Children's home run by Seva Childcare Ltd Assurance visit report: 2548794 9

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 1 Registered provider: Seva Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run home for up to five children. The home cares for children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this monitoring visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in July 2020. A manager has recently been appointed to manage the home and has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

During this visit, the inspector was aware that a serious incident had occurred at the setting since the last monitoring visit. This incident is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the visit to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken as a result of concerns raised by the home’s independent visitor during their monthly visit and Ofsted being notified of a serious allegation made against staff. This allegation remains under investigation by the appropriate authorities.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have responded promptly and appropriately to the safeguarding allegation. Relevant safeguarding professionals, including the local authority designated officer (LADO), have been informed and an investigation is ongoing. The Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 2 LADO said, ‘I am satisfied that [the manager] has done everything she can to ensure that the child is kept safe whilst this is ongoing.’

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This monitoring visit

Since Ofsted’s last monitoring visit on 8 August 2022, there have been significant changes to the management and staff teams. The vast majority of the previous staff team no longer work at the home and managers have been successful in recruiting new staff. The management team includes a newly appointed manager and managing director. The home’s managing director has extensive experience of working for and managing children’s residential social care services.

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This monitoring visit

Children benefit from high staffing levels that meet their complex needs. Staffing rotas confirm this. The staff team is predominantly female, and staff are able to provide girls with appropriate personal care. This was not the case previously and was highlighted as an area of concern in the allegation.

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This monitoring visit

Managers are currently working to finalise the home’s workforce development plan. This was highlighted as a shortfall at the previous Ofsted visit. The plan outlines how managers intend to support staff and provide training to enhance their knowledge, skills and care practices.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have in place a planned programme of training to support staff’s learning. This includes training in safeguarding and child protection, whistle-blowing, behaviour management, physical intervention and ‘closed cultures’, to help staff to provide children with safe care.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team is very well supported by the line managers. Staff participate in an improved induction process, and they receive regular, meaningful supervision. Staff team meetings take place regularly. This demonstrates that managers are meeting staff development needs effectively and are supporting them to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff consult with children regularly and effectively. This area of children’s care shows improvement. Children benefit from developing their communication skills, including the use of pictorial and symbolic cues. Some children’s care plan goals include their increased use of words. Developments in children’s communication skills have resulted in them being able to make choices about their care, for example, choosing activities, preferred meals and identifying which staff they wish to spend time with.

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This monitoring visit

Managers’ oversight and monitoring of the service have not been strong. There are gaps in managers’ review of key documents. As a result, the quality of some records requires improvement. These include care plans, risk assessments and key-work sessions. A child’s care plan and risk assessment have not been updated and there has been only one key-work session in a significant length of time. This does not ensure that staff have access to detailed and current information that supports their care of children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 3 Records of restraint are not always sufficiently detailed. Some records do not include the details of the restraint technique used and confirmation that the local authority social workers have been informed, and some body maps are not fully completed. The signatures of managers and staff are sometimes missing, and some records do not comment on the reason why restraint was used. This does not demonstrate that

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This monitoring visit

records outline clearly and fully the circumstances, and action taken by staff when they restrain children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers ensure that staff have access to sufficient funds to meet the needs of children. This was a concern highlighted in the allegation. Staff confirm that petty cash and other funds are readily available for routine items such as food, toiletries and activities in the community.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have invested in improvements to the home’s environment. This includes the regular deep cleaning of the premises, and repairs to the oven and garden swing. However, leaders are yet to repair or replace faulty fire doors. The home is clean, comfortable and a nurturing environment for children.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff share very effective working relationships with external professionals. Leaders and staff’s communication with children’s professional networks is consistent and appropriate. Managers contribute to professionals’ meetings that explore concerns for children’s protection.

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This monitoring visit

A local authority social worker said, ‘Overall, the new management in recent weeks have been working really well. There’s been lots of positive improvements. She [child’s name] is significantly more stable and staff have been receptive to the local authority’s feedback. The multi-disciplinary team are happy with the home’s recent development.’

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This monitoring visit

Parents are positive about the home’s new management and staff team. A parent said, ‘Staff here are fine, they treat me well when I visit. The previous carers were not providing quality care, this has now improved. I see [child’s name] is happy with the new staff, and her communication has improved. The building is cleaner. The manager is responsive and encouraging. I don’t have any areas I think they can improve upon.’

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/06/2022 Full Good 10/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (Regulation 33 (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff receive training on safeguarding and child protection, whistle-blowing, behaviour management, physical intervention and ‘closed cultures’. 15 December 2022

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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

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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must have sufficient oversight and monitoring of staff practice and documents, such as those relating to the care plans, risk assessments and key-work sessions. 1 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 1 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 5 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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3) (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, body maps should include appropriate detail.

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the replacement of faulty fire doors. 1 December 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should review the workforce development plan to ensure that the training and support offered to staff enable them to carry out their roles Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 6 and responsibilities in a specialist care environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 7

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Seva Childcare Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548794 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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