Children's Home run by London Borough of Sutton in Sutton

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604750 1

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London Borough of Sutton

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. The home’s statement of purpose states that it provides care and accommodation to up to two children who may be experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted on 9 October 2020. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the beginning.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was initially registered for one child. This was increased to two children on 7 January 2021. Two children lived at this home at the time of this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The main focus of the visit was to follow up some information from the recent notifications and the independent visitor’s report. The main concerns relate to the home’s admission process, dealing with serious events and fire safety.

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This monitoring visit

The main finding of this visit is that there are no serious concerns relating to the practice seen. The visit identified some areas for improvement. Three requirements and three recommendations are included in this report to support the home’s compliance with regulations and to further develop the practice.

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This monitoring visit

The admission process is one area for improvement. Leaders and managers reported to have carefully considered any potential impact on existing children when a decision was made to admit another child to the home. However, the records do not clearly evidence this. No risk assessment of the impact of children on each other was completed. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604750 2 Recent serious incidents at the home have raised concerns about the children’s possible negative influence on each other’s behaviours and safety. Leaders and managers worked closely with all other professionals and agencies to safeguard children. The effective multi-agency collaboration and swift actions have led to children’s increased safety.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no further incidents of children running away. Both children said that they feel safe at the home and would not go missing again. A social worker said that after the initial settling-in period the child has turned a corner. Leaders and managers are carefully reviewing the need for the deprivation of liberty orders that are currently in place for both children.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted is not always notified of significant events. This includes the allegations against a staff member that one child made. Not receiving notifications of serious events adversely affects Ofsted’s monitoring role.

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This monitoring visit

The designated officer at the local authority who deals with allegations expressed no concerns about the home’s safeguarding process. However, the records of correspondence between the manager and the designated officer shows that their communication is not always timely.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers support children to maintain and develop further positive relationships with their families and friends. However, not all staff are clear that a reduction of a planned family contact is a prohibited sanction. One child reported being unhappy when a staff member told her that her behaviour would lead to less contact with her family.

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This monitoring visit

The home has not had a fire drill. This has reduced the opportunity for the staff members and the children to practise safe evacuation of the building and learn how to protect themselves if there is a fire.

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This monitoring visit

The home relies heavily on agency staff to provide care and support to children. The only permanent staff members are the manager and the care coordinator. Children, social workers and the leaders and managers identify this as a problem. They say that the lack of permanent staff is a main factor that limits the development of relationships and further improvement of the home. Staff recruitment is in progress.

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Recent inspection history

None Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604750 3

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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

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child—

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Requirement Due date

any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications) on—

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Requirement Due date

a child’s contact with parents, relatives or friends. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff are clear about the prohibited behaviour management controls; that staff do not communicate their intention to use prohibited sanctions with any child, and do not use them. 1 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) 1 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

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)) 1 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604750 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure a closer working relationships and more efficient communication with the local authority designated officer. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.18)  The registered person should ensure that suitable staff have been recruited to work in the home on a permanent basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records demonstrate that a possible impact of a new child on the child who already lives at the home and the other way round is carefully considered, before a decision is made to admit a new child to the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Information about this inspection

The monitoring visit took place during the national lockdown that was in place due to a pandemic. The visit was entirely off site. The inspector spoke to both children and their social workers, and the registered manager and an agency staff member. The inspector also reviewed records and exchanged emails with the local authority’s designated officer for dealing with allegations.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: London Borough of Sutton

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough of Sutton, Civic Offices, St. Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1EA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Williams

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604750 5 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2604750 6 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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