Children's Home run by Cornerways Care Limited in Hertfordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2491062 1 Registered provider: Cornerways Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home, which is run by a private company, provides care for up to two children with complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2491062 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 2491062 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last visit, in September 2020, one child has moved into the home and one child has moved out. Currently, two children live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are very happy and benefit from the stability of living at the home long term. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging. Children have strong relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them. One child said that the best thing about the home is the staff. The staff are kind and nurturing, they respect the children and this helps the children to feel valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have made good progress in all areas of their lives from their individual starting points. Both children attend education every day and engage in their learning. The staff encourage children to attend; they recognise the importance of education for children’s futures. The staff provide structure and routine to the children’s day. This supports the children to have positive and stimulating experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a wide variety of hobbies and interests in the local community. They enjoy youth clubs, football clubs, swimming and an independent living support club. Children benefit from fun activities with the staff, such as cray fishing, a summer party to celebrate their achievements and day trips to new places.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to see their families. For some children, family visits have increased to include overnight stays. One child is in the early stages of a move back home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a modern and clean home. Their bedrooms are decorated to their liking. This provides a warm and inviting home for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s independence skills improve because they live at the home. Staff encourage them to have structured free time. Children develop their skills in cooking, budgeting and personal hygiene. They benefit from learning and practising their skills to live independently.

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

Children feel safe because the staff provide them with a stable and safe home. The children can identify staff who they can speak to if they have any worries.

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

Children’s risky behaviour has significantly decreased. Children who previously went missing from home and were at risk of being exploited are safer. This is due to high levels of staff supervision and good relationships with the staff. The children engage well with external professionals to understand the risks that they were previously exposed to. Staff give children clear routines and boundaries. Inspection report children's home: 2491062 4 Staff rarely use physical interventions, and when they are used these are appropriate and minimal. Sanctions are seldom used. Instead, staff focus on positive reinforcement. Children engage well in an incentive scheme to help them to change their behaviours and make positive choices. Children respond well and have developed strategies to manage their feelings.

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

When children raise concerns about the staff, the manager takes action to safeguard the children. However, on one occasion, the staff did not report an allegation to the manager promptly. The member of staff was informed of the allegation prior to the referral to the manager or the designated officer. This failure to follow the set procedures meant that the safeguards intended by referrals were compromised.

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good

There have been several management changes in a short time. The previous registered manager left and there have been two interim managers prior to the current registered manager being appointed. The current registered manager is qualified and has the required experience. He is a positive role model and adopts a child-centred approach. This achieves good outcomes for children and enables them to have positive experiences.

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good

Staff receive training that enables them to care for the children. Following significant incidents, staff receive debriefs to discuss their emotions. However, the staff do not always respond to children’s behaviours in line with the home’s therapeutic model. This is because the staff do not fully understand the children’s past traumas or how these may emerge in current behaviours.

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good

Staff keep memorabilia for the children. The children take this with them when they leave the home, providing them with thoughtful childhood memories.

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good

External monitoring supports the manager to make improvements to the home. However, the independent person has not sought a full range of views from parents. This does not ensure that children’s parents are provided with an independent person with whom they can raise concerns.

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good

Managerial monitoring has failed to identify some shortfalls in staff recording and practice. For example, the children’s weekly and monthly reports contain terminology that is not child friendly. Some risk assessments are not updated with available information. This does not ensure that staff are working consistently with the home’s statement of purpose.

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good

The staff speak highly of the manager, the deputy manager and the wider organisation. Staff are very well supported by the manager. As a result, they are flexible and enthusiastic about their work. This means that children receive care from a consistent stable staff team. Inspection report children's home: 2491062 5 Staff team meetings and supervisions are regular and effective. These meetings encourage staff to reflect on their practice. Supervision provides a range of learning goals and supports the staff’s professional development.

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good

Professionals and children’s families spoke highly of the manager and the staff. They recognise the progress that the children have made. One parent described the home as, ‘wonderful and like a family unit’. Inspection report children's home: 2491062 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

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

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ix)(x)) 5 November 2021

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii)) 1 October 2021 Inspection report children's home: 2491062 7 In particular, ensure that the staff fully implement the home’s safeguarding policy following any allegation.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff consistently implement the home’s therapeutic model in their day-to-day work with the children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff update children’s risk assessments following incidents;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff record information about children in a manner that is child friendly. 29 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff support the independent person to seek the views of children’s parents. 30 November Inspection report children's home: 2491062 8

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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: 2491062 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cornerways Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Eastway Enterprise Centre, 7 Paynes Park, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 1EH

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Inspector

Natalie Burton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2491062 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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