Children's Home run by Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited in Southend on Sea

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 1 Registered provider: Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children aged between 10 and 17 years. The aim of the home is to support children with social and emotional difficulties resulting from their early life experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The suitably qualified and experienced manager registered with Ofsted in September 2021.

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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. The inspector 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: 2596906 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

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

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The care of children

Children say that they generally have trusted and secure relationships with staff. When children have had concerns, they have felt able to discuss these with the provider and have seen their feedback respected and acted on.

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The care of children

Managers have been overly optimistic about the staff’s ability to meet the complex mental health needs of one child. Sometimes, other children have been negatively affected because of the dynamics. Staff have not been able to safely meet the child’s needs, which resulted in the child having to move on. The current group of children is suitably matched with the staff’s skills and experience and each other.

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The care of children

While the children are enrolled in some form of education, none are currently attending school on a regular full-time basis. There is little evidence of a planned approach to engage the children in suitable structured activities, while they are at home, to prepare them for school or to engage them in the joy of learning.

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The care of children

The quality of the environment has greatly improved since the last inspection. However, there was significant damage to the lounge fire door. The provider repaired this the day after the inspection.

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The care of children

The staff lock the kitchen and lounge doors each night as standard practice. This means that children cannot access areas of the home at night for example, to get a snack or a drink. The staff and provider said that there are no particular safety reasons for these doors being locked with the current group of children.

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The safety of children

Children’s individual risks assessments and behaviour management plans have improved since the last inspection. These are now regularly updated and provide clearer guidance for staff on how to support the children.

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The safety of children

One child’s risk assessment states that bedroom door alarms are to be set at night to safeguard all of the children. Daily care records do not state if these are set. Staff have a positive working relationship with the local community police officers. This has helped staff to understand and act on particular risks to children.

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The safety of children

The records of environmental and physical restraint which have been used at the home are not consistently sufficiently detailed. While there is evidence of some post- Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 3 incident debriefs with staff and children, this is not the case for all incidents. When these debriefs have occurred, it is not clear who led them and when. Staff have, on at least two occasions, felt it necessary to lock the front door to keep children safe. On one occasion, this was for some days. The duration of and reasons for these actions are not clearly recorded. The manager has not reviewed all incidents of environmental and physical restraint to ensure that they are recorded properly and that their use is proportionate and fair.

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The safety of children

Staff have received training in safeguarding, managing self-harm and restraint and de-escalation. Staff know what their responsibilities are and to whom to report any safeguarding concerns. However, some new staff are not fully familiar with whom they can raise concerns outside of the home and how they would do this.

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The safety of children

Fire prevention arrangements require improvement to ensure that fire risks are fully understood and reduced. The home’s fire risk assessment refers to waking night staff, which the home does not have. During the inspection, issues were identified with the fire doors. The day after the inspection, the local fire service attended the home and provided guidance to the provider. The fire doors were either replaced or repaired.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

This inspection did not identity serious and widespread concerns about the home. However, the day-to-day management falls short of expectations. Consequently, some of the requirements set at the last inspection are repeated and further requirements and recommendations have been set.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has not consistently and effectively monitored incidents and restraints. As a result, opportunities to identify any emerging patterns and trends or to improve children’s experiences have been potentially lost.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

External monitoring arrangements have not been of consistently sufficient rigour. The views of staff have not been sought during many of the visits. The independent person has not reviewed significant aspects of the care provided. Therefore, they were not able to have a fully informed view of whether the home was safeguarding and promoting the well-being of a particular child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The statement of purpose has been updated since the last inspection. However, it does not clearly state the use of bedroom door alarms or reference locking internal doors at night. Furthermore, the document contains high levels of personal staff information which is not appropriate or relevant.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff duty rotas and log books are not a wholly reliable record of which staff are at the home and when.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The records demonstrating staff recruitment have improved since the last inspection. However, copies of staff’s qualifications and evidence of their health and fitness to work are not always held. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 4 There are sufficient suitably trained and experienced staff to meet the current children’s individual needs. The staff enjoy working with the children and feel well supported by the responsible individual and individual senior members of staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/02/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 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 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

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

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)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 January 2023

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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. (Regulation 16 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that information contained in the statement of purpose is clear, accurate and appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 6 If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the fire risk assessment clearly and accurately details all the fire prevention arrangements in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and 16 January 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 7 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff duty rotas are clear and accurate.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 30 January 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 27 February 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that, just as in a family home, children can access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child at the home (regulation 21 (c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home must only be made when this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that when children are not participating in formal education the staff support them to sustain or regain their confidence in

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Recommendations

education and engage them in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that supervision of staff practice makes certain that all staff understand what they would need to do if they found another staff member misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of a child’s safety. This should include how, and to which professionals outside of the home, to report concerns. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.14)  The registered person should, as set out in regulations 31 to 33, maintain good employment practice. In particular, ensure that evidence of staff’s fitness to work and copies of relevant staff’s qualifications are held. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Indigo Children’s Care Homes Limited

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2596906 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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