Children's Home run by Norwood Ravenswood in Barnet

Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 1 SC010415 Registered provider: Norwood Ravenswood Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A charity runs this home. It cares for up to nine children. The home provides both long-term residential care and short breaks for children with disabilities, including children with autistic spectrum disorders.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 5 October 2018.

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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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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/07/2019 Full Good 21/05/2018 Full Good 22/06/2017 Full Good 07/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good, individualised care from staff who understand their needs well. Children benefit from their positive experiences in the home and make good overall progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s disabilities are not a barrier to their safe participation in a wide range of activities. Activity planners set out children’s activities in the home, such as messy play, finger painting, beauty sessions, arts and crafts, story time and sing-along sessions. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, children have continued to take part in community activities such as trips to the local parks and shops. As the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lift, staff plan to resume children’s trips to historic places and landmarks, gardens, museums and bowling.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Many children who use this service are non-verbal. Staff know the children’s communication styles well. Staff respond promptly to children’s facial expressions, gestures and pointing. Children’s use of eye gaze technology also helps staff understand children’s wishes and feelings. Staff ensure that children’s daily routines are maintained in the home, for example lullabies at bedtime and sing-alongs at bath time. One social worker said, ‘I have found the staff to be responsive and person centred in respect of the children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s cultural identities are promoted and celebrated. With the help of technology, a child listens to a transcript of his bible at bedtime. This helps the child settle at night. Staff also plan cultural celebrations for the children. These include Eid, Divali, and the Jewish Sabbath on Fridays. On the Sabbath, children and staff enjoy a ‘family roast’ meal together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to give feedback about their time in the home. Staff promptly action children’s preference requests, such as a night-time bath, a favourite snack or a particular picture in their bedroom. Children’s keyworkers meet parents annually to review and update their child’s needs, risks and health plans. This helps to ensure that staff’s individualised care and support remain effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The building is suitable for the care and accommodation of children. The home is a welcoming environment with children’s large art displays on the walls alongside photos of the staff and children. Children’s bedrooms are comfortable and suitably equipped and furnished to meet their social and mobility needs. Children’s bathrooms have recently been upgraded. The registered manager plans to continue to redecorate and refresh some areas of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the inspection, the inspector found a food item in the fridge stored incorrectly. This item did not present a health hazard to the children. However, this Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 4 was a missed opportunity for using daily health and safety checks to help to reduce risk.

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

The members of the experienced staff team understand the children’s complex behaviours. Children’s positive behaviour support plans set out the strategies to manage any challenging behaviours. Staff’s use of de-escalation techniques is effective. As a result, staff do not use physical restraint to manage complex behaviours.

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

Staff complete children’s risk assessments and identify strategies to minimise those risks. Children’s risk assessments are comprehensive and help staff to keep children safe from harm. Every child has a personal emergency evacuation plan should there be a fire or other emergency in the home. Access to the home is via two secure keypad door locks.

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

When night-time surveillance monitoring is used this is proportionate to safeguard children. These safeguard measures have the full approval of a child’s placing local authority and their parents.

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

Staff shift handovers are thorough. These discussions help to ensure that staff understand their specific responsibilities during the shift, such as the children’s specific needs.

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

Staff recruitment is robust. This helps to ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with the vulnerable children in this home. Staff spoken with know when and how to report any safeguarding concerns. The majority of the staff team have a suitable residential children’s home qualification. Other staff are awaiting enrolment which is within regulatory timescales.

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

Staff record-keeping requires improvement. The inspector found some inconsistencies and shortfalls in children’s records. Not all staff had signed a child’s updated care plan or a child’s updated health plan in line with the home’s policy. A member of staff had some difficulties describing a child’s health condition to the inspector. Despite this, the inspector found no evidence that these shortfalls have placed children at an increased risk.

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good

Staff loyalty is a strength of the home. Leaders and managers support and encourage staff career progression in the home. The registered manager is an example of this nurture, having started work as a support worker in the home. Staff say that the registered manager provides them with consistent and professional support. A member of staff said, ‘I love this place. It is a privilege to work here, and I enjoy coming in every day.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 5 The registered manager and staff team work closely with families and other professionals. Staff attend and contribute on behalf of the children to their relevant review meetings, and the registered manager helps families to find further support for their children. A parent said, ‘The manager is amazing and the staff are lovely.’ The registered manager has plans to increase the regularity of parent feedback in order to further improve the service.

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good

The leadership and management of the home requires further improvement to be good. The home has not been operating in line with their statement of purpose as a short break and day care service only. Three children have remained living in the home after initial emergency placements. These children’s moving on plans have been delayed and extended by the placing authority for various reasons.

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good

The registered manager has met all the requirements set at the last inspection. However, an outbreak of COVID-19 in the home was not notified to Ofsted in line with regulation, and the children’s register does not meet regulatory requirements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 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.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b) (5)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 28 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 7 In particular, the registered person must notify Ofsted of any outbreak of COVID-19 among the children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s health plans and updated care plans are signed by the relevant staff. 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statutory provision (if any) under which the child is accommodated is recorded. 28 February 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should comply with the relevant health and safety legislations, particularly in relation to safe food storage. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant knowledge in relation to children’s health needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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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, Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 8 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: SC010415 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Broadway House, 80–82 The Broadway, STANMORE, Middlesex HA7 4HB

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC010415 10 regulates and inspects 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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