Children's Home, Residential special school run by St Elizabeth’s Centre in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 1 Registered provider: St Elizabeth’s Centre

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a large charitable organisation and provides care for up to 52 children and young people. The home cares for children and young people aged five to 19 with complex medical needs, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy and associated learning disabilities. The home consists of eight individual houses. The children attend the on-site school.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in September 2021.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the visit was to monitor the notice restricting accommodation that was served on 12 October 2021. This visit also assessed the provider’s response to the steps set out in one of the compliance notices served following the last inspection. The visit also took into account three concerns that have been raised with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit identified that the provider has addressed all of the actions that were set out in one of the compliance notices served under regulation 12. The actions in the other two compliance notices have not been assessed and will be monitored separately.

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This monitoring visit

No children have been admitted to the home since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have provided staff with an updated safeguarding policy and clear information about how to raise a concern. This has been supported by a safeguarding campaign to raise staff awareness and ensure that all the staff understand the process of reporting concerns. Additional support from managers and behaviour support practitioners has highlighted the safeguarding procedures to the staff. Staff confirmed that they are clear on the reporting process and know how to contact a manager in order to report concerns. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 2 The management team has ensured that children are kept safe from cleaning materials that could be harmful to them. The staff have implemented risk assessments in regard to the storage of cleaning products. These are now locked away and this protects children from toxic and hazardous items.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has ensured the rota details the full names of staff working at each individual house. Movement of staff between the houses and help from the behaviour support team, nurses and managers has ensured that there are staff on duty with the relevant experience and skills to care for children and keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

The management team has undertaken a multi-disciplinary meeting to review each child’s care plan. This review identified that one child would benefit from moving to another house. The staff moved the child and included the child fully in the move preparation. The children have benefited from the changes and the incidents since have reduced.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit did identify some shortfalls. Some staff have not undertaken all their mandatory training or completed refresher training. Some staff do not have the specific training to meet children’s individual needs. This fails to ensure that the staff have the required knowledge to fully support children.

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This monitoring visit

On occasion, there has been a lack of clear communication between the health team and a community health professional. Although this has now been addressed, this led to staff managing a child’s health needs without all the required information.

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This monitoring visit

The two further compliance notices, under regulation 12 and regulation 13, and the six requirements made at the last inspection were not reviewed and will be monitored at the next visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/10/2021 Full Inadequate 28/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/03/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 4

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff maintain effective and regular communication with the children’s social workers.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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, ensure that all areas of the children’s accommodation are maintained to a good standard and that 1 December 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 5 all children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their choices and requests.

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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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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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—

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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. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the staff use children’s individual communication aids and that they seek the children’s views and wishes.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children are provided with healthy snack choices between meals and that they have a stimulating routine that 1 December 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 6 includes physical activity;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that communication between the health team and external agencies enables a clear understanding of children’s health needs.

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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

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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 November 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 22 November 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 7 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; 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)(c)(e)(f)(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 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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that all staff have completed all mandatory training;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff receive training to meet the individual needs of the children they are allocated to work with. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 1 December 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 8 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that the staff receive supervision in line with the home’s policy.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 9 The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: St Elizabeth’s Centre

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: St Elizabeth’s Centre, South End, Much Hadham SG10 6EW

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Inspectors

Natalie Burton, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2495377 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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