Children's Home run by Zone Central Ltd in Lewisham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 1 Registered provider: Zone Central Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in December 2021. A new manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

A new responsible individual has been appointed since the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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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: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following an inadequate judgement on 5 and 6 July 2022, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and regulation 28, fitness of manager. A monitoring visit was undertaken on 22 August 2022 and although the provider had Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 2 taken sufficient steps to comply with the notices issued under regulation 12 and 28, some shortfalls continued in the leaders’ and managers’ monitoring and staffing arrangements. To address these shortfalls, further compliance notices were issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard and 31, staffing of children’s homes. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/07/2022 Full Inadequate 08/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 4

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improvement to be good

One child continues to live at the home. The provider made a decision not to move any other children into the home until they had addressed the shortfalls identified at the last inspection in July 2022 that resulted in an inadequate judgement.

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improvement to be good

The child is making some progress; for example, their improved school attendance has been sustained. However, some shortfalls in medication administration and record-keeping are undermining the child’s welfare, progress and experiences.

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improvement to be good

The home environment has improved. Repainted walls, new carpets, soft furnishings and pictures, and a tidy garden with sensory activities help to create a welcoming and homely environment. The child living in the home has personalised their bedroom with new bedding and wall art.

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improvement to be good

The child is involved in making decisions about their care and the running of the home. With staff’s support, the child helped to revise the home’s children’s guide. Staff listen to the child and ensure that their choices, including menu planning and activities, are reflected in their plans and daily care.

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improvement to be good

The child enjoys activities, including visits to the local park and going to the gym. School achievements and awards are consistently celebrated. These activities and celebrations are helping to promote the child’s physical health, self-esteem and confidence.

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improvement to be good

The child is developing age-appropriate skills, for example baking, making smoothie drinks and tidying their room. These important skills are increasing the child’s independence.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the child is able to keep in touch with people who are important to them. They facilitate regular ‘family time’ in the community and ‘virtually’ with the use of technology.

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improvement to be good

A social worker said that the home meets the child’s needs well and that the child had made huge improvements in their social, communication and independence skills

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improvement to be good

Some staff are not clear about the home’s medication procedures and have not followed them consistently. A lack of training in medication administration and staff not accurately recording how all medications should be administered resulted in three medication errors. These errors compromised the child’s health, welfare and Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 5 safety. Since identifying these errors, the manager has further improved her monitoring systems and medication training has been arranged for all staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks and behaviour support strategies to help the child when they become upset or distressed. The use of restraint is only used when necessary to keep the child safe. However, staff’s records of physical restraint are not consistently accurate, for example details about the hold used.

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improvement to be good

Staff spend time talking to the child about risk and how to keep safe. For example, they teach safer ways of dealing with difficult feelings, such as anger and disappointment. This helps the child to manage their emotions and remain settled.

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improvement to be good

The child feels safe and happy in the home.

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good

Since the last inspection, a new manager and responsible individual have been appointed. They both have experience of working in children’s residential care. They have high expectations for the staff team and aspirations for the children who live in the home.

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good

Leaders and managers have developed a number of new monitoring systems to help improve the service. These include action plans, daily summaries, daily checklists and monthly audits. These new systems are designed to help ensure that the child’s overall needs are met. However, they are not yet fully effective; for example, they did not swiftly identify the medication errors. The manager recognises that her oversight and evaluation of the new monitoring systems require improvement.

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good

On one occasion, leaders and managers did not inform Ofsted of a serious incident in the home as required.

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good

Since the last inspection, staff have undertaken additional training, including restraint and incident report writing. They are all suitably trained in safeguarding children and have developed the necessary skills to meet the needs of children, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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good

All staff are safely recruited and they are enrolled onto the required qualification. Staff praise the new leadership team and describe its members as ‘approachable’ and ‘supportive’.

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good

Leaders and managers have taken sufficient steps to meet the two compliance notices that were issued on 26 August 2022. Monitoring systems are in place and are improving leaders’ and managers’ oversight of practice in the home. Additionally, a member of staff with a suitable first-aid qualification is always present at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 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

In particular, ensure that the monitoring systems are embedded into the daily practices and routines of the home. 30 November

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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)) 30 November

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and 30 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 7 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff check prescription medication labelling, understand the use of medication and keep accurate records.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff complete accurate body map records. 30 November

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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: 2590934 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4 Cedar Park, Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne BH21 7SF

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 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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