Children's home run by Exitus Children‟s Care Limited

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have complex needs. The home’s statement of purpose states that staff provide a warm and caring environment, with a focus on building positive, nurturing relationships with all the young people they care for. The home offers planned placements and will consider emergency placements.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2017 and is appropriately experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 9 December 2019

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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. Assurance visit report: 1255095 2

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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.

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The care of children

Children say they are happy living at the home. They like their bedrooms and choose how they want them decorated. As a result, children feel comfortable and are proud of their personalised space. This helps them to develop positive self- esteem.

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The care of children

Children have positive relationships with staff. They say they feel listened to. This is because staff are excellent advocates for children. Staff liaise with other professionals to ensure that children receive appropriate support. For example, one child was excluded from college and was being home schooled by tutors. The manager advocated successfully for the child to return to college. This included identifying measures to ensure the child’s safety during breaktimes. This child is now attending college after being home schooled for eight months.

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The care of children

During the lockdown due to COVID-19, children enjoyed a variety of activities. They painted stones and wrote inspirational quotes on them. They visited castles and completed mini research projects on their local area. They also celebrated VE Day with an afternoon tea.

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The care of children

Children attend weekly house meetings. Every week they discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing restrictions. Staff help children to understand any changes or updates. These are creatively reinforced with the use of slogans.

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The care of children

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, children keep in touch with their family members. During one visit, family members did not follow the social distancing restrictions. Consequently, the manager suspended this contact. They liaised with the social worker and family members to plan for visits to resume safely. As a result, the child was able to safely maintain a positive sense of identity.

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The care of children

Staff consider children’s experiences and respond to them with empathy. One child has a progress plan to help them work towards semi-independence. They identify their own goals alongside goals identified by staff in relation to their care needs, for example, having more use of their mobile phone or more free time. To achieve their goals children complete key work on subjects such as online safety and risky behaviours. This means children enjoy having incentives while learning how to keep themselves safe.

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The safety of children

The manager and staff are knowledgeable about the risks posed to children who live in this home. Risk assessments identify risk and strategies for staff to use to keep children safe. Staff receive training pertinent to the children’s needs. This means Assurance visit report: 1255095 3 that staff are able to recognise when children are unsafe and can respond quickly to ensure their safety.

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The safety of children

One child living at this home is subject to a deprivation of liberty court order. This is due to risks posed to them as a result of child sexual exploitation. Staff have clear guidance about how to respond should they leave the home unauthorised. This child receives help during key-work sessions to understand what the restrictions mean. They also have a progression plan to safely work towards a reduction in restrictions. Staff ensure that they include the child’s views in the plan. As a result, the child understands why boundaries need to be in place.

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The safety of children

Overall, staff respond to children’s behaviour well. As a result, they are able to de- escalate behaviour without having to call the police. There has been one incident since the last inspection when a child went missing. Staff follow a clear protocol when children go missing. This means that children return to the home quickly and safely.

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The safety of children

Staff recording of incidents is not consistent and at times lack detail. This is a missed opportunity to reflect on why children’s behaviours escalate and to reflect on how staff can better respond to such behaviours.

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Leaders and managers

Two requirements remain unmet since the last inspection. Some staff do not hold the relevant qualification and continue to lack experience. There is also insufficient use of monitoring and review systems.

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Leaders and managers

Overall, the home has positive relationships with professionals and external agencies. Social workers and the police report that communication is good. They also report that the manager is a good advocate on behalf of children, one example being when it was necessary for a child to move to another home. The child displayed a very high level of self-harm, which had escalated. Professionals were very complimentary about the care and support provided to the child. Despite the child having to move, it was clear that this was in their best interests.

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Leaders and managers

Managers lack oversight of some aspects of staff practice. Sometimes, staff work alone and there is a lone-working policy in place. However, not all staff have a good understanding of the policy and do not know where they can access the policy. Managers have not identified this shortfall despite a recent increase in incidents and the need to re-evaluate this policy.

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Leaders and managers

The manager and staff complete a range of training courses to develop their knowledge and skills for their role. Training links to the needs of the children living in the home. All staff have completed training in relation to COVID-19. The manager does ensure that staff receive regular and meaningful supervision. However, the manager does not evidence how staff implement their learning. Assurance visit report: 1255095 4 The manager has a monthly monitoring system in place. However, this is a tick-box exercise. It is not robust enough to identify shortfalls in the care provided to children or to consider how staff development can improve children’s experiences.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1) (a) (b) (c) (2) (a) (ix) (xi)) 28/12/2020

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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; 28/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 1255095 5 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 28/12/2020 Assurance visit report: 1255095 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Exitus Children’s Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, 2 Woodberry Grove, Finchley, London N12 0DR

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 1255095 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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