Children's home run by Personal Security Service Limited in Enfield

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 1

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PSS Care Group Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home, which is one of three run by a private organisation, provides care for up to four children with emotional/and or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The suitably qualified and experienced manager has managed this home since November 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Children have been going missing from the home. This monitoring visit was carried out to look at how well the staff manage these incidents, safeguard the children and promote their well-being. The visit was undertaken using a blended approach of on- site and off-site activity.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of the visit, two children were living at the home. Two children had moved out the week before due to serious concerns regarding episodes of going missing. The home has admitted four children and discharged six children since August 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The matching of one child with the existing children was poor. The manager identified that the placement of a child presented a significant risk to another child who was already living at the home. This concern was raised with a senior manager and the placing authority. Despite this, the child moved in on a planned temporary basis. Consequently, the staff were unable to manage children’s intimidating behaviour and episodes of going missing. The staff were unable to keep the children safe and the manager ended the placement for one of the children.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s individual risk assessments are clear and are mainly kept up to date. However, on one occasion, when a child stayed in another child’s room overnight, staff did not update the risk assessment. The staff acted appropriately in response to Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 2 the incident but failure to update the risk assessment means that not all staff may be made immediately aware of emerging new behaviours and an agreed approach to manage these.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the children who have been living at the home since August 2020 have been assessed as being at high risk of going missing. For one child, there have been very few episodes of going missing because of the support from staff. However, for some children, these risks continued until their placements ended. When children have gone missing, the staff have searched for them and worked well in partnership with other professionals to promote the children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

The building is generally safe, suitably furnished and well maintained. There are suitable arrangements for fire prevention, such as regular servicing of fire equipment. However, one child’s bedroom door did not fully close. It was also a concern that a child had smoked in her bedroom undetected by staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing levels are appropriate and there has been continuity of staffing for the children during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The responsible individual has worked at the home on one occasion. There is a risk assessment regarding this, but it is undated. The staff recruitment records demonstrate that appropriate checks are taken up. However, a full employment history is not recorded for the responsible individual, files do not record that references have been verified and one staff member’s application form was undated.

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This monitoring visit

The staff benefit from a variety of suitable and relevant training. However, two staff who have worked for the company in a children’s home for more than two years have not yet achieved a suitable level 3 qualification in caring for children. The staff feel well supported and receive regular individual professional supervision. However, the records of individual supervisions do not consistently demonstrate a reflective approach; this is particularly relevant for new staff. A concern regarding aspects of a staff member’s practice had not been shared with the manager of this home. This meant that the manager was unable to further explore these issues in supervision.

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This monitoring visit

Records-keeping at the home is not consistently robust. On occasion, records are undated, unsigned or lack clarity. The staff rota is not a reliable record of who worked at the home on a particular day. The home’s safeguarding policy refers to out-of-date statutory guidance.

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This monitoring visit

The reports by the independent visitor are not of consistently good quality or submitted to Ofsted promptly. The visitor has not always demonstrated suitable attempts to gain feedback from staff, social workers, parents or the children. This is particularly important when these reviews have been conducted without an on-site visit. The responsible individual does not document that they have reviewed these reports. Therefore, it is not possible to understand whether they have a full understanding of the quality of these reports or the visitor’s view of the care provided. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 3 There are a number of areas for improvement identified as part of this monitoring visit. However, feedback from professionals about the staff and the care and support that the children receive was positive.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit did not review how the staff support the children to lead healthy lifestyles, therefore the requirement set at the last inspection in relation to this is restated.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/11/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Good 08/08/2017 Full Good 06/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a consistent approach to addressing substance misuse. 31 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— 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

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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that: children’s risk assessments are consistently updated with new risks; there is effective communication between managers regarding any concerns about staff’s practice; 1 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 5 all fire doors fully close; the safeguarding policy refers to current statutory guidance.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children moving into the home are suitably matched with the existing resident group. 1 March 2021

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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; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

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

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) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, obtain a full employment history for every person working at the home in a care role and ensure that application documentation is dated and that references are verified. 1 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 6 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. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff who have worked in a children’s home for more than two years achieve a suitable level 3 qualification. 5 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff duty rotas are clear and accurate. 1 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. 1 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 7 The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to— HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that independent visitor’s reports are of consistently good quality, are reviewed by the responsible individual and are sent to Ofsted promptly.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful and clear recording. In particular, ensure that records are accurate, clear, dated and signed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that all staff receive supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to look at how well the staff safeguard the children and promote their well-being.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PSS Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 284 Chase Road, London N14 6HF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Frederik Booysen

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Sharn-Marie Gruender

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Inspectors

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Lianne Bradford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1228092 9 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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