Horsebridge House

Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 1 SC452713 Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home specialises in working with children who have experienced significant trauma in their formative years.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since August 2021.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Good 12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 3

p.2

improvement to be good

The environment is mostly well presented and feels homely. There are pictures and children’s artwork on the walls. The home has adapted one room to provide an art studio. One child’s bedroom is well furnished and decorated to his liking. However, this is in contrast to the other children’s bedrooms, which are not homely. The home is addressing structural issues with the building but the immediate response to cracks and damp on the walls has been insufficient to provide a homely environment throughout.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have to ask for additional snacks, which are locked in the staff bedroom, which further detracts from the homely feel of the environment.

p.3

improvement to be good

All children are attending formal education. The home provides support to children’s education providers to ensure stable learning opportunities. There are ongoing plans to increase one child’s educational attendance. However, the activities provided by the home to contribute to education hours are not providing sufficient learning opportunities. There is a lack of ambition for all children to do well in their education.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children have been provided with positive experiences. All children flew on a plane for the first time for a short break in Scotland. Original plans were unfortunately changed from a holiday abroad. Delays in the sharing of information between organisations were not challenged effectively, which directly impacted children’s experiences.

p.3

improvement to be good

Overall, feedback from children, staff and professionals is positive. Staff have a good understanding of the needs of children and the progress they have made from their starting points. Children are developing strategies to express themselves in healthier ways.

p.3

improvement to be good

Key-work sessions allow staff to talk with children about the things that are important to them. Staff provide positive advice and guidance, with the aim of supporting children to make informed and safe decisions. Staff revisit topics of discussion when needed.

p.3

improvement to be good

Physical intervention has been used by staff to prevent harm to others and damage to property. However, records are incomplete and unclear. For example, debriefs with the staff who used the intervention are not always completed and there is no record of medical attention being offered following injury to a child. The use of restraint is not always reflected on and evaluated. As a result, staff are not Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 4 supported to learn or improve their practices by avoiding the use of restraint when supporting children.

p.3

improvement to be good

When medication errors have occurred, the steps taken to prevent future error have not always been sufficient. The provision of training for staff has been delayed due to a poor response from senior leaders. Although the registered manager was proactive in sourcing training, delays had the potential to affect the health and progress of children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Safeguarding concerns have mostly been managed well. Despite this, when one allegation was made against a member of staff, the registered manager failed to notify all relevant professionals. This means that the home’s response to safeguarding concerns is not always robust in keeping children safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Some safer recruitment processes and checks have not been completed prior to new staff starting work. The registered manager took steps to correct this shortfall during the inspection.

p.4

improvement to be good

Care documents provide staff with strategies to support children to express themselves safely. However, some information is out of date. In addition, there is minimal evidence of contribution from children. This means that children are not involved when considering their care or how they can keep themselves safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home has responded well to children who are missing. Prompt communication allows staff to respond quickly and missing-from-home protocols are followed. Instances of children going missing from home are evaluated and steps are taken to mitigate risk in the future. When a child’s education placement became unstable due to them having been missing, the registered manager was proactive in identifying alternative arrangements with the child’s support network.

p.4

good

There is a failure to encourage or promote a culture of learning. Team meetings and staff supervisions lack reflection with regard to care practice and the needs of children. Team meetings also offer little opportunity to learn as a team, and minutes indicate a behavioural approach without rationale. This means that the staff team is not supported to always provide caring and nurturing responses to children.

p.4

good

The home’s development plan does not provide sufficient information with regard to areas of improvement or when actions will be completed. This has resulted in delays to the development of the home.

p.4

good

The home’s risk assessment provides an overview of the risks to children and the resources available in the local area. However, some information about how risk is mitigated is out of date. This means that staff are not supported to review risk or keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 5 Consequences are not used effectively. There is insufficient rationale for their use, and managerial oversight has not identified how ineffective consequences continue to be used. Poor records mean that consequences can appear punitive. As a result, children have not been supported to consider the effects of their actions.

p.4

good

Most staff have completed mandatory training. When training has lapsed, the registered manager has identified the need for refresher training sessions. However, the training matrix is out of date and does not demonstrate important training developments. Leaders and managers have not effectively identified training opportunities that would benefit the care of children.

p.5

good

The registered manager has not received effective supervision from the responsible individual. This has resulted in a lack of oversight of the home, which has contributed to a lack of reflection, learning and development. Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

p.6

Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should inform each child’s placing authority of events in the home that impact children’s care.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should escalate concerns when the response of professionals results in delays to providing the required services for children. 30 January 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

use their understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to— 23 January 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 7 meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(b) (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure the home is furnished and maintained to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should review the use of consequences to ensure a clear rationale for their use and an evaluation of their effectiveness.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should promote teaching about healthy eating, rather than locking snacks away from children. 30 January 2023

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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; and 1 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that oversight and monitoring are used to reflect on and develop the quality of care provided to children.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should promote reflection and learning in team meetings and staff supervision.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff are provided with regular supervision and training opportunities.

p.8

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure of control, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

p.8

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff who have used restraint are provided with the opportunity to debrief and reflect on its use.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In addition, restraint records, including debriefs, should be accurate and reflective of the conversations held. 23 January 2023

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the ethos of the home supports each child to learn, emphasising the value of independent study and reading for enjoyment. The home must make available suitable facilities, equipment and resources for learning. Staff must support children with home study by encouraging them to learn independent study skills and helping them to practice those skills. In particular, children should be supported to attend full-time education. When children are not attending full-time education, staff should provide meaningful learning opportunities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 9  The registered person should ensure children are encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as living documents, and support them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the

p.8

Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, the registered person should ensure that monitoring and oversight processes seek to provide assurances about staff suitability before they start working in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that children’s case records and other supporting documents are kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

p.9

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: SC452713 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Community Service Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

p.10

Inspector

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 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.

p.10

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.11

Inspector

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

p.11

Inspector

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

p.11