Children's Home run by S P Homes Limited in Lambeth

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 1 SC065535

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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 six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were two children living at the home.

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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: SC065535 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Staff do not sufficiently manage and address risks to children.  Staff do not support children’s health needs effectively.  Children’s bedrooms are dirty, unsafe and unhygienic.  Staff do not maintain children’s routines and boundaries in the home.  Staff do not have the training or experience to meet the needs of children living in the home.  Staff do not follow the home’s safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures.

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The care of children

Staff do not maintain adequate routines and boundaries in the home. The children’s guide clearly sets out the home’s daily routines and expectations for the children in the home, which include getting up for school in the morning, eating meals together and settling in bed at night. Staff do not consistently promote these routines and, as a result, children’s progress is undermined.

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The care of children

Staff are unable to motivate children to get up in the morning and leave their rooms. This compounds children’s poor routines. Children are frequently out of the home for long periods of time and staff do not know where they are or who they are with.

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The care of children

Children’s engagement with their education and learning is inconsistent. One child is engaging well with tutorial sessions, but another child’s college attendance is very poor. In the main, staff’s use of incentives and rewards to encourage children to engage with their education is unsuccessful.

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The safety of children

Staff do not understand the risks to children, or their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children. They do not manage children’s risks effectively. Children’s risk assessments are not comprehensive and do not reflect the children’s views and contributions. Staff do not take the recommended actions to reduce risk.

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The safety of children

Although staff encourage children to engage in one-to-one sessions to help and support them to understand risk, these sessions are largely ineffective. Since the last inspection, some children’s risks have increased.

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The safety of children

Staff do not proactively assess the risk of criminal exploitation or substance misuse. When concerns are identified, staff do not follow the home’s child protection policies Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 3 and safeguarding procedures. As a result, some safeguarding concerns had not been shared with all relevant professionals, such as the placing authorities and the police.

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The safety of children

Staff do not ensure that the home is clean and safe. Children’s bedrooms are dirty, unhygienic and unsafe. One child is sleeping on a broken bed and another child’s bedroom was cluttered with dirty washing.

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The safety of children

The procedures for staff undertaking welfare checks in children’s bedrooms are unclear. As a result, children have brought illegal substances into the home without staff knowing.

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The safety of children

Staff fail to support and monitor children’s health needs effectively. Staff’s support and management of a child’s particular health condition are inadequate. Staff fail to ensure that this child attends all health appointments, which compromises the child’s health and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager resigned in August 2022. A new manager was appointed and she applied to register with Ofsted in September 2022. However, following this inspection, the new manager resigned and withdrew her application to register. Alternative management arrangements are in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers do not monitor the skills and experience of the staff team effectively. Staff are not provided with the necessary training to meet the specific needs of the children living at the home, for example training around safeguarding children, child criminal exploitation and the safe administration of medicines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Some staff do not have a qualification in children’s residential care. Leaders and managers have not assessed whether staff qualifications are equivalent to the qualification required. Leaders and managers could not provide assurances that children are being cared for by a suitably qualified staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers’ oversight of the home is weak. They have failed to report all serious incidents to Ofsted as required. Additionally, shortfalls were identified in the home’s statement of purpose and the register of children. The majority of the requirements set at the last inspection have not been met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Following this inspection, Ofsted issued three compliance notices in relation to regulations 12, the help and protection standard, 13, the leadership and management standard, and 40, notifications of a serious event. A monitoring visit will be undertaken to assess the provider’s compliance with the notices. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/06/2021 Full Good 04/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/08/2018 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 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

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

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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;

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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;

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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)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)) 3 January 2023

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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— 3 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 6 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— 3 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 7 develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the children’s guide accurately reflects the boundaries, expectations and routines for children living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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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

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(viii)) 3 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 8 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and strategies to motivate children to attend and engage with their education provision.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet the health needs of all children living in the home. 3 January 2023

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children contribute to the development of their own risk management and behaviour support plans. 3 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 9 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 January 2023

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)) 3 January 2023

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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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)) In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the register of children is completed and kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 3 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 163 Manor Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1JT

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Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC065535 11 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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