Children's Home run by Momentum Residential Care Home Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 1 Registered provider: Momentum Residential Care Home Limited Full 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 who may have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since September 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

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 20 January 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 3

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inadequate

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living at the home. One of the children moved into the home one week before the inspection. One child has lived at the home since August 2021 and the other child since September 2021. Another child moved into and out of the home within four weeks of her placement starting. This was due to unforeseen risks posed to the child in the local area.

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inadequate

Planning for the child who moved into the home in April 2022 was initially positive. She was visited by staff and was able to visit the home. However, her move was not overseen by a manager with a good knowledge of the home. A team leader completed a risk assessment for the child but did not share the information with the staff team. There was no evidence of managerial oversight of the risk management. The manager was unable to locate a risk assessment for the child until the second day of the inspection. The assessment did not explore all known risks to the child and had not been shared with staff.

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inadequate

The group dynamic risk assessment failed to consider the impact of each child’s needs and behaviours on each other. Therefore, the move to the home for the new child has not been suitably assessed.

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inadequate

The environment for the children is poor. One communal room is in a poor state of decoration. The room is being used for the storage of a child’s belongings which clutter the room and restrict the space that the children can use. Several of the walls in the home have been repaired, however, they have not been repainted. There is damage behind the living room door and a spindle missing from the banister. This lack of attention to the home does not encourage children to take pride in their environment.

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inadequate

One child has 15 hours a week alternative education. One child has no formal education; they receive home tutoring. Staff participate in multi-agency meetings to review plans and advocate for children to access their right to education. Currently, staff are working with external professionals to access an education provision in the local area for the other child. Staff plan activities for children who are not in full-time education to provide them with learning opportunities.

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inadequate

Staff encourage children to access activities that they enjoy. The children spoke about enjoying activities such as fishing, going to the cinema, the local park and the beach. One child has been on holiday with the staff and there is a plan for a child to go camping. Children have varied experiences, which support their confidence and emotional well-being. Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 4

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

Managers have failed to identify hazards and risks in the environment. The communal room has a dip in the floor, which is a trip hazard. Broken tiles were seen in the flower bed and two unsecured ladders were being stored in the garden. This poses a risk of harm to vulnerable children.

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

Managers have not followed the home’s safeguarding policy. A concern involving an external professional was shared with the child’s social worker. However, managers did not notify the local authority designated officer (LADO) of these concerns. Managers failed to demonstrate an effective understanding of safeguarding the child.

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

A separate concern raised by a child was reported by managers to the LADO. However, there was no evidence of the internal investigation that should have taken place. A member of the management team told the inspectors that the record of the investigation had been lost. Lack of clear and transparent recording of action taken means that there is no audit trail of decision-making or lessons learned or follow-up with staff members. This does not protect children or staff.

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

There have been two recorded restraints. One of these was managed by the deputy manager. There was no oversight of the incident by a higher-level manager. There was no evidence of a debrief with the child concerned or evaluation of the effectiveness of the hold. The inspector discussed the second record of restraint with a member of the management team, who said that restraint had not been used. However, the record had not been reviewed to reflect this. Lack of effective monitoring of restraint records means that there is no oversight of staff practice and that inaccurate records are kept.

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

One child has a behaviour management plan that states he may need to be physically restrained in certain circumstances to keep him and others safe. However, out of 17 staff, only four are restraint trained. Therefore, for most shifts, there are insufficient trained staff available to physically restrain in line with the behaviour management plan.

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

The frequency of a child going missing from the home has reduced. However, there is no evidence of return home interviews taking place or debriefs with the child.

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

Managers have failed to review a sanction record or speak to the child about it. This was a shortfall that was raised at the last inspection. This lack of oversight means that managers cannot assure themselves that sanctions are proportionate and effective. Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to provide effective oversight and leadership of the home and staff’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has not had a registered manager since September 2021. In the absence of a manager, the home has been overseen by the deputy manager and the responsible individual. However, the management roles are not well defined and this is confusing for staff, meaning that there is a lack of management accountability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new manager started at the home in April 2022; he is currently in the process of submitting his application to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not ensure that documents are reviewed and updated. The admissions record had limited information about children and no information about the child who had moved into the home recently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Two external monitoring reports since the last inspection have been brief and have not covered relevant areas of care and welfare for children. The independent person has not spoken with children and parents about their experiences of the home and only one external professional has been consulted. The reports lack rigour and do not identify hazards at the home or issues in the environment. In addition, the reports are not submitted to Ofsted within a reasonable time frame.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers liaise with external professionals to discuss the children’s emotional well- being and therapeutic needs. However, the home is not operating in line with its statement of purpose. Staff are not trained in line with the therapeutic approach as set out in the statement of purpose. There are no therapeutic project workers who work with the children, as proffered in the statement of purpose. Therefore, the children are not receiving the quality of therapeutic intervention that the home says that it provides. This is misleading to commissioning bodies and placing authorities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they receive regular supervision. However, supervisions fail to identify staff’s individual training needs. This is particularly important because seven staff are still in their probationary period and no staff hold a relevant level 3 qualification. Although they are not out of timescale, this means that the staff team has limited experience. Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need, in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that repairs are made promptly to the communal chill-out room and the lounge, and that the garden area is tidied. 20 May 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 28 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 7 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risks to all children are assessed before any new child moves to the home, and that each child’s risk assessment states all known risks and provides strategies to reduce these. Ensure that these risk assessments are shared with and implemented by all staff.

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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

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

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff understand and follow the home’s safeguarding procedure and that referrals are made to the local authority designated officer when necessary. In addition, ensure that there is documentary evidence of investigations and follow-up actions in respect of any concerns. 28 April 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 28 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 8 In particular, ensure that hazards such as ladders, broken tiles in the garden and the uneven floor in the chill-out room are addressed without delay.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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

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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)(c)(h)) 1 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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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 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within five 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)(a)(vii) (b)(i)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, monitor records of restraint and sanctions and ensure that there are debriefs with the staff and children concerned. 28 April 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 9 This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the admissions record is kept up to date. 28 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person should consult with children, parents and external professionals to inform their view of the quality of care. Reports should identify hazards and shortfalls and make recommendations to improve. In addition, the registered person should ensure that the reports are submitted to Ofsted promptly. 28 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 10

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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: 2621215 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Momentum Residential Care Home Limited

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Inspectors

Laraine Edmondson, Social Care Inspector Deirdra Keating, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2621215 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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