Children's home run by ERA Care Limited in Epping Forest

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 1 SC405985

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ERA Care 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 an independent provider. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children aged between 11 and 18 who cannot live with their own families and require support and help to manage their emotions and behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 30 November 2020. This is her first registered manager post.

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This monitoring visit

The last full inspection of the home in May 2021 identified serious and widespread concerns. As a result, Ofsted served the home with two compliance notices. This visit was undertaken to review the provider’s progress in meeting the required actions set out in the compliance notices. The inspector found that, although some improvements have been made, insufficient action has been taken to meet the steps set out in the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

There were no children living at the home at the time of this visit. The child who was living at the home previously had moved out since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

On one occasion, two staff with seven months’ experience of working in a children’s home were the only staff on duty for 24 hours. The provider was not able to demonstrate that they had satisfied themselves of the staff members’ ability to meet this child’s complex behavioural needs.

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This monitoring visit

The updated location risk assessment for the home does not identify the risks presented by the fractured relationships between the home and the local community. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 2 Although recording has improved, some important records, such as staff supervision and placement disruption meetings, are not available.

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This monitoring visit

The provider is undertaking a programme of refurbishment at the home. They have repaired the damaged door locks and replaced the damaged windows. Each of the children’s bedrooms is in the process of being repainted and refurbished. However, these works have yet to be completed.

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This monitoring visit

Historical information about children has been removed and is now securely stored. Notifications of recent and historically significant incidents have now been sent to Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The two staff who have worked for the organisation for more than a year have now had an annual appraisal of their performance.

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This monitoring visit

Although some improvements have been made, the provider has not been able to offer sufficient evidence of improved behaviour management or management monitoring systems.

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This monitoring visit

All staff currently employed to work at this home were redeployed in June 2021 to the organisation’s other home. There are currently no staff available on site to care for children. The provider does not intend to operate the home at this time. The home will therefore be subject to a condition that the provider must inform Ofsted of its intention to accommodate children at the home at least three months before any child is accommodated.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the previous requirements were outside the scope of this visit and were not reviewed. These requirements are therefore restated and will be reviewed at the next visit or inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/05/2021 Full Inadequate 02/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/07/2018 Full Good 21/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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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;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 4 an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

ensure that managers reflect on incidents and take effective action to reduce risks in the future;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that sharp knives are appropriately and securely stored and that all staff know the protocols on storage;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff are suitably equipped and able to prevent, manage and respond to difficult situations effectively and safely; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that appropriate action is taken to address fractured community relationships and to respond to and resolve incidents in the community.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 5 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the fire risk assessment and the suitability of the location assessment are consistently updated with new risks and any risk reduction measures;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children are prevented from harming each other and are safeguarded from adults and children who may harm them; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff take suitable action to prevent children from going missing from the home and respond appropriately to these incidents when they occur. 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 6 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

children receive care from an experienced, trained and skilled staff team;

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Requirement Due date

each shift has enough suitably skilled, trained and competent staff who can meet the needs of the children they are looking after and that arrangements for staffing overnight are safe and sufficient;

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Requirement Due date

staff are not required to undertake duties which are outside their competence and experience;

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Requirement Due date

incidents are appropriately reviewed to improve practice and that the review and any learning are recorded.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 7 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)) 1 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 September 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children living at the home who are not in education are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that there are clear rules and guidance in place regarding vaping. Staff should have the skills and knowledge to help children to understand the dangers of vaping and help them to stop. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notices that were served following the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 3a, The Maltings, Station Road, Sawbridgeworth CM21 9JX

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Stephanie Broderick-Fox

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC405985 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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