Children's Home run by Elite Children's Care Group ltd in Bexley

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 1 Registered provider: Elite Children’s Care Group Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home provides care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered on 8 February 2022. It has not had a registered manager since 26 April 2022. The current acting manager has been in post for a month and has not submitted an application to register with Ofsted. The provider has appointed a new responsible individual since the last inspection in July 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home. One child spoke with the inspector.

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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 these inspections, 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. The inspector has 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: 2657553 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

Children receive effective support and make progress in many areas of their lives. For example, a child has returned to school full time after a long period of non- attendance, and attained good results in a mathematics test.

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The care of children

The home’s admission procedure is thorough. To ensure that positive relationships are maintained between the children living in the home, staff carefully consider the potential impact that new children may have on the group dynamics. Sensitively planned moves to the home give children the best opportunities to settle and make progress.

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The care of children

Staff’s welcoming and caring attitudes help children to feel comfortable. One child said, ‘When I walked into the home, I instantly felt that this is my home.’ Another child’s relative said that the staff are like the child’s family. Staff enable children to express their views and children contribute to their care and safety plans. Children’s engagement makes these plans more effective.

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The care of children

Staff work in close partnerships with other professionals to make sure that children receive the support that they need. Staff work closely with social workers, mental health professionals and schools. A social worker said that they were impressed with how staff advocate for a child. Another child’s relative said that staff always have the best interest of children at heart, and fight for children to get extra help and support.

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The safety of children

Staff make sure that the home is physically and emotionally safe for children. Staff are alert to risk and know the children’s vulnerabilities well, which helps them to keep children safe.

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The safety of children

Staff know how to respond appropriately to children who go missing from home. Since the last inspection, there has not been any missing-from-home incidents. Children who used to go missing from home have stopped. Consequently, their safety has increased.

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The safety of children

Children’s behaviour management plans provide clear guidance to staff on how to promote positive behaviour and de-escalate incidents. As a result, staff have not needed to use physical intervention. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 3 Shortfalls were identified in safer recruitment practice. Some staff files did not obtain all information as required, and the newly appointed responsible individual’s recruitment file was not available during the inspection. Gaps in vetting staff undermines children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Shortfalls in leadership and management continue. The provider has failed to secure stability in the leadership and management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Most staff do not have a suitable qualification and are inexperienced in children’s residential care. The frequent changes in management and staff undermines the continuity of care provided to children and the development of a suitably skilled and experienced staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There are gaps in the information held on staff, and the duty rota does not include the manager’s actual working hours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Five of the eight requirements raised at the last inspection have been satisfactorily addressed. Significant improvements have been made in the home’s admission process, risk and behaviour management, staff induction and staff’s understanding of whistle-blowing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The independent monitoring visits are helping leaders and managers to identify shortfalls and make improvements in the home. However, the reports from these visits do not explicitly reflect the independent person’s view on whether children are effectively safeguarded and if the conduct of the home promotes children’s well- being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers did not notify Ofsted of a serious safeguarding incident that involved a child living at the home. This prevented the home’s regulator from evaluating the home’s response to this serious incident.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 4

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that there is a stable management and staff team at the home. 1 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit to carry on the home.

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Requirement Due date

satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the 10 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 5 management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (5)(a)(b)(c) (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, information about how the provider has assessed the suitability of the newly appointed responsible individual must be provided to Ofsted as requested.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

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

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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).

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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)(d)) 1 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must make sure that information about staff is kept as required and that the duty roster includes the manager’s hours. 1 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— 1 December 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 6 children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the threshold for notifying Ofsted of serious incidents in the home, including when children require emergency mental health support. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.1) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Elite Children’s Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 120 Baker Street, London W1U 6TU

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2657553 8 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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Inspector

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