Children's Home run by The Kennedy and Elliott Partnership LLP in Newham

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 1 Registered provider: Kennedy and Elliott Partnership LLP

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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 four children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home provides care for children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in November 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted did not identify any serious or widespread concerns.

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The care of children

The inspector attempted to speak to all three children during this inspection. Two children shared their views about their experiences with the inspector. They said that they feel happy, settled and safe in the home. They have very good relationships with staff and the other children in the home.

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The care of children

One child told the inspector how staff make the effort to get to know them and understand how they ‘work’. Both children told the inspector that they enjoy eating their meals together with staff and the children in the home. One child said that they are very sad to be leaving the home and would like to continue to live at the home if they could.

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The care of children

The manager has focused on improving children’s engagement in education. Some children have made significant progress in education. Children have set realistic goals that they would like to achieve and are accessing support from staff to stay on track to achieve these.

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The care of children

Children are supported extremely well to make decisions about their lives. Children are given choices about their day-to-day lives, and they engage in activities with staff and other children. Children are supported and encouraged to be involved in decisions about their lives.

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The care of children

A strength of this service is the quality of the relationships which the staff and the managers have developed with children. This has helped children to continue to make progress despite the shortfalls identified.

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The safety of children

Children say that they feel safe in the home. However, there have been three recent incidents when a child was found to be in possession of knives. The incidents were responded to appropriately by the staff and the manager. The safety of all the children in the home was considered and the manager escalated her concerns to the placing authority. However, risk assessments, impact risk assessments and behaviour management plans do not evaluate or plan for this known risk or identify the need for staff training in this area. Consequently, staff did not take consistent action when a child was found with a knife, when reporting the matter to police. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 3 Full and detailed records for serious incidents are not maintained. For example, staff do not consistently keep records of when they have searched children’s bags or possessions. Managers do not consistently keep records of discussions with staff

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The safety of children

Staff and stakeholders spoken to confirmed that staff take the required action to keep children safe and that children are supported to respond to the boundaries set by the manager. However, processes around record-keeping, risk evaluation, behaviour support plans and training require further improvement to promote consistency and accountability.

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The safety of children

The manager’s and staff’s response when children are missing from the home has improved. Staff have completed specialist training to enable them to respond appropriately when children are missing. As a result, the number of missing-from- home incidents has significantly reduced for children.

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The safety of children

There has been no use of physical intervention, no allegations and no complaints since the full inspection in May 2022.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The home is managed by a suitably qualified manager and staffed by a diverse staff team. A deputy manager has recently been appointed to support the manager in the home’s improvement journey.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The requirements raised at the full inspection in May 2022 have not been met and have been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff say that they feel well supported. However, the manager was unable to demonstrate that staff receive supervision as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have made improvements to some records. For example, the daily logs and education logs set out what actions staff take to engage children in day-to-day life and in education, and direct work sessions are much more detailed and reflective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has still not received all care plans for the children currently living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have ensured that staff complete their core training. However, managers do not consistently ensure that staff receive training that meets the needs of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff demonstrate that they are committed to making improvements and ensuring that children are happy, making progress and kept safe. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to ensuring that risk assessments clearly set out and evaluate all known risks to children and behaviour management plans provide staff with clear strategies to manage risk. Additionally, that staff provide a consistent approach to managing and reporting risks to children. 22 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 6 This requirement has been restated.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that staff receive supervision as set out in the statement of purpose and training in line with children’s needs and risks, such as supporting children involved in knife crime/possession of knives.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 22 November

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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;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

Case records must be kept— 22 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 7 if the child dies before attaining the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of the child’s death;

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Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to ensuring that full records are kept of the action staff take in response to incidents and risks to children, how risks are evaluated and managed and details of staff debriefs.

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Requirement Due date

This regulation applies to a child who is looked after by a local authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must co-operate with the child’s placing authority in agreeing and signing the child’s placement plan. (Regulation 17 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 22 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kennedy and Elliott Partnership LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Abacus House 14 to 18, Forest Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1DX

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2654867 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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