Children's home run by GAC Family Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 1 Registered provider: GAC Family Services Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager position has been vacant since July 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 14 and 15 June 2022. Following the inspection, Ofsted issued compliance notices in relation to safeguarding children and the leadership and management of the home. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to monitor progress in meeting these compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have made the required improvements. Arrangements for safeguarding children are now stronger and there have been improvements in the leadership and management of the home. The actions identified in the compliance notices have been fully met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has also made improvements to the home and garden. As a result, the home is safer and more homely for the children.

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This monitoring visit

Individual behaviour support plans for children have now been created. These are subject to regular review by the manager. They have been clearly written and identified risks are set out, together with children’s vulnerabilities. Staff now have the required guidance to manage behaviours that challenge. This helps staff to keep the children safe and manage behaviour in a safe and consistent manner. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 2 Children now have individualised care plans. They are written in a child-friendly manner so children can understand them. Children can now comment on each area of the plan in one-to-one key-work sessions held with them when the plan is reviewed. This ensures the children are involved with their plans and can make their own contributions.

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This monitoring visit

Managers’ monitoring of the home has improved. A new weekly monitoring form has been drawn up which is completed by the manager. The responsible individual has also created a quality assurance tool. This is based on each of the quality standards set out in regulations. These new processes help managers and leaders to have better oversight of children’s progress and staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

Arrangements for staff supervision have improved. All staff had a session with the manager in the month following the inspection. Regular sessions are now planned. The responsible individual’s monitoring tool includes checking the frequency and quality of supervision. This ensures staff have time with the manager to reflect on and develop their practice.

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This monitoring visit

No new staff have been recruited since the inspection. However, recruitment processes have been reviewed and improved. A new system for recording all recruitment information has been devised. This has also helped to organise existing staff records. Information is now clear and accessible.

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This monitoring visit

No new children have come to live at the home since the last inspection. However, a new checklist has been created to ensure all information, plans and assessments are completed prior to a child being admitted. This will help managers and staff to know the children better before admission and plan the best ways of caring for them.

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This monitoring visit

The statutory requirements set at the full inspection have not been considered at this monitoring visit and so remain. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2022 Full Inadequate 25/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 4

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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 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 to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the home having plans regarding children’s education, and structuring days for children not in school so they continue to learn. 31 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

mutual respect and trust; 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 5 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

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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to having plans that identify children’s needs and how staff can help children, ensuring staff are consistent in addressing children’s behaviour, and that managers provide the supervision to help staff to do this.

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring that all the children have a plan that staff can work to, to ensure children are helped and protected and their welfare is promoted at all times. 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 6 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to any revised statement of purpose being submitted to HMCI within 28 days and containing the correct information, such as current staffing. 31 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d) 31 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 7 any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality-of-care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality-of-care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to ensuring there is a suitable monitoring system in place and that reports are completed at least every six months and sent to HMCI within 28 days.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child expresses wishes that are not always in their best interests or which may conflict with the views of other children in the home, that the responsible adults will have to balance the wishes of the child against what they judge to be in the best interests of the child and reach a reasonable view about the best way forward in the interests of all. The reasons for reaching any decision will need to be carefully explained to and understood by the child or children concerned. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 22, paragraph 4.9)  The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Children looked after are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views,

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Recommendations

wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 23, paragraph 4.16) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 8  The registered person should ensure that expectations of standards of behaviour are high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. Children should be supported to develop understanding and empathy towards each other. Positive behaviour and relationships should be reinforced, praised and encouraged; poor behaviour should be challenged and discussed. The development of safe, stable and secure relationships with staff in the home should be central to the ethos of the home and support the development of secure attachments that, where appropriate, persist over time. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: GAC Family Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 29a, The Link, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ

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Inspector

Shaun Caplis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2614999 10 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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