Children's home run by SureCare Residential Limited – The White Trees Group

Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 1 Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to five children who have experienced trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 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 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: 27 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: 2525634 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2021 Full Good 18/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, five children were living at the home. Three children have moved to the home in the last year. Children’s moves to the home are carefully planned. The manager consults with the local authority to ensure that relevant information is shared and discussed. Staff support children when they arrive and this helps children to feel welcome and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite receiving good care, one child required a higher level of support. The manager shared his concerns about the need for alternative care with the local authority; however, a move was delayed. After several significant incidents, the child was moved. Considering the difficult circumstances for the child, the manager and staff supported him to understand the move and made this as positive as possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to attend education. Four of the children have an education placement. Staff are trying to identify an education provision that will meet one child’s needs. One child has low attendance; however, staff actively encourage him to go to school and help him to understand the importance of education. When children are not in school, staff support them to participate in informal learning activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of children’s physical health and emotional well- being needs. Staff use strategies to support the children’s emotional well-being and reduce their feelings of anxiety and worry. One child accesses therapy to help her process her thoughts and feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to develop their independence skills. The children are encouraged to tidy their bedrooms, help with laundry and cook meals. One child has recently been offered a job in a local shop. This increases children’s confidence and prepares them for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy activities such as going to the gym and the cinema. This helps the children to have active lifestyles and use the local facilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to spend time with their families. This helps children to retain their identity and family connections, which supports their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from a spacious and welcoming home that is maintained well.

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

The children’s behaviour-management plans are thorough and provide staff with a good understanding of how to respond to the children’s individual needs. The plans guide staff in strategies to help children to understand how they are feeling and to Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 4 make positive choices. As a result, physical interventions and missing-from-home incidents are minimal.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and whistle-blowing policies. They know who to contact should they have a concern about the safety of a child.

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

Staff use appropriate consequences to help children understand how their behaviours affect others. Staff support the children to reflect on their feelings and what they can do differently in the future.

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

Staff encourage children to develop their perception of risk and personal safety. One child spends unsupervised time in the community and walks to college without staff support. This helps children to take responsibility for their personal safety.

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

Staff are supported to develop their understanding of the children’s needs through relevant training. This includes training around self-harm and child exploitation. However, training around the risks of county lines has not been provided. This prevents staff from fully understanding the risks that county lines pose to children.

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

The children’s risk assessments are generally clear and detailed and contain presenting risks. However, one child’s risk assessment was not amended to reflect the child’s unsupervised time in the community. This does not give staff enough guidance in managing children’s free time.

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

There are broken items and waste being stored in the front garden, waiting for disposal. The storage of these items is unsightly, unhygienic and a potential safety hazard.

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good

The manager is suitably experienced and has a level 5 diploma. The deputy manager and senior staff work together to meet the needs of the children.

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good

There are several shortfalls in the manager’s monitoring and oversight, including a shortfall that has not been addressed since the last inspection. This fails to show good enough managerial oversight.

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good

There are a number of known risks to children in the local area. These risks have not been incorporated into the home’s location risk assessment. This prevents staff and external professionals from having enough information about the local area to manage these risks.

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good

The independent person’s monitoring visits provide the manager with information to help safeguard the children and make some improvements. However, the independent person has not sought regular feedback from professionals and parents. Therefore, the views of these individuals are not incorporated. This reduces the effectiveness of these monitoring visits. Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 5 The manager undertakes an internal review of the quality of care. However, this does not consider feedback from children, children’s families, external professionals and staff. This failure to gain their views reduces the objectivity and scope of the review.

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good

Staff attend regular team meetings. This forum gives staff the opportunity to reflect on the needs of the children and share their practice experiences. Staff said that this has helped them to work together to improve the quality of the children’s care.

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good

Staff feel supported by the manager and value their supervision meetings. These meetings provide an opportunity for staff to discuss their professional development, well-being and any concerns that they have about the children.

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good

Staff have opportunities to speak with the manager following difficult incidents. Regular debriefs help staff to feel listened to and reflect on their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 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 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that waste and broken furniture are stored safely. 1 December 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

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 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 1 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 7 In particular, the independent person should consult with external professionals and parents to inform their view of the care provided.

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Requirement Due date

This was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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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 feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(b)) 1 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all known risks are included in the home’s location risk assessment. 1 December 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff access training in understanding and managing the risks associated with county lines. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  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 information in risk assessments is accurate and cross-referenced to ensure that information about the child is easily accessed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 8

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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: 2525634 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Industrial Estate, Twyford Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspector

Laraine Edmondson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2525634 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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