Children's Home run by Heartwood RSW Ltd in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 1 SC461865 Registered provider: Heartwood RSW Ltd 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 five children. In its statement of purpose, the provider states that care is provided to children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in November 2013. There has been no registered manager since February 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 7 September 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: SC461865 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/09/2021 Full Good 06/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2018 Full Good 08/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress living in this home. They are helped to develop important life skills and prepare for their futures. One child told inspectors that staff support him to learn how to cook and budget his own money.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop trusting relationships with staff. They are encouraged to make decisions about their lives through regular consultations and house meetings. Children spoken to say that they have good relationships with staff and feel listened to. This helps children to settle and develop a sense of belonging in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff listen to children’s views, wishes and feelings about family time and plans are put in place to make this safe and meaningful. This reduces children’s anxieties and helps them to settle well in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work collaboratively with other professionals. Staff work closely with children’s teachers to ensure that each child’s individual educational needs are met. One teacher said that staff maintain daily communication with the child’s teacher and accompany the child to school. This helps children to engage and make good progress in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know and understand children’s health needs. Staff take action to ensure that appropriate services are in place to support children’s health. Staff discuss health plans with children in individual key-work sessions. As a result, children are supported to improve their overall health and well-being.

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

Safeguarding practice has improved. Staff have a good understanding of whistleblowing policies and procedures. Allegations or suspicions of harm are dealt with immediately and shared with the relevant agencies. This ensures that children are safe in their home.

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

Positive behaviour support plans are effective. They help staff to understand children’s behaviour and provide individualised care and support. Behaviour support plans outline how staff should support children when they are feeling unsettled. This promotes positive behaviour. As a result, incidents are de-escalated and there is no use of physical intervention.

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

Key-work sessions focus on children’s individual needs and are in line with their plans. Frequent key-work sessions ensure that they are relevant to the child and Inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 4 what is happening in their lives. This strengthens relationships and helps children to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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

Staff’s response to managing risk is variable. Although risks are well understood and risk assessments include clear plans, staff do not consistently follow and implement these. For example, bedroom searches are not regularly undertaken when there is a concern that a child may be at risk of harm. Additionally, leaders and managers fail to regularly review the effectiveness of children’s risk assessments and have poor oversight of staff practice.

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good

The leadership and management of the home is not stable. There is currently no registered manager, and the home has been managed by four different people during the past six months. The responsible individual and the operations manager are currently managing the home until a new manager takes over this at the end of September. The instability in the leadership and management of the home impacts on the management oversight and consistency of staff practice.

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good

Despite the unstable management arrangements, leaders and managers continue to work proactively with other agencies and families. They review the quality of care, take onboard feedback from stakeholders and respond quickly when required. Feedback from placing social workers and parents is positive.

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good

Children’s case records do not always include important information. For example, details of children’s most recent education and health care plans are not on their files. This reduces the manager’s and staff’s understanding of the children’s needs and their progress.

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good

The physical home environment is not welcoming for children. The children’s bedrooms and bathroom are worn and in need of updating. Additionally, some of the children’s bedroom windows are restricted with a metal bar outside of the window. This gives the home an institutionalised feel. Inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 5

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. They should ensure that staff follow children’s risk assessments. 7 October 2022

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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

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 work as a team where appropriate; 28 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the home needs to lead by a consistent manager who has good oversight of staff practice.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 7 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, in order for the children’s home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children, they continue to refurbish all areas of the home’s’ interior so that all areas of the home are of a similar suitable standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 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: SC461865 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 416 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex IG3 9JX

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Inspectors

Leanne Grant, Social Care Inspector Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC461865 8 regulates and inspects 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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