Setting run by Partnerships in Care 1 Limited

Information about this children’s home

The home is dual registered with the Care Quality Commission.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to six young people. Its specialism is to provide care to young people with eating disorders and associated conditions.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a large national, private organisation. This organisation has its own clinical team.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager have been registered with Ofsted since 31 March 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

p.1

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).

p.1

Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

p.1

Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

p.1

Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

p.1

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: 2575004 2

p.1

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.

p.2

The care of children

Young people are happy at the home and feel safe. They have built trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. Young people particularly mentioned the registered manager as being an important person in their lives. Staff speak about the young people with care, warmth and pride.

p.2

The care of children

Staff work collaboratively with the home’s multi-disciplinary team and other professionals to provide a cohesive approach to the young people’s care.

p.2

The care of children

Young people are supported and encouraged to express their views. They are involved in all aspects of their care and care planning. This is seen as a key part of developing the young person’s understanding of their needs, their engagement with their plans, their therapy and the development of self-management techniques.

p.2

The care of children

Education can be very challenging for the young people. Some have been out of education for an extended period of time. Currently education is provided by the organisation at a local college. Leaders and managers at the home have identified this is an area that would benefit from improvement. They are in discussion with the organisation’s senior managers to address this.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff have a very good understanding of risk and how to manage this. Staff work with young people to develop their understanding and self-management of their risk-taking behaviours.

p.2

The safety of children

Risk levels are kept under review by senior managers. Currently, individual’s plans do not provide clear information about the arrangements for one-to-one staffing and the potential for restrictive practices to occur. In addition, consideration must be given to an application for a deprivation of liberty order in a timely manner.

p.2

The safety of children

Impact risk assessments are detailed but do not consistently contain enough information on the potential risks the current young people may present to a new young person.

p.2

The safety of children

Staff manage young people’s needs and behaviour well, especially self-harm and eating disorders. They provide a supportive and enabling environment for the young people. When restraint is used, which is rare, this is proportional to the behaviours and keeps young people safe. The quality of incident reports varies; some lack relevant detail, particularly about self-harm. In addition, there have been two incidents which were not notified to Ofsted as required. Assurance visit report: 2575004 3 Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding, their duty of care, the procedure and practice. Safeguarding records are generally of a good quality but one required more detail of the actual disclosure.

p.2

The safety of children

Young people rarely go missing. When this does happen, staff respond swiftly and appropriately.

p.3

Leaders and managers

This is the home’s first visit by Ofsted since it became registered on 31 March 2020. The manager successfully completed their registration with Ofsted on the same date and is appropriately qualified for their role.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the service. The monitoring reports produced by the manager contain a lot of detail. However, these do not consistently analyse and evaluate the work undertaken which would aid in the development of the home. Leaders and manager are using the independent visitors report effectively to improve practice.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have been working to create a homelier domestic environment by changing the medical culture and language within the home. Good strides have been made but they recognise further work is needed.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff have worked hard to reduce the impact of COVID-19. They understand the impact this has had on young people and their progress. There is a good-quality pandemic contingency plan in place.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Complaints are addressed effectively and records maintained. However, these records do not consistently state the complainant’s view on the outcome of an investigation.

p.3

Leaders and managers

Staff feel supported by leaders, managers and their peers. There is a range of support and supervision for staff which includes individual, group and clinical support sessions. Staff supervision records are not of a consistently good standard. They did not consistently reflect discussions held, or review training needs or previous actions set. Assurance visit report: 2575004 4

p.3

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.

p.4

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—

p.4

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to—

p.4

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.4

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 31 January 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, staff supervision records must be of a consistently good quality, include a discussion of training needs and record any actions required, which should be revisited at the following session. 31 January 2021

p.4

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. (Regulation 39 (3))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the records of complaints must include whether the complainant is satisfied with the outcome of the investigation or not. 31 January 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 31 December Assurance visit report: 2575004 5 a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

p.4

Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

p.5

Recommendations

The registered person should obtain a deprivation of liberty order application swiftly, when relevant. In addition, the young person’s plans must include specific details about how the young person will be supervised on a one-to-one basis.  A deprivation of liberty may occur where a child is both under continuous supervision and control and is not free to leave the home. A children’s home cannot routinely deprive a child of their liberty without a court order, such as a section 25 order to place a child in a licensed secure children’s home, or, in the case of young people aged over 16 who lack mental capacity, a deprivation of liberty may be authorised by the Court of Protection following an application under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49 paragraph 9.63)  The registered person should seek information on the risk the current group of

p.5

Recommendations

young people may pose to a new young person as recorded in the impact risk assessment requires more detail. The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56 paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that detailed records are held. Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely whilst they remain in the home. Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. Children’s case records must be kept for 75 years

p.5

Recommendations

Assurance visit report: 2575004 6 from the date of birth of the child, or if the child dies before the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of his or her death. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.3)

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Partnerships In Care 1 Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

p.6

Inspectors

Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Paula Lahey, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance visit report: 2575004 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.

p.6

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspectors

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7