Children's home run by Protea Care 2 Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 1 Registered provider: Protea Care 2 Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted on 18 August 2021. It provides care for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The manager who registered at the same time as the home left soon after it opened. The current manager has commenced the application process to be registered.

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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 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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have formed positive relationships with their key workers and the wider staff team. These positive relationships are important given the children’s past experiences. Children say that they feel settled, safe and well cared for. A parent commented that her child is ‘doing well’ and is now back to his ‘happy, chirpy self’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the structure, routine and boundaries provided by the staff. This sense of predictable, consistent care is enabling children to settle and begin to explore the feelings and emotions behind some of their presenting behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children are attending school full time. One child is commencing a phased return to school. In the interim, he is being tutored at the home. Staff have highlighted to the school that the work being supplied is too easy. A staff member, who is also a qualified teacher, is helping this child to study at a level that is more stretching.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make their views known in house meetings, through key-work sessions and in general discussions. Issues raised by the children in a recent house meeting have been recorded as a complaint and are being responded to by the manager. This demonstrates to children that their voices are heard and their opinions matter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are positive about how the preparations to move into the home are managed, and about the support they get when they move on from the home. One child, who is preparing to move out, described the way staff are helping him to prepare for this move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to build and maintain relationships with their family. This includes the use of technology, such as virtual online visits and virtual tours of the home. This allows visits to occur even when they cannot be done in person.

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

Behaviour management strategies work well, which results in a decrease in incidents of challenging behaviour. Children feel settled. They have been given strategies to help them to regulate their emotions. This has led to a significant reduction in their levels of challenging behaviour. Staff are skilled in identifying situations and behaviours and intervening before these escalate to become incidents.

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

Children do not go missing from care. Their risk assessments detail the required actions that staff should take in the event that they do go missing.

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

On one occasion, medication administered to a child was not recorded. The manager followed this up appropriately with the staff concerned. This matter highlighted the need for a log of all medication that is stored and dispensed at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 4 Staff are provided with a comprehensive suite of training courses. These courses include relevant topics, such as criminal and sexual exploitation. This ensures that staff are working with current information, awareness and knowledge about issues that the children may have experienced or may face in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is working to establish a stable core team. He has ensured that children are cared for by a staff team that is diverse in age, experience and origin. This allows children to have a lived experience of difference and diversity. All staff have a good understanding of the children’s targets and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recruitment of staff involves thorough checks and a verification process. This could be strengthened by ensuring that referees are able to comment on the suitability and integrity of applicants.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good awareness of the home’s strengths. He is addressing the areas that he feels need improvement. These include a lack of detail and follow up in some reports and in recording. Family members, and professionals who provided feedback echoed this. They are positive about the partnership working and the children’s care but feel that they would benefit from some additional detail and/or information. These positive partnership working arrangements ensure that children are making positive progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are clear that the home is meeting its aims and objectives. They acknowledge that the home is still developing. It is evident that initial issues are being resolved as the home and the team develop. Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 5

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Recommendations

 Ensure that records are kept of the administration of all medication. 'Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond effectively to unexpected events. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff recruitment practice minimises potential risks to children. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 61, paragraph 13.1) This is with particular reference to obtaining relevant information from references.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that clear and accurate records are kept. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 6

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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: 2627009 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Protea Care 2 Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 317 Horn Lane, London W3 0BU

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2627009 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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