Children's Home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 1 SC379199 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home offers care for up to seven children who have been assessed as unable to live with their families and require a period of positive residential care. 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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this home on 21 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since January 2014.

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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 good

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good

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

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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: SC379199 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/05/2019 Full Good 23/07/2018 Full Good 11/07/2017 Full Good 03/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have built positive relationships with the staff team. The staff know and understand the children’s individual needs well. Living at the home continues to make a positive difference to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff provide routine and structure that help the children feel stimulated and that they have a purpose. The staff encourage positive behaviours, which supports the children to look at how they can improve their reactions. This has led to a decrease in children’s risk-taking behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s placement plans are comprehensive and detailed, and these support the staff to understand children’s past traumas and current needs. These plans work with the home’s practice model and ensure that staff are working consistently with the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff actively encourage children to engage in education. They supported children with their schoolwork during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This maintained a daily structure and reduced disruption to the children’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend weekly house meetings, which the staff use to gain children’s wishes and feelings. The staff use these meetings to discuss topics. Recently, the children and the staff discussed the impact of the racism towards football players during the European football championship. Relevant topics help to teach the children about discrimination.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have monthly reflection meetings with their staff link workers. These meetings are detailed, and the meetings focus on children’s positive outcomes and agreed targets. The staff and the children also discuss concerns and undesirable behaviours to support children in recognising their personal triggers. These discussions help to reduce incidents.

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

Safeguarding concerns are managed extremely well. The staff report any concerns appropriately. They work with a wide variety of professionals and agencies to keep the children safe.

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

The staff work exceptionally well with the children to help them to understand their individual risks. The children have strong and trusting relationships with staff, and children are able to discuss their past experiences. This supports the children to feel secure in the knowledge that the staff understand children’s individual backgrounds.

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

When children go missing from the home, the staff actively search for them and contact their friends and family. A police officer said, ‘The staff are working in Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 4 partnership with us and go above and beyond to help the children. When things have been challenging, they liaise regularly to safeguard the children. They keep everyone up to date, share information and seek advice, when needed.’

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

Risk assessments are comprehensive and individualised. Children are involved in the completion of risk assessments. The children identify their potential triggers and share how the staff can help them in a crisis. This supports the staff to work consistently with the children.

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

The staff use appropriate sanctions, when needed. They record the reason for the sanction and the outcome. However, the effectiveness of the sanction is not recorded, and the children do not routinely comment. This could lead to inconsistencies in how the staff manage the children’s behaviour.

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

The manager has sought information from external agencies to inform the location risk assessment. However, this assessment does not consider all of the risks in the area and, therefore, does not include enough risk-reduction strategies. This has not affected the children’s safety because they are well supervised by the staff, but this has the potential to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is extremely dedicated and knowledgeable. She has the necessary experience to manage the home and has a relevant level 5 qualification. The manager strives to help the children to progress in all aspects of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is approachable and accessible. She works well with the deputy manager to guide and to lead the staff. The staff team is stable, and the staff feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works hard to continuously improve the quality of care. She encourages the staff team to actively use the research that she undertakes about childcare. The use of research-based knowledge improves the staff’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular staff meetings support the staff to work consistently with the children. The meetings keep the staff updated. This ensures that the children receive responsive and consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The arrangements for staff training and staff development are effective. Staff say that they undertake training that supports their work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective communication with social workers and other professionals. The manager and the deputy manager have successfully challenged actions and plans that are not in the best interests of children. Professionals spoken to said that the manager and the staff go above and beyond to ensure that the children have the best possible care. Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 5 One requirement from the last visit has been met and one is repeated. The previous recommendation has been met. Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 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

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

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequence of the use of the measure; 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.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that records contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of the sanction.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 August 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the location review includes the identification of any risks presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 7

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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: SC379199 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford SG13 8DQ

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC379199 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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