Children's Home run by Surrey County Council in Surrey

Assurance visit report: SC370703 1 SC370703

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Information about this children’s home

This service is owned and run by the local authority, providing bespoke packages of care and accommodation for up to 20 children who have an autistic spectrum diagnosis and/or learning disabilities. The home is split into four flats for long-term placements and short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2013.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 13 November 2019

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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: SC370703 2

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:  The investigation into a serious allegation against a member of staff failed to consider all relevant information.  The decision for this member of staff to continue working pending the outcome of the investigation was not supported by a reliable risk assessment to ensure safe care for children.  Individual risk assessments did not identify significant risk factors in relation to children and had not been updated in response to new information.  Poor management oversight of recording and practice.  The children’s bedrooms were poorly presented and lacked care and attention.

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The care of children

A large and diverse staff team care for the children. All staff have been provided with clear guidance on how to protect the children and themselves from the risk of contracting COVID-19. Staff have been involved in deep cleaning the home every day. As restrictions have eased, staff have not consistently followed risk management protocols. For example, one staff member did not encourage a child returning to the house to wash her hands. The same member of staff also did not wash their hands on entering the house, in accordance with the home’s guidance. Records of deep cleaning showed this activity stopped in August.

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The care of children

Staff speak fondly about the children and have developed trusting and secure relationships with them. They know the children well and work hard as a team to engage with the children and to keep them safe. The children have access to a range of specialist services to support their complex needs.

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The care of children

Children access education at specialist provisions. Staff support children who do not access an education provision to engage with learning in the home. This involves helping children to develop and practise independence skills. ‘All about me’ books e children to give their views on aspects of their care.

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The care of children

There are examples of good practice that help children have a positive experience of care and to make progress. For example, one child seen during the inspection benefits from clear boundaries to help them manage compulsive behaviours.

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The care of children

The assessment process to determine placement matching for one child who is visually impaired lacks detail and did not take into consideration how staff could meet her needs or that the physical environment is suitable and safe. This reduces the opportunity for this child to learn independence skill and develop to her full Assurance visit report: SC370703 3 potential. In addition the environment presented some avoidable hazards in relation to tripping, slips and bumps.

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The care of children

The condition of some children’s bedrooms and other areas of the house is poor. Some children’s bedrooms do not offer good levels of privacy from the outside, due to not having curtains and the privacy film peeling away.

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The safety of children

Allegations made against staff are not rigorously investigated. Managers failed to take appropriate action when a serious allegation was made against a member of staff. This runs the risk that poor or unsafe practice by staff may go unchallenged. As a result, children may be at risk of, or suffer, harm.

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The safety of children

Individual risk assessments for children are not updated regularly and they do not demonstrate learning from incidents. Behaviour management strategies lack not detail and are not reviewed or assessed in order that behaviour management strategies are safe and effective.

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The safety of children

Equipment in place to keep a child safe if they fall is makeshift and is not fit for purpose. The living area for another child, who is blind, is on the first floor. The lift in the home is not being used by staff and children. No permanent adaptations have been made to help the child to move independently and safely around the home without the risk of coming to significant harm. As a result, this child is isolated from other children and their freedom is limited.

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The safety of children

Guidance available to staff does not assist them to support children effectively and ensure their safety. Information available to staff to meet the children’s needs is not easy to follow. Information about children’s routines is not available for all children. This means that staff do not always apply consistent boundaries or follow the same risk management approaches.

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Leaders and managers

An experienced and qualified registered manager manages the home. The registered manager had to shield for a considerable length of time due to COVID-19. During this time the home has been managed by an appropriately qualified and experienced assistant team manager

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Leaders and managers

Managers have responded to meet the recommendations made at the last inspection. As a result, working relationships with each child’s placing authority and with other relevant persons have been strengthened. Children are encouraged more to express their views and their parents now understand who their point of contact is in the home. Assurance visit report: SC370703 4 Leaders and managers have not used an effective monitoring schedule to review the quality of care provided to children since the last inspection. Children’s plans and risk assessments remain out of date.

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Leaders and managers

Staff have not received regular supervision. Underperforming staff are not monitored and supported effectively to reflect on their practice; or to improve the quality of care that they give to children.

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 15/12/2020

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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— that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; 15/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC370703 5 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)(d))

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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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)(a)(b)(ii)(vii)(c)(i)(ii)) 15/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home;

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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 arrangements are in place to— 15/12/2020 Assurance visit report: SC370703 6 ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. Regulation 45 (1)(3)(4)(a)(b)) 15/12/2020

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surrey County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Quadrant Court, 35 Guildford Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 7QQ

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Sally Carey Assurance visit report: SC370703 7

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Inspectors

Paul Thomas, Social Care Inspector Emeline Evans, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC370703 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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