Children's Home run by Smartcare Services in Enfield

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered by Ofsted in April 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a registered manager. The previous registered manager resigned from the post in July 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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: 2561501 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 spoken with report that they feel happy at the home. They get on well with most staff members. They like their rooms and the food that is available. A child said, ‘I feel good. Staff are really supportive and kind.’

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The care of children

Children report having good relationships with staff. However, recently some staff have resigned at short notice. Children who had developed good relationships with these members of staff suffered instability. The changes created some distrust about the reasons staff were leaving at short notice.

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The care of children

Children understand how to complain. They say they trust the manager and can share their concerns. Staff manage complaints effectively, ensuring that children’s views are heard and their concerns addressed. One complaint from a parent was responded to and managed appropriately.

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The care of children

Children are supported to attend education and to access virtual education. Children reported engaging in fun activities over the summer period.

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The care of children

Professionals state that children are made to feel welcome when they arrive at the home. Children are supported exceptionally well with their identity and diversity needs. One child reported feeling accepted for who they were. The social worker stated, ‘The home tries to create a family environment for children.’

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The care of children

The staff have supported children in understanding the changing guidance in relation to the pandemic. The staff ensure that they allow visitors to the home in line with the government guidelines. Children continue to be supported to access specialist support virtually during the pandemic.

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The care of children

Key-work sessions are specific and targeted to children’s needs. Children are encouraged to develop new skills and coping mechanisms and are supported in keeping safe.

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The safety of children

Children and young people say they feel safe living at the home.

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The safety of children

There is one recorded incident where physical restraint was used. The restraint record did not contain accurate dates and was not overseen or signed by the manager. Any allegations against staff are appropriately referred to the local authority designating officer to be investigated. This ensures that children feel listened to and that correct processes are followed. Assurance visit report: 2561501 3 Although there is an extremely high level of incidents of children going missing from the home, staff do all they can to keep children safe. Staff regularly keep in contact with children when they are missing and debrief children when they return. However, staff do not routinely challenge safeguarding partners when return home interviews are not offered to children.

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The safety of children

There have been several serious incidents since the home opened in April 2020, which have been managed appropriately. However, incidents requiring emergency services, threats of harm to a child and one allegation of abuse were not reported to Ofsted.

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The safety of children

Children’s health needs are met. Children are supported to attend their health appointments. Medication is administered and recorded effectively.

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The safety of children

The recruitment of staff is not always in line with safe recruitment procedures . Shortfalls were found in relation to recruitment of permanent and agency staff. Leaders and managers could not evidence recruitment records effectively.

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The safety of children

New starters have not received core safeguarding training to enable them to work safely with vulnerable children. The ongoing pandemic has had an impact on training delivery as there have been limited opportunities to have face-to-face training. However, online training has not been used effectively to skill staff in working with children.

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The safety of children

Not all staff are trained in restraint and the staff rota included new staff members on duty together who had not had restraint or safeguarding training. Some staff do not demonstrate a good understanding of what action to take if a child makes an allegation against a senior member of staff. This does not help to keep children safe.

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The safety of children

The physical environment is clean and safe. Children are supported to stay safe during the pandemic. When children need to self-isolate, this is facilitated in a way that keeps staff and children safe.

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Leaders and managers

The leadership and management of the home is not effective. The registered manager left the service a few months after the home was registered with Ofsted. One of the deputies has recently been appointed as the home’s interim manager.

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Leaders and managers

Managers were unable to produce a quality of care review report as required by regulation. The failure to do so is a missed opportunity to review the quality of the service overall and to make any necessary improvements.

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Leaders and managers

Managers and staff receive supervision. However, the frequency of supervision is not in line with the home’s statement of purpose. New staff members do not receive supervision every two weeks, and the manager has only had one supervision session in almost three months of working in the home. Assurance visit report: 2561501 4 The home currently employs one permanent staff member and relies heavily on temporary staff such as agency and bank staff. Agency staff demonstrated a good understanding of the children’s needs. They report that they enjoy working with children and would welcome working permanently.

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Leaders and managers

Children ordinarily benefit from staff’s close working relationships with other professionals. However, the change of information recording systems and recent staff instability has impacted negatively on communication with professionals.

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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 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

the registered provider— is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of— the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 4 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; 4 March 2021 Assurance visit report: 2561501 5 a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")— has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the 4 March 2021 Assurance visit report: 2561501 6 measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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

The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to demonstrating safe recruitment of all staff and maintaining satisfactory information relating to staff files. 4 March 2021

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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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This in particular relates to ensuring that the staff rota includes a member of staff who is trained in restraint. 4 March 2021

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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— 4 March 2021 Assurance visit report: 2561501 7 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to new staff receiving core safeguarding training and for all staff to be effective in reporting allegations in line with the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the routine use of temporary staff to staff the children’s home. This does not allow children the stability to develop relationships and have planned endings when temporary staff leave at short notice. 4 March 2021

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 4 March 2021 Assurance visit report: 2561501 8 In particular, that the registered person ensures that staff receive supervision and training in line with the home’s statement of purpose. 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

In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 4 March 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17) Assurance visit report: 2561501 9  Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 10 Watermark Way, Foxholes Business Park, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 7TZ

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2561501 10 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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