Children's Home run by Centre 404 in Tower Hamlets

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 1 Monitoring visit

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation. The home provides short breaks for up to five children with autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 10 June 2021. The registered manager resigned in April 2022. The current manager has been in post since 1 August 2022, but has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

An allegation against an agency member of staff remains under investigation by the appropriate authorities. Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind. However, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered where appropriate during this visit.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to address specific concerns received by Ofsted. This visit involved the inspector reviewing incident reports, children’s individual daily logs, children’s risk assessments, the staffing rota, staff training, staff supervision records, staff recruitment files, team meeting minutes, and an investigation report from August 2022.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The inspector held individual discussions with the manager, the deputy manager, the organisation’s children and young people lead, and two members of staff. Telephone conversations were held with the child’s social worker and local authority’s short- break co-ordinator. Email contact took place with the involved local authority designated officer, who leads on safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 2 A serious incident involving an allegation against an agency member of staff was not managed appropriately. The member of staff who was in charge of the shift did not appropriately report the concern to leaders and managers, or follow the correct procedures. The agency worker continued to work in the home for the rest of the shift and children were left in a potentially unsafe situation. Additionally, this was not reported to the emergency duty team and there was a delay in reporting to the

p.1

This monitoring visit

Children’s daily records are not sufficient and lack important information. For example, the daily record for the child involved in the incident with the agency member of staff is blank. This means that there is no clear record of what happened on that day, or how long the child was left alone with the member of staff subject to the allegation.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The inspector found significant shortfalls in the recruitment practice of agency staff. Leaders and managers have failed to consistently obtain agency recruitment files to ensure staff’s safety and suitability to work with children. Additionally, leaders and managers were unable to provide a record of all agency staff that have worked in the home. This unsafe staffing practice places children at risk.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The use of agency staff working in the home is very high. On several occasions, there have been more agency workers than permanent staff on shift. This is a concern, as the agency staff do not receive an induction into the home and are not familiar with the children.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The leadership and management of the home is a concern. Since the registered manager resigned in April 2022, there has been a lack of management presence at the home. The interim arrangements include the responsible individual and the children and young people lead being on site two to three days a week. There has also been a reliance on an on-call system which covers the whole organisation, and is not specific to a regulated children’s home.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff have not received regular supervision. Prior to the new manager coming into post, staff supervision has not been consistent. The requested staff supervision records were not available to the inspector at the time of this monitoring visit. Additionally, leaders and managers do not have a system in place to evidence when staff have received supervision.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff training is not up to date. The training matrix provided to the inspector highlights gaps for some staff in safeguarding, medication and epilepsy awareness training.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff supervision of children and management oversight of incidents is a concern. On one occasion, a child was able to leave the home through a broken bathroom window late at night. Staff were unaware that the child was missing until they received a call from the child’s parent. On another occasion, two children were able Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 3 to lock themselves in a toilet together and were not adequately supervised by the staff caring for them.

p.2

This monitoring visit

As a result of this monitoring visit, three compliance notices have been issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 32, fitness of workers, of the Children’s Homes Regulations (England) 2015.

p.3

This monitoring visit

The provider has submitted an immediate action plan to Ofsted. This will be reviewed alongside the compliance notices at a further monitoring visit to the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 4

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 20 November 2022

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 6 that staff—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, body maps and accompanying documents should contain relevant information to trigger further safeguarding action if needed; the status of social care involvement with children should be clear on children’s files; and exploration of reported poor practice should be clearly recorded.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

p.6

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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 20 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 7 *The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 20 November 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the skills and confidence to communicate easily and understand the importance of listening to, and involving and responding to, the children they care for. This specifically relates to children’s views being used to inform the review of their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.10)  The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meets the needs of their children. This specifically relates to updating the tired paintwork and implementing plans to improve the garden. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that systems are in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice. In particular, the provider should implement

p.7

Recommendations

a clear policy in relation to the supervision of agency staff. (‘Guide to the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 8 Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered provider should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

p.7

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.8

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 9

p.8

Inspector

Leanne Grant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2644282 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10