Children's home run by Carterhatch Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 1 Registered provider: Carterhatch Homes Limited Full inspection 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 aged 11 to 18 with emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since October 2022. The responsible individual was present at this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at 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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 2

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improvement to be good

Not all children benefit from personalised care. Some children do not have up-to- date local authority care plans on file, to ensure that staff have current information about their needs. Children’s records do not fully reflect their daily lives and experiences. This makes it difficult to measure and monitor children’s progress and experiences effectively.

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improvement to be good

Children’s interests and hobbies are not fully explored and understood by staff. As a result, children are not engaging in the activities that staff offer to them.

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improvement to be good

Children’s educational progress is varied. One child who is not in school is receiving online tutoring to support their return to mainstream school. However, leaders and managers are not proactive in arranging educational activities for children who are not attending school or alternative education provision.

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improvement to be good

Children are not helped effectively to manage their behaviours and relationships with others. There is little evidence of the staff using rewards or consequences to promote positive behaviour. Behaviour support plans are not included in all children’s files, which means that staff are not fully equipped with the knowledge and strategies to promote positive behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Children make some progress from their starting points. One child is being supported by staff to increase their independence and personal safety. This has resulted in a reduction in incidents of exploitation. Another child’s episodes of going missing from home reduced significantly for a period of three months.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they feel safe in the home. When children raise concerns, managers and staff respond appropriately to keep children safe. For example, leaders work collaboratively with safeguarding partners, which includes sharing information and seeking guidance and support when necessary.

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improvement to be good

Assessment of risk is an area that requires improvement. The risk assessments reviewed did not provide clear strategies for minimising harm to the children.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home episodes have decreased. When children go missing from the home, staff try to maintain communication with them and follow the correct reporting procedures. However, independent return home interviews with children do not always take place. Leaders and managers are missing opportunities to gain Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 3 increased insight into the reasons why children go missing and make plans to prevent such incidents from happening again.

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improvement to be good

Shortfalls in some areas of safe recruitment practice are undermining children’s welfare and safety, for example, not obtaining second references for all staff.

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good

There is no registered manager leading the home. At the time of the inspection, the responsible individual and deputy manager were in day-to-day charge of the home. The responsible individual is actively advertising to recruit a suitably qualified and experienced manager.

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good

There has been a high turnover of staff since the home registered in December 2021. The staff are new and in various stages of their induction. The provider is focused on stabilising the staff team and made a child-centred decision to not move any new children into the third bedroom that is currently vacant until the necessary improvements have been made.

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good

There is no effective monitoring and evaluation of the quality of care provided to children. Management oversight of risk assessments, case files and case recording is not evident. Furthermore, feedback from children, social workers and parents is not being routinely obtained to ensure continuous improvements.

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good

Staff training and induction is not being monitored effectively. Staff are not undertaking all mandatory training, such as first aid.

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good

Staff supervision is provided by the responsible individual and the quality of this is good. Staff report that they feel supported.

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good

Leaders and managers have not reported all serious safeguarding incidents or ensured that the independent visitor reports have been sent to Ofsted in a timely way. Additionally, the home’s statement of purpose has not been updated and a copy provided to Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)) 21 November

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. (Regulation 9 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that staff have a better understanding of the children’s interests. 21 November

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; 21 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 5 encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that children’s behaviour support plans are understood and adhered to by staff. In addition, that appropriate consequences for negative behaviour are implemented.

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that risk assessments for children are kept updated and staff understand the identified strategies to minimise risk to children. 21 November

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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— 21 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 6 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 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 ;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 21 November

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 21 November

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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 21 November Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 7 the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that two written references are obtained when staff are being recruited and that all references are verified.

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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. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 21 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)) 21 November

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

HMCI. (Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 21 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children return to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 8 independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45 paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that inductions for staff, including core training, are completed within timescales agreed and signed off by an appropriate manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53 paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards,’ page 56 paragraph 11.4)

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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: 2643361 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Carterhatch Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 66B Cazenove Road, London N16 6AA

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Inspectors

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Maud Pipim-Addo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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