Children's home run by Potton Homes Limited in Greenwich

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 1 SC393940

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Potton Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides residential care for up to five children aged from eight to 17 who have a diagnosed learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit to investigate concerns in regard to a serious incident. At this visit, Ofsted identified the following widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

 The manager has failed to investigate a serious incident during which a child was at significant risk of harm.  The managerial monitoring and oversight of incidents are ineffective.  Two serious incidents notified to Ofsted have been minimally reported. The notification records fail to capture the detail or severity of these incidents.  The environment has not been adequately maintained, repaired or cleaned.  The communal living areas are not adequately furnished or decorated.  There is a lack of communal living space and recreational resources.  A serious complaint from a parent about a child’s welfare and safety has not been recorded as a complaint.

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This monitoring visit

There are five children living at this home. One child was admitted to the home in September 2020 for three months’ respite care.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to undertake an investigation about a serious incident. This is despite requests for the investigation from the designated officer and the child’s Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 2 social worker. The investigation has been delayed for over three months. Therefore, the manager has yet to identify any learning or actions in terms of safe practice or staff training needs.

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This monitoring visit

A notification made to Ofsted in July 2020 included minimal information and failed to convey the seriousness and length of the incident. The manager has not addressed the lack of information contained in the notification. A second notification that was sent to Ofsted in November 2020 by a senior member of staff also failed to relay the severity and details of the incident. This prevents Ofsted from having a good understanding of the incidents at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The staff are guided by and implement the children’s care plans and risk assessments. However, following an incident, the staff failed to update the child’s behaviour risk assessment with some identified behavioural triggers. This means that some staff may not be aware of all the triggers that influence the child’s behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

A serious complaint made by a parent that resulted in the police being called to the home has not been recorded as a complaint. Although the police took no further action, the parent raised serious concerns about the welfare and safety of the child. The failure to log this as a complaint reduces transparency and does not ensure that all complaints are shared with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

There are numerous environmental concerns throughout the house and garden. The rear garden has long patchy grass and the patio area is full of weeds. The gates to the property’s side entrance and the rubbish store area have both been repaired to a poor standard. The games room in the garden contains badly organised resources and is untidy. The carpet is dirty and stained. The paintwork is dirty, and the sofa covering is excessively worn and has flaked off over the carpet.

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This monitoring visit

The front door frame is damaged and the hallway leading into the house has dirty skirting boards and worn trim. The lounge has recent damage to one wall that has been roughly filled. The communal television has been removed because the children could not agree about which programmes to watch. The dining room table sits six people at a time, despite there being a minimum of 12 people in the house. Meals are therefore eaten in two shifts. These shortfalls mean that the home fails to provide adequate resources to meet the children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Bedrooms are not adequately furnished or decorated. In one bedroom, one drawer is missing and in another the wardrobe doors are missing. The bathroom skirting is worn and old with peeling stained sealant that is unsightly and appears dirty.

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This monitoring visit

Overall, the environment fails to provide children with a home that is kept and decorated to a good standard. The children have specific learning disabilities and associated needs that include space in communal areas with low stimulus. The five children require a minimum of seven staff. The home is excessively busy and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 3 cramped. The communal living space fails to provide room for the children to relax or use their prescribed sensory equipment.

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This monitoring visit

Despite these shortfalls, most children are settled and attend school routinely. However, a child who has recently moved to the home is unsettled and struggling with school transport routines. The manager is trying to address this and guide staff in how best to support the child. A social worker confirmed that, despite being unsettled, the child has made good progress.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is energetic and enthusiastic. The staff take genuine pride in the children’s achievements and progress.

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This monitoring visit

The requirement and two recommendations that were raised at the last full inspection have not been reviewed and are therefore restated in this report. The action to address these requirements will be evaluated at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/10/2019 Full Good 21/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2018 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) *

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the accommodation is maintained, furnished and appropriately decorated so as to provide children with adequate communal living space and recreational resources. 14/12/2020

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 14/12/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 5 In particular, update children’s risk assessments to include the triggers that lead to difficult behaviours.

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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

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;

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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)(h)) *

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to investigating serious incidents, accurate recording and managerial monitoring and oversight. 14/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment. 14/12/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 6 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (1) (3) (5)) 14/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff work to make the children’s home an environment that consistently supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3) In particular, implement the recommendations from the occupational therapist.  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) In particular, record the rationale for using a listening device.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to investigate concerns in regard to a serious incident. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 7 This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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

Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC393940 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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