Children's home run by GSM Ardent Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 1 Registered provider: GSM Ardent Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s registered manager resigned in May 2022. The registered manager post has been vacant since this date.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected. Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 3

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improvement to be good

This is a new children’s home with currently one child living there. The child lives in a bright, welcoming home with modern furnishing throughout. However, parts of the home give an institutional impression. This detracts from the home providing a nurturing environment for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to build positive relationships with the child. This means that the child finds it difficult to manage their own feelings and behaviour. This is improving with the recent introduction of consistent routines and boundaries.

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improvement to be good

The staff team is aware of the child’s health needs and help them to access local health services as required. This means that their health needs are now generally well managed, and that progress is being made.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not encourage the child to access their case records or contribute to them. This limits the understanding that the child has about their experience and background.

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improvement to be good

Staff are beginning to complete regular key-work sessions with the child. This helps the child to reflect on their behaviours and actions. It also helps them to learn about different cultures and to better understand diversity and inclusion.

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improvement to be good

The staff team helps the child to maintain family time with the people who are important to them. There is a focus on establishing the child’s support networks and links with agencies. This promotes the child’s emotional health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

The registered person provides challenge to the placing authority to help meet the child’s needs. As a result, the child is now in full-time education following a considerable period away from it. This means that the child is now beginning to make progress with their learning and development.

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improvement to be good

Serious incidents are generally reported to Ofsted on time. However, on one occasion, the manager did not report a serious incident. This means the regulator had no oversight of what action was being taken to keep the child safe.

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improvement to be good

The child now has a clear missing-from-home risk management strategy. This helps the staff to understand the actions they need to take, places to locate the child, and to maintain contact with them when they are missing. Staff also share information with relevant agencies. This helps to keep the child safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 4 Staff do not consistently review incidents. Some incident reports do not contain the views of the child or those of staff who were present. They also lack evaluation. This is a missed opportunity for staff to learn from incidents and to prevent them from recurring.

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improvement to be good

The staff team uses physical intervention as a very last resort. Staff use de- escalation techniques to help the child to manage their behaviour. This is helping staff to maintain relationships with the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to stay safe online. They raise the child’s awareness of online harms through discussions. This includes talking about safe and healthy relationships. This means that the child is developing a better understanding of staying safe.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans provide clear strategies for staff to follow. Staff review them following incidents to ensure that the team provides a consistent level of care. This also helps to safeguard the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to develop their independent living skills in line with their abilities. They have a better understanding of how to keep themselves safe. This helps the child to prepare for their future.

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good

An interim manager is in post following the resignation of the registered manager. Previously, staff did not feel supported and they were not given clear direction. However, structures and routines are now in place and staff feel happier.

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good

Leaders and managers are now identifying and addressing areas for improvement in the home. A staff member said, ‘It has really settled down from when I first started. There is now more support and better training. It used to be confusing.’

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good

Relationships between leaders and staff are more positive. Staff are now suitably trained. They also benefit from monthly supervision to discuss their work and reflect on their practice. Good teamwork and management support ensure that staff are now suitably equipped with the knowledge and skills to care for the child.

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good

There are good working relationships between the staff and external professionals involved in the child’s life. Social workers say that they are regularly updated and that the staff team is proactive in helping the child to make progress.

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good

Effective monitoring and management oversight needs to be embedded into the home. The child’s records are not consistently signed by the author or the manager. This means that leaders and managers may not identify safeguarding issues through the child’s daily records. Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 5 The independent person is now visiting the home monthly. However, the home was not visited in the first months of opening, which meant the first report covered a three-month period. As a result, leaders and managers did not identify initial issues relating to poor performance.

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good

Leaders and managers operate closed-circuit surveillance equipment in the home. This records images and audio at the front entrance and rear of the home. However, there is no information on the child’s file or in their plans justifying the need for such equipment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 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, the 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 1 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 1 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 7 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix))

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 1 August 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 kept up to date; and 1 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 8 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this includes children’s daily records, incident reports and safeguarding reports.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 18 July 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 produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1)(4))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person’s report should be provided monthly and not cover a period that is greater than one month. 1 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. 18 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 9 (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the use of CCTV which covers both the front entrance and rear of the home.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should seek to maintain a domestic rather than an institutional impression throughout the home, as far as reasonably possible. Compliance with relevant health and safety legislation must be taken into consideration. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraphs 3.9)

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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: 2669323 10

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2669323 11 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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