Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

Inspection report for children’s home: SC382138 1 SC382138 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

The home is run by the local authority and provides care for up to five children. The aim of the home is to make children feel safe and nurtured.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 2018 and registered with Ofsted in January 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 9 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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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 for children’s home: SC382138 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2019 Full Good 21/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/07/2018 Full Good 03/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC382138 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress at this home. Children who have experienced significant trauma and/or have complex health needs have developed positive relationships with staff and one another.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved out and three children have moved into the home since the monitoring visit in March 2021. Five children are currently placed at the home. One of these children, as a temporary arrangement, is being cared for at an alternative address by the home’s staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for the children and encourage them with their education. Several of the children attend school full time and are making very good progress. Children who previously struggled to attend education have bespoke education packages and are now engaging well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised. The managers and staff work exceptionally well with health professionals. One of the children required an operation and the possibility of this being cancelled due to COVID-19 was high. The home responded by making the home as COVID-secure as possible. The extra measures put in place and high level of care prevented the operation being delayed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Hobbies are well supported. Staff offer children a range of activities in and out of the home. Children spoke about enjoying going to the cinema, horse riding, go-karting and being taken out for their favourite milkshake. These moments are captured by staff and recorded in memory books for the children to keep.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to maintain good relationships with people who are important to them. Staff provide transport and support during the children’s visits to their families and are very welcoming to family members who visit the home. One of the children was looking forward to enjoying Christmas dinner with her family at the home on Christmas Day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage independence skills in accordance with children’s ages and abilities. One of the children recently attended a work placement and was able to successfully travel by himself. This was achieved after staff had accompanied him on the route several times to build confidence and help him gain these valuable life skills.

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outstanding

Safeguarding incidents are managed exceptionally well. All staff spoken with have a very thorough understanding of safeguarding procedures and the whistle-blowing policy. These procedures are implemented throughout their practice. The designated officer complimented staff on the effectiveness of the work undertaken. Transparent Inspection report for children’s home: SC382138 4 partnership working with safeguarding professionals ensures that the children are protected from any avoidable harm.

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outstanding

Children’s individual risk assessments are comprehensive, detailed and updated promptly. High-quality risk assessments provide staff with the necessary strategies to minimise potential dangers and protect children.

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outstanding

Very creative work ensures that the children engage exceptionally well with staff about their safety. The theoretical model incorporated into staff practice helps children to form positive healthy relationships. As a result, children who present with self-injurious behaviours experience fewer incidents of distress and, in time, they learn to manage their emotions in more positive ways.

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outstanding

Episodes of children going missing from the home are rare. When such incidents occur, staff are consistent in their practice and always prioritise the child’s safety. Staff follow the child immediately with grab bags containing vital details, including any medication which might be required. After ensuring the child’s safe return, the managers are proactive in making sure that an independent return home interview is completed. Reflective conversations with the child reinforce the importance of making good and safe decisions.

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outstanding

The home’s location risk assessment is incredibly robust. It is updated each time a new child moves into the home to include their needs and consider any potential risks in the area which may relate to them. This provides staff with the guidance to recognise any possible individual dangers and take the necessary actions to minimise them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The experienced and knowledgeable manager is supported by an equally committed deputy manager. They are strong advocates for the children and ensure that the children’s needs are paramount and consistent care is provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff have built extremely good relationships with professionals. Social workers described the communication as excellent, with no delay in the reporting of any incidents. A social worker said, ‘I judge the care given and the communication that I have had with this home as outstanding.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The dedicated staff demonstrate that they have in-depth understanding of each child and take great pride in providing nurturing care. The children benefit greatly from a stable team of staff who are attuned to their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well organised and the managers complete detailed four-weekly support plans for each child. Targets are set and robustly monitored and evaluated. These evidence the positive impact that the care has on the children’s experiences and progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC382138 5 Staff said that they feel valued and listened to and described the managers as brilliant. Staff receive good-quality supervision and appreciate the training opportunities that they are encouraged and supported to access.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in line with the ethos of the home as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. This is to ensure that children’s views are sought while supporting them to thrive and achieve. The manager has regularly reviewed and updated the statement of purpose. However, the updated versions have not been submitted to Ofsted as required. Inspection report for children’s home: SC382138 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

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)) 31 January 2022

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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 for children’s home: SC382138 7

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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

Lynne Drage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC382138 8 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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