Children's Home run by Zone Central Ltd in Greenwich

Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 1 Registered provider: Zone Central Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home provides care for up to six children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home cares for children with autism and/or learning difficulties, and/or complex health needs and/or physical disabilities. The service provides two places for short breaks and four long-term placements.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 30 June 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since 30 September 2021. The current manager has been in post since 10 January 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection, and one child was accessing short-break care.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was conducted on site and involved meetings with children, staff and managers. Email and telephone contact took place with parents, family members and placing authority social workers.

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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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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 2 There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 3

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 4

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inadequate

The quality of children’s care, experiences and progress are restricted by an inexperienced staff team and poor management support and oversight. This has resulted in an inadequate inspection judgement.

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inadequate

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection. However, the home is divided into three self-contained flats and one separate flat in the basement for the short-break service. All four flats operate independently, and the children do not socialise with each other. Two children who live in one flat together are not well matched and do not interact with each other. The other children do not know who else is living in the home, and staff do not bring them together. This creates a sense of isolation and confusion for children.

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inadequate

Children’s progress and engagement with education varies. Two children are in full- time education and have good attendance. One child is receiving home tuition, but his engagement with the tutor is poor. One child receives no education at all and has been out of education for some time. Staff do not provide structured routines or educational activities in the home when children are not in school. Additionally, the child that does not receive any education is no longer allowed to go out into the community. This means that the child spends most of his time in the flat without structured routines or activities.

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inadequate

Children’s complex needs and behaviours are not well understood by staff. As a result, staff are not able to support children and help them to make progress, and one child’s bedroom conditions and personal care have deteriorated. Additionally, placing social workers feel that children’s behaviours have deteriorated since they moved into the home. One child now requires two-to-one support in the community, which has not been necessary before.

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inadequate

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are not regularly obtained. Recently, some children have participated in house meetings in their own individual flats. However, the house meetings do not always seek to obtain children’s views and have been frustrating experiences for children. Additionally, staff are not using children’s required communication tools to obtain their wishes and feelings despite requests from placing social workers. Children’s complaints are not recorded on all occasions. This leaves children feeling unheard, and they have no sense of what action is being taken to address their concerns.

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inadequate

Children do not receive a debrief after restraint has been used. This limits support for children at a vulnerable time. Additionally, records of restraint do not give sufficient details about who is present during the incident. This does not ensure that there is robust oversight and monitoring of the use of restraint. Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 5 Children are not offered activities. Although children have activity planners, these are not being used in practice. Feedback from placing social workers also highlights this as a concern. One social worker reported that one child did not go out at all during the last half-term break and had no access to an outdoor space. Another social worker has repeatedly asked that staff take a child swimming, as this is his favourite activity, but this has not happened. The quality of children’s day-to-day experiences are limited, and children are not being given the opportunities to have

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

Safeguarding practice is inadequate. Staff, leaders and managers failed to report and act on a serious safeguarding concern involving two children. They did not report this to the placing authority, Ofsted and relevant others. Additionally, they failed to implement appropriate safeguards and sufficient risk management strategies to keep children safe. Due to the home’s poor recording and management oversight, it is unclear if there have been further safeguarding incidents involving the two children.

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

Children’s risk assessments are not regularly reviewed and updated. Furthermore, risk assessments do not consider all safeguarding risks to children, such as child sexual abuse or exploitation. As a result, staff are not aware of known and potential risks to children in order to safeguard them effectively.

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

One child has put themselves and others at risk in the community when supervised by staff. Due to staff’s lack of experience and poor planning, the child is no longer allowed to go out into the community. This is because the placing social worker is not confident that staff have the skills to keep the child and other people safe.

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

Staff lack a full understanding of children’s needs. Staff’s ability to meet children’s individual complex needs is limited due to their lack of experience and insufficient training. As a result, children are not receiving individualised care and support to help them, meet their needs or to keep them safe. Additionally, key-work sessions are not taking place.

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

Children lack clear and consistent boundaries. Due to the high use of agency staff and changes in the leadership and management of the home, children are not receiving consistent care and support. Placing social workers feel that this is having a detrimental impact on the children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management of the home are inconsistent and confusing. The current manager and responsible individual who are both new in post are the third managers of the home since it opened nine months ago. As a result of several management changes, children’s records have not been maintained. There has been poor management oversight of practice and poor communication with professionals. Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 6 Succession planning is lacking and there is no deputy manager. Leaders and managers are not always present in the home to offer advice and guidance. Therefore, decision-making at vulnerable times, such as at the weekend, is left to inexperienced staff who lack any form of management training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff turnover is high. As a result, the home relies heavily on agency staff. On several occasions, more than half of the staff on duty have been from an agency. This presents inconsistency and confusion for children. One child said, ‘Random people are always coming in and out of the flat.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not receive regular supervision of their practice. Some staff reported that they had only received supervision once or twice in the nine months that the home has been open. As most staff do not have experience of working with children, they require additional supervision, training and support, which are not being provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Recording systems are poor. Children’s records do not reflect the child’s journey. Additionally, inappropriate language is used in some of the children’s records. This demonstrates staff’s lack of understanding of children’s needs and behaviours, and poor management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff training is not sufficient to meet the specific needs of the children in their care. Additionally, not all staff have completed mandatory training. This limits staff’s ability to understand and respond to children’s complex needs and behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The workforce development plan is insufficient. It does not give details about the frequency of staff supervision or staff qualifications. This limits a full evaluation of the training and development needs of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is currently exceeding the 75-day allowance for short breaks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted has not received the independent monthly monitoring reports required under regulation 44 since November 2021. This limits external oversight of the home and has limited the preparation for this inspection. Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 7

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 8 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 9 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate

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Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix) (3)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 10 The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 11 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children should be provided with structured routines during school hours when they are not in education. 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

8 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 12 The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are receiving supervision on a regular basis.

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(vi)(vii)(c)) 8 April 2022

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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)) 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (7)(a)) 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

In the circumstances set out in paragraph (2), these Regulations apply in relation to a child with the modifications set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5.

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Requirement Due date

the child is placed in a series of short-term placements within children’s homes ("short breaks"), and— 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 13 the short breaks to date do not exceed 75 days in total in any twelve-month period. (Regulation 52 (1) (2)(b)(iii))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that no more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home, should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16. The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. The workforce plan should detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff,

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Recommendations

including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff should understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2634929 14

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Zone Central Ltd, 4 Cedar Park, Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne BH21 7SF

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Patricia Jarrett

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Inspector

Leanne Grant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2634929 15 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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