Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC384018 1 SC384018

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Surecare Residential Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a small group run by a private provider. The home provides care for up to four children who may have experienced significant trauma in their lives, resulting in a range of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The provider operates a school nearby.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left on 7 September 2020. A new manager is in post and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the visit was to follow up issues raised in a point-in-time survey that was returned to Ofsted. The visit was conducted with one inspector on site for a part of the visit and one inspector working off site.

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This monitoring visit

There are four children living at the home. Some of the children have been at the home for up to two and a half years. The children benefit from a warm and homely environment and they are happy that they live at the home. Staff support the children well. Some of the children have become significantly safer because of the work that staff have done to help them understand and manage risk. One child said that they can see how much progress they have made since living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home has door alarms on the bedroom doors. Currently, all the children living at the home have vulnerabilities that require the use of these alarms to help to safeguard them.

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This monitoring visit

The children feel safe and listened to. There are weekly meetings for the children to share any issues with staff. One child said that these meetings provide a safe space for discussion. The children get on well with the staff. Consequently, children benefit from an environment in which they are likely to share any concerns or worries. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC384018 2 Several staff and one child have had COVID-19 (coronavirus). The staff said that this is despite the safeguards that the organisation put in place and not because of any shortfalls. The organisation is reviewing what happened to see if it can learn any lessons for the future.

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This monitoring visit

Staff like working at the home and value the support provided by their colleagues and the manager. The staff have regular supervision, which helps them to improve how they look after children. The staff feel listened to and are confident that they would be taken seriously if they needed to whistle-blow. This openness helps to keep children safer.

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This monitoring visit

Following the last inspection, the independent visitor had been seeking the views of children, placing authorities and staff as part of their monitoring visits to the home. However, have over recent months these visits have taken place virtually due to COVID-19 issues and there has not been any consultation with children or staff. Given that the independent visitor has not been able to visit the home, not speaking with children or staff significantly limits the safeguards that these visits usually provide.

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This monitoring visit

The three recommendations from the last inspection have not been reviewed at this monitoring visit. These are restated and will be explored at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/10/2019 Full Good 05/12/2018 Full Good 31/07/2017 Full Good 26/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC384018 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

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

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 30 April 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should 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)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the

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Recommendations

home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the system for rewarding and celebrating positive behaviour and recognising when children have managed situations well. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.39) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC384018 4

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Information about this inspection

This monitoring visit was to follow up issues raised in a point-in-time survey returned to Ofsted.

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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: Surecare Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspectors

Clive Lucas, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC384018 5 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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