Children's Home run by London Borough of Sutton in Sutton

Inspection report children's home: 2604750 1 Registered provider: London Borough of Sutton Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home. The home’s statement of purpose states that it provides care and accommodation to up to two children who may be experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home and the manager registered with Ofsted on 9 October 2020. The home was initially registered for one child. This was increased to two children on 7 January 2021. At the time of the inspection there was one child living in the home.

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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 4 February 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 requires improvement to be 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: not applicable Inspection report children's home: 2604750 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report children's home: 2604750 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the home’s first full inspection since it opened in October 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The initial progress and experiences of children between October 2020 and July 2021 were impacted by staffing instability and a physical environment that needed significant renovation. Staff and children experienced many challenges during this period. This led to children moving out of the home prematurely. Leaders and managers took the decision to close the home in July 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have taken learning from their experiences and have made significant change across many aspects of the service. The home subsequently underwent a full refurbishment and admitted one child in January 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have improved their systems and processes for matching children to the home and to staff skills. These new systems resulted in good planning and evaluation in preparation for the child’s arrival. As a result, the child has benefited from very good transition planning. This has helped the child settle into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers have invested in significant renovation to the property. As a result, the physical environment is safe, well decorated and comfortable. The child enjoys being in the home and has added personal touches to his bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child benefits from regular and individualised key-work sessions. He is encouraged to share his views and engage in decisions about his life. Consequently, the child feels listened to and is developing relationships with staff in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders, managers and staff have a strong focus on the child’s education. They support the child to manage his behaviour in school and encourage his regular school attendance. Staff regularly explore and address barriers to attendance to support the child’s engagement in education and to help improve outcomes for him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage and support the child to spend time with his family. They have supported the child to keep in touch with important family members and helped him to rebuild relationships with other family members in a safe way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders, managers and staff champion culture and diversity. They support the child to have a sense of his own identity and celebrate and learn about other cultures. This helps the child to develop a positive self-view and a sense of respect for others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

CCTV cameras in communal areas (except for bathrooms and bedrooms) are used for staff learning and the potential management of allegations. This does not accommodate the children's and visitors' need for privacy, nor does it support the provision of a nurturing home environment Inspection report children's home: 2604750 4 Staff restrict the child’s access to the kitchen at night. However, this action is not proportionate to the risks posed to the child.

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improvement to be good

Many aspects of the home’s safeguarding practices are effective in promoting the child’s safety. However, the quality of records, including risk assessments and behaviour management plans, requires improvement to be consistently good.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans do not demonstrate that the manager and staff have explored all known risks to the child in a meaningful way. They do not specifically address any risk of harm or evaluate the risk level. Furthermore, they do not set out how staff should respond to and manage these emerging risks. This does not demonstrate proactive and effective safeguarding practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff respond appropriately when the child is suspected of smoking in his bedroom. However, the child’s risk and behaviour management plans have not been updated to reflect this new risk and how it will be managed. This compromises staff’s ability to safeguard the child and does not help staff to provide a consistent approach to managing this risk-taking behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Records relating to the child sustaining an injury do not include information about what first aid or medical treatment the child was offered. This does not demonstrate that the child was provided with the necessary help and support following the injury. Furthermore, this compromises the manager’s oversight and monitoring of staff practice and the child.

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improvement to be good

There have been no allegations made against staff since the home reopened. Staff receive training on managing allegations against professionals. However, two staff members do not demonstrate a good understanding of what to do if an allegation is made against a manager. Furthermore, they do not demonstrate a good knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures. This does not ensure that staff are able to respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns relating to other staff and managers.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of what action to take if a child goes missing from care. However, proactive measures in line with local safeguarding procedures are not yet in place. For example, staff are yet to complete a missing-from-care grab pack for the child, despite this being identified as a requirement.

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improvement to be good

Staff focus their efforts on building positive and meaningful relationships with children. This child-centred care helps children to feel safe and know that people care about them. The child informed the inspector that he felt safe and that he has trusted adults in the home. Inspection report children's home: 2604750 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified registered manager. Since the home closed in July 2021, the manager has focused strongly on improving the physical environment, recruiting staff, developing the staff’s skills and creating a strong team culture. The home is staffed by a committed and diverse staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have high aspirations for children. They have developed a strong learning culture and always strive to do better. Leaders and managers have demonstrated a commitment to take swift action to address the shortfalls identified at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported. They benefit from regular supervision, team meetings and group supervision. Additionally, staff benefit from undertaking relevant training and therapeutic intervention to explore challenging behaviour. This supports staff to meet the needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team have a sense of pride and are invested in the home, following the home’s renovation and a period of staff development. One staff member said, ‘Now that the home has had all its renovations, staff have been able to put their touch on picking colours and accessories for the home. It no longer feels just like a workplace but also a cosy home too. It has been amazing to be a part of that and when showing people around, having a sense of pride in the building.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work very well with other agencies and carers to support the day-to-day care of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers actively and regularly monitor staff practice and the quality of care provided to the child. This has helped leaders and managers to continue to make improvements. For example, leaders and managers realised that the recording systems were not fit for purpose. Consequently, they took action to replace and improve the existing recording system. As such, a requirement has not been made in relation to the improvement of recording systems at the home. Inspection report children's home: 2604750 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

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the use of CCTV cameras in internal and communal areas of the children’s home. 25 March 2022

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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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(b)) 25 March 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2604750 7 In particular, risk assessments and behaviour management plans should be up to date and demonstrate that staff identify, review and explore risks and their impact on the child. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans should also provide staff with clear strategies to manage risk.

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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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v) and (vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that staff are familiar with the home’s whistle-blowing procedures and have a good understanding of what to do if a child makes an allegation against a senior staff member. 25 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff follow the statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care. Furthermore, children should have missing from care grab packs in line with locally agreed protocols. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.25)  The registered person should ensure that just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home including the kitchen unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Recommendations

Inspection report children's home: 2604750 8

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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: 2604750 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough Of Sutton, Civic Offices, St. Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1EA

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Williams

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2604750 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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