 and any resulting anxieties that children may have.

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Leaders and managers

The home is now fully staffed, with a new deputy manager and experienced care staff having joined the team. This has provided additional skills and has helped the home to remain largely settled during the last few months.

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; and take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iii)(vi)) 30/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 30/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC474150 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should oversee the welfare of the children in their care through observation and engagement with: each child; the home’s staff; each child’s family/carers where appropriate; and professionals involved in the care or protection of each child including their social worker, Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), teachers, clinicians and other health professionals etc. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.23).

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to ensuring that there is a clear plan for key- working sessions which links to the individual needs of each child, including the aims of the child’s placement.  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).  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that

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Recommendations

reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19). This is with particular reference to ensuring that children’s records are individualised and focused only on the child to whom the record refers.  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). Assurance visit report: SC474150 6

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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

Pete Hylton, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance visit report: SC474150 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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