Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 1 SC462729 Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since July 2021. The current manager has been in post since August 2021 and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 19 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2021 Full Good 23/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/04/2019 Full Good 27/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This inspection was brought forward because of concerns raised in notifications made to Ofsted. These concerns were fully explored during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of inspection, four children were living at the home. Children have lived together for a significant time, and they know each other well. Staff help children to maintain healthy relationships with each other and encourage children to spend time together. One child said: ‘The best thing about living here is the other children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with children and the people who are important to them to create detailed moving in and out plans. Staff visit children before they move into the home. Children living at the home are told when there are changes of who they will be living with. Staff review plans to make certain that the impact of children living together is well considered. As a result, children feel comfortable and settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well. They follow detailed care plans which focus on helping children with their independence and social skills. Children are involved in creating their care plans. This helps them to express themselves and tell staff their preferences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the barriers to learning that children may face. Children who attend school are helped by staff through good routines and practical support. One child had not attended school prior to moving into the home; now he has good attendance and is making progress. Staff are helping one child to study for her GCSEs. Children who prefer to engage in learning at home are prepared for adulthood by practising independence skills. Children are helped to make progress by staff who understand the importance of learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children spend time and keep in touch with people who are important to them. Staff take children to see their families, some of whom may live some distance from the home. Staff help children to understand why they are unable to live with their families or see their friends. Staff are skilled in talking with children about relationships and personal anxieties. This helps children with their emotional and mental well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff organise a wide range of activities for children based on their interests and hobbies. Children have attended large football events together, football training at a premier league club, zip wiring and smaller activities in the local community. Children are supported to attend youth clubs, LGBTQ support groups and local religious venues. This helps children to build self-esteem and feel part of their community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Photos of children are nicely displayed in the home. Children’s artwork is hung on the walls. This helps the children to feel that they belong, and that the house is their Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 4 home. The large kitchen provides a central area in which children and staff enjoy spending time together. However, carpets are stained, and the laminate flooring is worn. The children’s snug area has cobwebs and poor lighting and lacks heating. Two fire doors were propped open with chairs. This means that children’s health and well-being needs are not fully met.

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

Staff attend safeguarding training and are familiar with the home’s whistle-blowing policy. The staff’s understanding of safeguarding policies is regularly discussed in team meetings and in supervision. Safeguarding concerns are notified to the relevant professionals and Ofsted. Staff follow internal procedures to make safeguarding referrals when they have concerns. Two recent safeguarding concerns have been managed effectively.

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

Staff understand children’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are detailed and reviewed regularly. Identified risks and strategies are clearly recorded. This helps staff to work consistently with children. Children are involved in creating their own risk assessments, dependent on their understanding. This helps children to make choices that will help keep them safe. One child’s risks around food have reduced significantly since living at the home and she is now cooking healthy meals.

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

Staff encourage positive behaviour. Staff help children to develop alternative strategies when they feel upset, such as talking and playing. Staff use therapeutic models to help children when their behaviour is harmful. One child has responded well to this approach and incidents of harm to others have reduced.

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

Staff respond quickly and confidently to incidents of children leaving the home without permission. They follow children and are familiar with areas that children will go to. Staff inform and work with other agencies to keep children safe. Staff request return home interviews for children. Staff speak with children when they return home, but this is not consistent. This means that children do not always have the opportunity to talk about their experience and learn about risks.

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

Staff use rewards and sanctions to help children to understand the impact of their behaviour. Rewards are tailored to children’s likes, which helps to motivate them to learn. However, sanctions are not meaningful or restorative. This means that children are not provided with opportunities to reflect when their behaviour has been harmful to others.

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

All staff are trained in physical intervention. When it is used, staff record the incident and the reason. However, the duration of restraint is unclear. This means it is difficult to evaluate and monitor staff actions and the effectiveness of interventions. Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since August 2021. His application to register with Ofsted is in progress. Due to technical issues with the application, there have been delays.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has suitable qualifications and experience to manage the home. He is supported by an experienced deputy and senior.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The small staff team provides stability for children. Retention of staff is good. Staff feel supported by the manager. The manager encourages the staff’s continuing professional development. The manager uses individualised trackers to monitor staff’s progress and address any areas in which knowledge and skills require development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are trained to meet children’s complex needs. Additional training is provided to staff to enable them to help children with specific health and behavioural needs. Staff receive training in therapeutic models of care. They are qualified or working towards a relevant level 3 qualification. Children receive care from staff who understand how to help them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the strengths and areas for development at the home. He uses monitoring and review systems to make improvements. The manager addresses any shortfalls in practice. As a result, there have been improvements in risk assessments and care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision from trained managers. New staff are supported with additional supervisions and a detailed induction plan. More experienced staff receive reflective supervision which helps them to develop their skills and improve the care provided to children. Staff feel supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works in partnership with other professionals and families. One headteacher said: ‘There is a real sense of wraparound communication between us.’ Care plans and risk assessments are shared and include comments from social workers and parents about the approaches staff use. This helps children understand that people who are important to them know how they will be cared for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent person regularly visits but does not always speak with children, staff and the professionals involved with the home. Consequently, the independent person does not gather a full picture of the care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to cleaning the carpets, repairing torn laminate flooring, providing adequate heating and cleaning away the cobwebs in the snug. 29 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that fire doors are not held open with chairs. 17 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

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff recording the duration of physical interventions. 24 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 7 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. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the independent person interviewing children, their families and other professionals involved with the home. 24 June 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC462729 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Industrial Estate, Twyford Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspector

Mandy Start, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC462729 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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Inspector

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