Children's Home run by Adeza Care Homes Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 1 SC032468 Registered provider: Adeza Care Homes Limited Full inspection 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 four children. The home’s statement of purpose states that it looks after children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

This was a blended visit, carried out both on and off site. Social care professionals, staff, parents and children gave a combination of verbal and written feedback.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2020 Full Good 21/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/05/2018 Full Good 11/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s feelings, views and wishes are regularly sought and considered by the registered manager and staff. However, these are not consistently recorded in children’s records. Furthermore, when decisions are made about children’s care and well-being, records do not include children’s contributions to decision-making or how children feel about the decisions made about them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise their relationships with children. They spend time getting to know children and helping them to understand their relationships with others. Staff notice small changes in children’s behaviours and adapt their actions to meet children’s needs. Children are supported and encouraged to make good progress in all aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by knowledgeable staff. The manager has substantial knowledge of the local area and has close working relationships with neighbours, the police and local authorities. A team manager stated that ‘the home knows more about criminal exploitation, gangs and relationships than I have ever seen’, and ‘the home’s response to risk is phenomenal’. This allows staff to share valuable information about children’s vulnerabilities to contextual safeguarding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points in all areas of their lives, including their health, education and social well-being. Children can see positive changes in themselves and have built trusting relationships with staff, particularly the registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvement is required to the physical environment of the home. A number of potential hazards, such as broken glass in the garden and children having access to unsafe items in an unlocked shed, were identified during the inspection. The registered manager took immediate action to address these potential risks to children. In addition, there are no photographs of children around the home and the lounge area lacks comfortable soft furnishings. There are professional leaflets in the entrance hall and health warnings on the front door. This does not provide a ‘homely’ atmosphere for children and adds to their feeling and status of being a child looked after.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have an over-reliance on verbal sharing of information. They do not include pertinent, up-to-date information in written records, such as information about shift handovers and discussions with children and professionals. This leaves children vulnerable to potential gaps in the quality of care provided and safeguarding practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The arrangements for the safe administration and recording of medication are unclear and confusing. Information about children’s medication, such as agreed Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 4 changes to prescribed medication, is recorded in different places and not readily available for staff. Therefore, staff are not always clear about the frequency, end dates and appropriateness of prescribed medication for children. This potentially places children at risk of harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs and how to keep them safe. However, children’s risk assessments are not sufficiently detailed and do not always include contingency plans or children’s contributions. This compromises safeguarding practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff view children as worthy, interesting and valued individuals. Staff use positive behaviour management and distraction techniques to work effectively with children. The registered manager and staff are alert and respond appropriately to reduce conflict between children. Staff have developed trusting relationships with children, which has resulted in a reduced number of incidents requiring the use of restraint. Children are able to express their feelings through their behaviour in a safe and caring environment. Staff respond by helping children to make safer decisions.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have developed good relationships with children’s professional and family networks. Staff attend and actively contribute to meetings and their knowledge and observations of children help clearer decisions to be made. The positive relationships between the registered manager and staff and children’s family members help to minimise risk and support children’s development. However, a parent stated that, while they receive frequent telephone calls from staff, they ‘have never been invited to visit the home’.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Transition plans for children moving from the home are thoughtful and clear. Children are helped to acquire the skills to enable them to develop their independence. Plans take into consideration children’s timescales and abilities and include realistic expectations. Where transitions from the home occur in an unplanned way, staff ensure that children are supported well. Where appropriate, staff welcome ongoing contact with children who move on from the home.

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good

The registered manager prioritises the care of children over the day-to-day management of the home. As a result, there are gaps in the monitoring and review systems and recording practice. This leaves children vulnerable to potential gaps in the quality of care and safeguarding practice. Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive records means that there is limited information to measure children’s progress or identify the effectiveness of the care provided.

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good

Leaders and managers do not use monitoring and review systems to make improvements to the quality of care provided to children. The registered manager’s active involvement in the care provided to children means that there is a lack of Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 5 management oversight of staff practice and recording. Consequently, learning and safety planning to improve outcomes for children are reduced.

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good

Leaders and managers understand that the children in their care are vulnerable to all areas of safeguarding, including being involved in child exploitation and risks from gang affiliation and violence. However, the management review of the suitability and location of the premises does not include information to demonstrate that the provider has consulted with, and taken into account, the views of children and relevant professionals in relation to managing these risks. Clarity on all available information would increase the safeguarding measures for children.

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good

The registered manager demonstrates a genuine commitment to the children in her care and has high aspirations for them. Feedback from external professionals on the leadership of the home is, without exception, highly positive. Recent news that the registered manager is leaving the service has upset children. The responsible individual has become more present within the home and has made interim arrangements that provide continuity of care to the children.

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good

The registered manager has ambition and vision for children. Children receive positive messages about creating the life they want. The registered manager develops positive relationships with children, and she is an important figure to them. The manager works creatively with children and significant people in their lives to ensure that they are safe and have positive influences around them.

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good

Safer recruitment practice, inductions, probationary periods and annual appraisals ensure that only the most suitable staff work at the home. Staff undertake training specific to the needs of the children in their care. However, training information is not up to date or recorded well. Consequently, the registered manager is unclear as to whether the staff have the relevant knowledge and skills to undertake their roles. Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 6

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2) (c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the physical home environment needs to improve. 1 September 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

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 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

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; 1 September 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 7 regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children’s views, wishes and feelings should be evident in their records.

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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

that staff— 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(b)(d)) 1 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h)) 1 September 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 8 In particular, leaders and managers must have sufficient oversight and monitoring of staff practice and documents, such as those relating to the training matrix, staff supervision and key-work sessions.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c)) 1 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 1 September 2021

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Adeza Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Second Floor, Kestrel House, Falconry Court, Bakers Lane, Epping, Essex CM16 5BD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Deborah Pacquette

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Inspector

Tolulope Sawyerr, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032468 10 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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