Children's Home run by Fonjock's Social Work Practice Limited in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 1 Registered provider: Fonjock’s Social Work Practice Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to three children. All children have experienced trauma or abuse.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 18 August 2020.

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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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Information about this children’s home

Four monitoring visits took place on 2 February 2021, 3 March 2021, 6 April 2021 and 15 April 2021. The reports are published on the Ofsted website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 3 March 2021, a monitoring visit took place. A compliance notice was served in relation to the protection of children standard. A notice restricting the accommodation was served on 5 March 2021.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 6 April 2021, a monitoring visit took place. Improvements had been made and the notice restricting the accommodation was lifted.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 15 April 2021, a monitoring visit took place. The findings were that the compliance notice was met. Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 3

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 4

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improvement to be good

The staff, generally, have a good understanding of the needs of the one child who recently moved into the home. The staff have quickly put in actions which are helping this child to settle. However, the registered manager failed to demonstrate good safeguarding of children in the community. This means that staff are taking action to protect the children appropriately regardless of the manager’s leadership.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers make appropriate plans for a child to move in. They consider a child’s holistic needs and how they can meet these before the child arrives. A social worker team manager said that the staff had been curious and helpful in supporting the child to move in. The child said that the staff had been welcoming and this had made it a ‘good move’.

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improvement to be good

The staff have developed their plan to meet a child’s health needs, which meets the requirement made at the last inspection. They plan well for children eating healthy meals, and model this in their own behaviours. The staff now challenge other professionals if they are not meeting a child’s health needs. For example, they have requested a review of a child’s medication.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to see the positives in education through small, manageable daily sessions. This approach is motivating the child to develop an interest in learning when previously he did not.

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improvement to be good

The child’s views are valued and are considered. He said that he can say what he thinks to the staff and that they listen to him, as well as acting on his views. The child has access to an advocate who helped him put his views forward at his review.

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improvement to be good

Professionals say that the staff sometimes found it difficult to engage a previous child in meaningful activities. However, the current child is being offered a range of activities and community-based interests which he is considering, such as go- karting.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the arrangements in place for the child to spend time with his family. They recognise the importance of supporting parents’ relationships with children. However, they have no formal training about working with parents.

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improvement to be good

Staff, generally, have a good understanding of the safeguarding concerns and act on these appropriately. However, in one instance, the registered manager did not take appropriate action to prevent risks to the child. The responsible individual took Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 5 immediate action to address this concern, which did not result in any harm to the child.

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improvement to be good

Most of the staff team understand safeguarding risks for the child regarding gangs and county lines. However, one member of staff’s knowledge and understanding led to the safeguarding concern detailed above.

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improvement to be good

Details of all the actions taken in respect of a safeguarding concern are not recorded. Without this full information, leaders and managers are not able to fully assess the quality of safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

The staff are inquisitive about what is happening for the child. They talk with the child about difficult matters when he is most receptive. This helps staff know how they can support him and builds good relationships between the child and the staff.

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improvement to be good

The staff learn from past experiences of managing children’s behaviour and use this knowledge to consider how to care for the child currently living there. Meetings held when there is a change of shift are used well to consider the child’s needs and what works well with him. The whole team met to review and to consider what worked well and what did not when a child left. This approach has assisted the staff to talk together about their care practices and to think about how they can consistently meet a child’s needs and keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

Physical restraint was used twice on a previous child since September 2021. Staff are trained in the use of restraint. However, the home’s behaviour management policy states that physical restraint will not be used. Leaders are currently reviewing policies in place so that they reflect actual staff day-to-day practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers judgement is primarily inadequate because the registered manager failed to model good safeguarding practice to staff. For example, she dropped a child off at an unknown address in the community without knowing who he was visiting when he was new to the home and at high risk of exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have also failed to ensure that all aspects of the service are monitored appropriately. For example, managers have not ensured that risk assessments are quickly updated when there is new information. This means that the staff may not have the right detail to follow. This omission increases the potential for the staff to provide inconsistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are sufficient staff to meet children’s needs. Staffing sufficiency has previously been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and several staff have left the home’s employment during the year. The staff are concerned that these issues have affected their ability to work as a team to provide consistent care for children. Managers are aware of staff’s concerns and are undertaking a review of staffing arrangements. Two new staff have been recruited and are due to commence work in September Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 6 2021. To support better communication with staff, the responsible individual has created a monthly newsletter to keep the staff informed about organisational developments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A structured online staff training programme has continued throughout the COVID- 19 pandemic. The training plan reflects standard and specific training which meets children’s needs and is beginning to include more face-to-face training opportunities. The requirement made at the last inspection about staff receiving training in ADHD and self-harm are met. This ensures staff have knowledge and understanding in these specific areas of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have access to ligature cutters in case of a serious incident. However, they have not received training in how to safely use the cutters. Leaders removed the cutters during the inspection to avoid any risk of staff using them incorrectly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff support systems are clear and are used well. The staff receive regular supervision which they appreciate. The quality of reflective practice and of the detail of supervision records is very good. Senior managers monitor the content of supervisions sessions and act quickly to resolve any issues noted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Where concerns about staff practice are found, managers follow their disciplinary procedures well. Leaders support an open culture within the home, and staff feel able to report concerns. Staff are also confident that senior managers will respond appropriately to their feedback. One member of staff praised how the responsible individual had supported her after she raised a concern. Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 7

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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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff maintain a full chronology of all actions taken in respect of a safeguarding concern. 10 September

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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

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; and

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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)(a)(h)) 10 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. 10 September Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 8 (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that all staff undertake ligature cutter training.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4)) 10 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (2)) 10 September

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Recommendation

 The registered person should review all staff’s understanding about working in partnership with parents and provide any relevant training necessary to all staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.6)

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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: 2585102 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fonjock’s Social Work Practice

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Orchard House, 1 Old Convent Orchard, Bury St. Edmunds IP33 3PQ

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Inspector

Ruth Coler, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2585102 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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