Annex A. Request for information at a full inspection of a children’s home

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 1 SC477205

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Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to seven children. The home’s statement of purpose states that it looks after children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This visit focused on concerns about children going missing from the home and their vulnerability to becoming involved in child criminal exploitation and gang activity. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, this visit took place off site using video and telephone calls and reviewing documents. Staff, parents, social workers and children gave a combination of verbal and written feedback.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently five young people living at the home, which is based in a built-up area. The children living at the home come from the local area. This can make it more difficult to keep children safe from inappropriate relationships and unsafe influences in their community. The location risk assessment does not highlight the impact and risks for children remaining within their own communities.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s guide does not include information about COVID-19 and any implications for children on their education, activities, and keeping in touch with family and friends. It also does not explain that the home accepts children arriving in an emergency. This does not provide children with full information about the home or enable them to discuss the impact on their well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are not equipped to manage the range of needs which the children living at the home present. The staff’s training records viewed were incomplete. Without Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 2 sufficient training, staff struggle to manage the presenting behaviours of children both in the home and when out in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always follow the home’s safeguarding policy and procedures as required. Staff do not review safety plans or update risk assessments to reflect any escalation in concerns. This reduces staff’s abilities to protect children from further distress and harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers complete risk assessments on children who may potentially come to live at the home. This helps to consider if they are a good match with children who are already living at the home. Staff work with their professional network and with children and their families to identify risks and agree strategies to support them. Staff observations of behaviours have supported clear decision- making about care planning with partner agencies. A young person commented that sometimes staff felt too restrictive, saying that ‘they care too much’.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s views are actively sought and incorporated into the running of the home. Residents’ meetings are held and children’s views are fed into the staff team meetings. Staff communicate clearly with children and this is recorded well in key- work sessions. The local authority that runs this home includes children and parents in positive behaviour management plans. This provides consistency for young people in the services provided to them and their families prior to, during and after living in this home.

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This monitoring visit

Professionals speak positively about the progress made by children living in the home. One professional said: ‘Young people’s experiences are complex and not easily resolved.’ A social worker commented: ‘The staff have done their best with what the young person will allow them to help with.’

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This monitoring visit

Staff work flexibly to meet children’s needs. Leaders and managers support staff learning by inviting external professionals to share skills and experience. This promotes an involved and creative staff team.

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This monitoring visit

One of the two requirements made at the previous inspection was not considered and is restated. The home will be subject to two additional requirements as a result of this visit. The new requirements are in relation to children’s wishes and feelings and in relation to the skills and experience of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Three of the six recommendations made at the previous inspection were not considered and are restated. The home will be subject to four additional recommendations as a result of this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 3 21/08/2018 Full Good 18/09/2017 Full Good 26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 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 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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, in relation to ensuring that staff follow safeguarding policy and procedures and update risk assessments. 10 May 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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 10 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 5 Specifically, this relates to staff recruitment files sampled during the full inspection that did not include all the evidence required by regulation.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who 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

The registered person should ensure that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that permanent and sessional staff understand the differing needs of the young people and care for them effectively. 10 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that the children’s guide is updated with COVID-19 information and that emergency placements are offered and the implications for young people. 10 May 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there is challenge to placing authorities to offer independent return home interviews when children return home after being missing. This should also include creative ways to seek a child’s view if a formal return home interview is refused. (see regulations 5(c)). (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 6 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. They will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. A children’s home must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. Specifically, review the use of the door alarm which is

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Recommendations

excessively noisy and how information in the meeting room is presented. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that individual children and young people are not subject to discrimination, marginalisation or bullying from their peers by virtue of their gender, religion, ethnicity, cultural and linguistic background, sexual identity, mental health, disability or for any other reason. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.12)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand what they must do to prevent bullying, in all its forms, of children by other children or adults in day-to- day relationships in the home. Registered persons must ensure that staff have the skills required to intervene, protect and address bullying behaviours effectively.

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Recommendations

(See regulation 34(3) on the policy for the prevention of bullying.) (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.16)  The registered person should ensure high standards for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Incidents where staff are not adhering to this should be managed quickly and effectively and not leave a child vulnerable to further harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should ensure that the home reviews and updates its location risk assessment, so that children are safeguarded effectively and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these.

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Recommendations

The review should include the views of children and young people and associated stakeholders. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that a review is undertaken that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. The review should include the views of children and young people and associated stakeholders. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 7 The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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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: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX

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Inspector

Tolulope Sawyerr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC477205 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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