Children's Home run by Montage Services Limited in Hackney

Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 1 Registered provider: Montage Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to two children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home cares for children with emotional and/or social difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were registered with Ofsted on 17 September 2021. The first child was admitted to the home on 13 October 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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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Inspection date: 9 February 2022

Date of last inspection: 15 December 2021

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Inspection date: 9 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 9 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 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.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most requirements and recommendations from the last full inspection are either met or being implemented and are starting to make a difference. A detailed daily rota setting out expectations is now ensuring that staff consistently record their activities throughout the day. The quality of records is improving. There are now better systems to ensure that safer recruitment practice is in place. Supervision, team meetings and key-worker sessions now take place routinely.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The experiences and progress of the child are showing some improvement, but this is from a very low base. Managers accept that further time is needed to embed the recent changes so that staff can evidence that they are making a difference to the child’s day-to-day experience. The trajectory of improvement is positive.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Persistent work by staff to engage the child in activities and develop trust has had some limited success, for example short trips outside the home. The child continues to spend most of their time in their bedroom regardless of the efforts made by staff to encourage them to participate in different activities. The child’s preferred method of communicating with staff is via text and telephone. Staff are working hard to try and reduce this dependency of communication but recognise that this is a slow process. Staff have supported the child to stop smoking cigarettes; the child has now moved on to using a vape.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records show that daily activity of staff and the child centres around the purchase and consumption of highly processed unhealthy fast food. The child chooses to have most of their meals in their bedroom. Staff prepare healthier meal options in an agreed menu, but progress is slow as the child will choose unhealthy options that are readily available and prepared.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is too much delay, despite relentless efforts by the manager, to access specialist mental health support for the child. Staff acknowledge that they also require ongoing specific expert advice if they are to make and sustain the requisite changes. A review by the looked after children’s nurse practitioner is planned. Registration with the local GP is in place but a full health assessment has not happened.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child has not attended school for several years. The child is currently receiving four hours’ tuition support a week, but often refuses to engage. Staff offer additional educational activities and have reduced access to the internet during school hours, Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 3 but this is compromised by access to previously downloaded programmes on the child’s mobile phone.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Better behaviour management strategies and training for staff are leading to safer physical interventions. Two physical restraints in response to violent incidents were necessary, appropriate and proportionate. Records of these incidents are detailed and there is a comprehensive debrief for the staff and the child. Risk assessment is anticipated and assessed by staff for activities in and outside the home. Action to remove implements from the kitchen is intended to reduce injuries to staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Spending time with important family members is well supported and encouraged by staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The communal areas of the home are suitable, warm and clean. However, the child’s bedroom is very messy, the carpets are stained and there are marks on the wall where the manager believes the child has in the past stubbed out cigarettes. The challenges faced to improve the child’s bedroom are ongoing due to the child choosing to spend most of their time there.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and staff are actively liaising with other professionals to secure the specialist services that can help them meet the child’s needs. Accessing these services has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has left the home isolated and at times struggling to help the child thrive physically, educationally, emotionally and socially. Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to securing specific child expert mental health assessments and ongoing intervention to inform longer-term care planning. 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

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 who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 6 that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to enabling access to educational activity tailored to the specific assessed needs of the child. The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(c)) 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 7 This is with specific reference to the children receiving services and support in relation to their health and well- being, and being helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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: 2654620 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Montage Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony McKenzie

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Inspector

Brenda McLaughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2654620 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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