Children's Home run by Evoke Care Group Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273719 1

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Evoke Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose confirms that the home provides care for children who have social and emotional difficulties. This home registered with Ofsted in June 2018. The manager registered with Ofsted at the same time.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place to address specific concerns raised in the independent visitor’s reports and in safeguarding notifications received by Ofsted. These include the quality of risk assessments and care plans, children’s education, behaviour management and medication errors.

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This monitoring visit

This was an off-site visit, in line with current COVID-19 (coronavirus) guidance. The inspector held telephone interviews with the registered manager and gained feedback from children and social care professionals. The inspector also spoke with some of the children’s family members and reviewed some documents.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this visit, there were three children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and the staff work hard to keep children safe. Risk assessments and care plans are detailed and comprehensive. Staff address and manage risks well around bullying, children going missing from the home and children being sexually exploited. Children have opportunities to reflect and learn in key-work sessions. As a result, these incidents are reduced significantly.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers, however, have not ensured that the home’s safeguarding policy captures concerns such as criminal exploitation, county lines, modern slavery, radicalisation, and risks of suicide and self-harm. No children were placed at risk of harm due to this shortfall. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273719 2 The registered manager is very proactive in encouraging children to make complaints to address any issues in the home. This helps children to feel safe, build trust and self-confidence.

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This monitoring visit

Although the child’s voice is a strong theme in the home’s practice, the managers have not always ensured that quality assurance reports reflect the views of children, staff, or parents/carers/relatives.

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This monitoring visit

The home provides good care for children. One family member said, ‘Staff really helped my grandchild to improve in every aspect.’ One health professional commented, ‘Excellent care provided by the home and this ensures children’s stability and progress.’ One child told the inspector, ‘The best thing about the home is I feel loved.’

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This monitoring visit

The home caters for children’s individual needs. One independent reviewing officer commented, ‘This was the only placement where the child has been able to thrive in their identity and become more stable in their ability to regulate their feelings.’

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This monitoring visit

Children have enjoyed a range of activities during the COVID-19 restrictions. These have included garden activities, board games, exercising, jewellery making, knitting, acting, singing, dancing, cooking and baking. Staff have created opportunities for children to be involved in project activities based on their interests.

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This monitoring visit

Staff support children in their education. Children have laptops to help them to engage in online learning. Staff support children to return to school.

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This monitoring visit

Staff told the inspector that they feel supported and that they receive regular supervision. Managers and staff have reflected and learned from the errors in the administration of medication. Further training, observation and competency tests have been put in place to address this.

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This monitoring visit

Staff commented that they feel the home has managed the challenge of the COVID- 19 pandemic well.

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This monitoring visit

This visit has led to two new requirements being made. These are about updating the child protection policies and to improve the independent visitor’s visits and work at the home. The requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection have not been reviewed during this visit and, therefore, reappear in this report. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273719 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/08/2019 Full Good 05/02/2019 Full Good 15/10/2018 Full Inadequate

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(ii)(c)) 4 June 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. (Regulation 32 (1)) 4 June 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273719 4 In particular, the home must consistently record the reasons for employment and the details regarding each staff member’s induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34 (6))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, update safeguarding policy to capture criminal exploitation, county lines and modern slavery, radicalisation, risks of suicide and self-harm. 4 June 2021

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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 (2)(a)) 4 June 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. In particular, the scuff marks on the walls should be removed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. In particular, the home should ensure that risk assessments contain further details regarding children who identify as transgender in the community. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful and clear recording. In particular, the home should ensure that daily staff handovers are recorded. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273719 5

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Information about this inspection

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 address: Sunnyhill House, 3-7 Sunnyhill Road, Streatham, London SW16 2UG

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Inspector

Gulcin Ardic, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1273719 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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