Children's Home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 1 SC379199 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority home offers care for up to seven children who have been assessed as unable to live with their families and require a period of positive residential care.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 2014 and registered with Ofsted in January 2015.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/07/2021 Full Good 28/05/2019 Full Good 23/07/2018 Full Good 11/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress at this home. An experienced staff team provides a calm and nurturing environment in which children can be themselves. Children who have experienced significant trauma gradually learn to trust and build positive relationships.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team is consistent, and the routines of the home provide stability. This supports children to maintain long-term placements. Three of the children have lived at the home for over two years. A social worker said, ‘Staff provide care that supports children to feel safe and secure. This promotes trust, growth and resilience.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have high aspirations for the children and encourage them to be ambitious. All the children are engaging well in education. Several children attend mainstream schools and are achieving high attendance. The manager has ensured that children who previously struggled to engage now have bespoke education packages which are tailored to their individual needs. Staff enjoy celebrating the children’s achievements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently and regularly seek children’s views. Good-quality individual conversations and monthly children’s meetings ensure that the children’s opinions are included in the day-to-day running of the home. The children said that they feel included in their home and always feel listened to.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities and staff encourage them to follow their hobbies. Children spoke about enjoying going to the theatre and go-karting. Hobbies are enthusiastically supported, with lessons being arranged in horse-riding, swimming and boxing.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of relationships for children and their families. Staff take children to family visits and support children’s time with their families.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children have moved into the home and two have moved out since the last inspection. These moves were carefully planned. This attention to detail has enabled children to settle quickly and move on successfully. A social worker said, ‘The staff don’t stop thinking about the child once they have left. They provided a loving nurturing environment, and the child speaks very highly of them.’

p.3

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

Children say that they feel safe because they live at this home. A child said, ‘It’s a good home. The staff really help me. I have no complaints. They look after me very well.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 4 When a child goes missing from the home, staff meticulously follow the procedures outlined in the child’s individual missing-person policy. One of the children had a significant history of going missing. However, these incidents have now ceased. Staff undertook high-quality work with the child to enable them to make safer decisions.

p.3

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

Detailed risk assessments provide staff with the necessary strategies to minimise potential dangers and protect children. The children take an active part in helping staff understand what works best for them when they are feeling distressed. Supporting children to understand risks helps them to recognise potential dangers.

p.4

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

At the last inspection, a requirement was set due to the effectiveness of sanctions not being recorded. Most of the records of sanctions detail the reason for the sanction, the child’s view and the manager’s evaluation. However, this requirement is restated as on three occasions these details have not been obtained and recorded.

p.4

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

There have been 10 physical interventions since the last inspection. Incidents are reducing as staff recognise any changes in behaviours and are skilful at de-escalating incidents. The manager has reviewed the records of the incidents and obtained the views of the child. However, staff have not received formal debriefs on two of these incidents. This has the potential to limit the capacity to further improve practice in this area.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management of the home is strong. The manager is very experienced and knowledgeable. She is a strong advocate for the children and ensures that their needs are prioritised. The manager is supported by an equally committed deputy manager. Staff said, ‘The managers are both brilliant. They are very supportive, easy to talk to and always approachable.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Research-informed practice is incorporated into the daily running of the home. Therapeutic guidance is given in regular meetings to enhance staff’s practice further. These skills help the staff support children to develop a positive self-view and increase their emotional resilience.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly staff meetings are structured and informative. The staff use this time to discuss the progress that the children make and to monitor their own interactions. This ensures that children continue to receive a consistent response.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff communicate well with professionals. Information is shared promptly, and they challenge effectively on behalf of the children. A social worker said, ‘The staff work in partnership and communicate regularly. They are tenacious and their advocacy has had a significant impact. [Child’s name] was able to flourish because of the support given.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff recording of incidents is generally good. However, on occasions, inaccurate dates and times have been recorded. This could result in staff following incorrect information. The manager intends to strengthen the reviewing procedures. Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 5 The recommendation from the last inspection has been met and the requirement has been restated. Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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")—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

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)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that records contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of the sanction and that staff are debriefed following a restraint.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 22 July 2022

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, ensure that records are completed fully, with attention to detail and accuracy, and are overseen by the registered manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 7

p.6

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: SC379199 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford SG13 8DQ

p.8

Inspector

Lynne Drage, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC379199 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9