Children's Home run by Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 1 Registered provider: Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to four children aged between 10 and 17 years. The aim of the home is to support children’s emotional, educational, psychological and social development.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2021.

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Inspection date: 2 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 2 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team has not fully met the two requirements made at the last inspection. Two additional requirements and two recommendations have been made at this visit.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection, three children have moved into the home and three children have moved on.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The matching process for children who live at the home is of concern. The manager completes impact risk assessments which attempt to consider the children’s compatibility. However, children have moved into the home without careful consideration of the identified risks in the home’s location assessment. Full information about the risks for children has not always been shared with the home by the placing authority. In addition, the depth and quality of assessments need improvement, as they do not systematically consider children’s known vulnerabilities and risks well enough. Failure to ensure that planning arrangements are thorough has resulted in difficult group dynamics between children and periods of instability in their care and experiences.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk management plans are individualised and updated regularly. Staff attempt to de-escalate difficult situations as they arise. However, planned strategies do not contain suitable guidance for staff to successfully mitigate all risks to the children. Measures to reduce the risk of exploitation of children, substance misuse and vulnerability to going missing are not realistic and, in some instances, not possible. Managers have not reviewed strategies effectively. Consequently, these risks for children do not reduce.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safe recruitment practices for permanent staff are now satisfactory. However, managers have not ensured that the recruitment records provided by agencies for agency staff consistently contain all the required information. This increases the potential for unsuitable people to gain employment at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, several notifications to Ofsted have been delayed, and others have not been made at all. On occasions, the information contained in notifications is not clear. Failure to provide timely and detailed notifications prevents Ofsted from having a current and accurate view of how well children are safeguarded.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The house provides ample room with spacious communal areas. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in line with their interests. However, the carpet in the Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 3 dining room is rippled and worn and the paint in the hallway is worn. These issues detract from what is otherwise a well-maintained home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager makes good use of internal systems to maintain oversight of the day- to-day running of the home. A new electronic recording system has been purchased to increase the efficiency of managerial monitoring activities. However, there are delays in updating the staff training matrix. In addition, the statement of purpose is inaccurate in respect of the physical intervention training approach used. These shortfalls have not been addressed and can mislead professionals and families.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff understand the importance of education. Education plans are in place for all children and staff actively encourage children with their learning. One child has increased their education hours from when they first moved to the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team is motivated, child-focused and committed to supporting the well- being of children. The manager and the staff have established positive relationships with external professionals to help meet children’s needs. This includes working closely with the police. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 5

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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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that strategies in children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are reviewed when required to reduce risks.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the full inspection and is restated. 28 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

implement an effective system to understand the combined risks of children living together; and

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Requirement Due date

improve the detail and quality of matching assessments. 28 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 6 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is in regard to ensuring that agency staff have the required checks.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the full inspection and is restated. 28 February 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

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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 28 February 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing, homely environment. In particular, they should ensure that all areas of the home are decorated to a consistently high standard. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that internal monitoring systems identify shortfalls. In particular, ensure that accurate information is provided in the home’s statement of purpose and that the training matrix is kept up to date. (‘Guide to Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 7 the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2596906 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 9 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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