Children's Home, Residential special school run by St Elizabeth’s Centre in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 1

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St Elizabeth’s Centre

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a large charitable organisation and provides care for up to 52 children. The home cares for children aged five to 19 with complex medical needs, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, and associated learning disabilities. The home consists of eight individual houses. The children attend the on-site school.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted conducted a monitoring visit in February 2021 following concerns raised by a third party regarding one of the individual houses. Ofsted served a compliance notice in relation to the leadership and management of the home as a result of the visit findings.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to review the provider’s actions in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notice. The scope of the visit also included reviewing further concerns raised by a third party. The visit combined on-site and remote inspection activities. The on-site activities included discussion with the registered manager, senior management team and staff, observations of the children and a review of records. The remote activities included review of information and a discussion with a social worker.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has implemented a detailed action plan. The plan includes monthly visits for each house by independent visitors, a newly appointed safeguarding auditor and additional support from the positive behaviour support team. These actions provide improved guidance and direction for the staff to manage the children’s behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The format of incident recording forms has improved. The forms now lead the staff to include details of their actions, information about the events leading up to the Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 2 behaviour and the outcome of the incident. However, the way in which the staff record the information is not easy to read and is unclear. Consequently, this makes it difficult to review incidents and the records would be confusing to a child, should they wish to read their records in the future.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has updated the children’s anti-bullying risk assessments and behaviour support plans and increased staffing at night for one child. The staff have intervened during bullying incidents to keep the child safe. However, despite the revised strategies and implementation of plans, the child is still at times being targeted by other children. Following a multi-disciplinary meeting, to keep this child safe, the manager has established a plan to move two of the children into another home within the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

A child who recently moved into one of the houses does not have a comprehensive care plan and behaviour support plan. There is a lack of information in the plans and there are contradictions in the child’s care plan about their communication needs. This shortfall means that the staff are not provided with consistent guidance to support the child.

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This monitoring visit

The staff feel supported by the management team and they know who they can report any concerns to. However, some staff do not receive supervision in line with the home’s policy. Supervisions do not always include the well-being of the staff or reflection on practice. This could mean that staff are not provided with formal opportunities to raise issues or identify ways in which they can improve their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Although some additional shortfalls have been identified, the provider has met the steps set out in the compliance notice in relation to leadership and management of the home. One requirement that was made at the last assurance visit, in respect of gaining children’s views, was not looked at during this visit due to the focus on the compliance notice.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 28/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/03/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that children’s care plans and behaviour support plans are sufficiently detailed. 15 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 4 help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the staff receive supervision in line with the home’s policy. 15 April 2021

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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, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the progress that the provider has made in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notice and to review concerns raised with 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

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Elizabeth’s Centre

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Provincialate, 29 Tite Street, London SW3 4JX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sister Veronica Hagen

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Inspectors

Natalie Burton, Social Care Inspector Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 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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