Children's home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Dacorum

Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 1 SC400301 Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council 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 local authority and provides care for up to five children aged between 11 and 18 with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 28 May 2021.

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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: 8 February 2022

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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: SC400301 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2022 Full Good 20/11/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/05/2019 Full Good 09/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently five children living at the home. Since the last inspection, four children have moved out of the home and four children have moved in. Children have built positive and trusting relationships with the staff, who understand their individual needs. The atmosphere in the home is calm, inviting and welcoming. Children and staff seem relaxed and happy in each other’s company. The interactions between the children and staff are positive. Children said that they like living at the home. The staff sometimes bring their dogs to the home and children enjoy helping to look after them. One child has two rabbits that she looks after. Spending time with animals helps children to feel relaxed. The staff work closely with the virtual school and education providers to encourage children to attend education. One child started his first full week at school and showed pride in his school uniform and school photos.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are in good health. Staff support them to attend their health appointments. This includes children who need specialist health professionals, such as mental health teams or substance misuse workers. Staff ensure that children see their friends. This has benefited one child significantly. The child has earned the staff’s trust and regularly spends time in the community with friends. This freedom has led to a decrease in this child going missing from the home. Children are involved in reviewing their placement plans. The children are aware of the content of these plans, and they understand their targets and goals and how they can achieve these. This empowers children and involves them in the decisions about their care. Children’s social workers are positive about the quality of care provided at the home. They say that staff have a good understanding of children’s past traumas and their current needs. The staff work well with the children to help keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Fortnightly house meetings take place and staff use these to hear children’s wishes and feelings. Decisions are recorded and feedback is given to the children. This means that children understand that their wishes and feelings are being listened to and acted on.

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

Safeguarding incidents are managed well. The staff report concerns appropriately and work with a wide variety of professionals and agencies to keep the children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 4 Incidents of children going missing from the home have significantly reduced. When children do go missing, the staff actively search for them in the local area and follow children’s individual missing-from-home protocols. Return home interviews are undertaken by social workers and staff follow these up with individual sessions to support children to understand the potential risks associated with going missing. Good risk assessments and behaviour plans support the staff to understand children’s risks and triggers. This information helps the staff to prevent situations before they escalate. Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and the importance of teaching children how to keep themselves safe. Staff have attended safeguarding

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

training and safeguarding is discussed in supervision and staff meetings. Staff use detailed handover meetings to share any concerns or new strategies to safeguard the children. Staff use natural consequences and focus on children’s positive behaviours and strengths rather than negatives. Consequences are used when required, as a last resort. Social workers said that children are safe living at the home and that staff are proactive in supporting them to understand risks. The staff support children to manage and maintain friendships safely. The staff inform social workers of any safeguarding concerns and keep them updated. One social worker said that their child is safer than they have been for a long time. The fire doors in children’s bedrooms are not compliant with requirements. There are gaps at the top and bottom of the doors and around the locks. The fire checks have not identified these deficiencies. The manager has completed a risk

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

assessment. The staff have had fire warden training and there are waking night staff at the home. These measures will keep the children safe until the doors are repaired.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has the experience to manage the home and is working towards his level 5 qualification. Staff receive regular supervision that supports them to work with the children effectively and enables each member of staff to develop professionally. Regular staff meetings and consultations with the child and adolescent psychotherapist ensures that the staff work consistently with the children. The home is adequately staffed. Recruitment is ongoing; meanwhile, the use of regular agency staff ensures that children’s relationships with the adults who look after them are maintained. The manager’s internal monitoring is not good enough. This does not help leaders and managers to identify themes, trends and patterns to support the development of the home and monitor the progress of children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 5 Children are clearly at the centre of this home. Professionals spoke highly of the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

support the manager and staff continue to give the children. The staff either have or are working towards a relevant level 3 qualification. There were three requirements at the last inspection. Two requirements have been met and one has been restated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 7 November 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)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that fire doors are compliant with requirements. 7 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 7

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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: SC400301 8

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Trish Palmer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC400301 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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