Children's home run by Surrey County Council in Woking

Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 1 SC040631 Registered provider: Surrey County Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a local authority. The staff care for up to four children who have experienced childhood trauma and have complex difficulties relating to their social and emotional well-being. Two children currently live at the home; both children were present during the inspection. The manager has been in post since September 2022 and is in the process of submitting her application to register with Ofsted.

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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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/05/2021 Full Good 28/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/07/2018 Full Good 27/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 3

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improvement to be good

The children who live at this home benefit from nurturing, child-centred care and support, which has a positive impact on their lives. However, shortfalls in safeguarding practice have undermined the overall quality and experience of care for some of the children since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy spending time with staff and having fun in their company. Relationships between the staff and the children are warm and caring. Children experience care that is sensitive and responsive to their identity and family history. Staff support the children to maintain relationships with family, friends and other people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff work closely with the children’s schools and colleges to help ensure that their education is tailored to their needs. Bespoke packages lead to the children engaging in a variety of educational opportunities which help increase their attainment and confidence.

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improvement to be good

Good joint working between the staff and a local day provision across health, children and education services means that the children’s therapeutic and social needs are prioritised and supported well.

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improvement to be good

Staff maintain a strong focus on supporting the children to develop their independence and learn life skills for adult life, at a pace that is right for them.

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improvement to be good

Changes in the children’s group dynamics have led to periods when children in the home have been unsettled and have not felt safe. This has led to unplanned placement endings for some children.

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improvement to be good

The manager and responsible individual lead whole team debriefs and reflective opportunities for the staff. This informs new learning and future planning, specifically to reduce the number of unplanned placement endings for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not always managed the children’s behaviour effectively. There have been incidents in the home that have resulted in the staff calling police to help manage the children’s behaviours, leading to some children being arrested. However, under fresh leadership and an increasingly cohesive staff group, police call-outs to the home have significantly reduced.

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improvement to be good

The manager’s records of safeguarding incidents, including contacts and follow-up actions taken, are good. However, a shortfall was found concerning an allegation Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 4 made by one child about another child. This information was reported to the police but there was no record of a referral to the child’s social worker or the multi-agency safeguarding hub. Managers failed to ensure that the home’s records showed their decisions and actions, and to make sure that this information was not lost.

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improvement to be good

The home’s location risk assessment contains up-to-date intelligence from local services. Managers have good links with the local police community officers. Consequently, the staff have current safeguarding knowledge of the local area.

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improvement to be good

Focused monthly meetings between the home’s staff and police help identify the responsive support required for the children at the highest risk. Moreover, information is readily available for internal and external oversight of emerging risks and patterns that may arise over time. This helps reduce risk for the children.

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improvement to be good

Children have up-to-date risk assessments and behaviour management plans. These could be strengthened by incorporating the views of the children in their plans.

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improvement to be good

One child’s risk assessment plan did not contain guidance or a safety plan about her food allergy. This means that the staff may not know how to recognise and manage the child’s allergic reaction.

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good

Changes in the management team, together with staff vacancies, have had an impact on the quality of care provided to children.

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good

The newly appointed manager is in the process of submitting her application to Ofsted. Although the manager has not been in post long, they and the responsible individual and the deputy manager have formed a close, cohesive team, working together to make improvements.

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good

The previous manager did not send a number of notifications of safeguarding incidents to Ofsted within the required time frame. As a result, there was a delay in Ofsted’s scrutiny of the manager’s safeguarding actions.

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good

The local authority’s recruitment strategy has been positive. A new cohort of staff has been recruited to the home. The new staff work alongside experienced staff. This helps the less experienced staff to develop their expertise and resilience. Staff said that they feel well supported and receive good levels of training and support.

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good

Leaders and staff make a great effort to make the home environment warm, homely and inviting for the children. However, the imposing size of the home means that it retains an institutionalised feel. The home is not consistently maintained to a reasonable standard. One child said the home was too big and sometimes cold. Leaders have not progressed the home’s redevelopment plan at a quick enough pace. Therefore, the previous requirement in relation to this has been restated. Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 5 The manager ensures that safer recruitment practice is applied. Recruitment records are much improved.

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good

Leaders, managers and staff work effectively with other professionals, and this makes a real difference to the children’s progress. Several external professionals commented positively on the communication and professionalism of the managers and staff. Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 6

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person making progress with the home’s development plan for refurbishment of areas of the home that need improvement, including the kitchen.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is repeated. 16 January 2023

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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; 16 January 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 7 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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 located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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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)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)(c)(d))

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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 — is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 16 January 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 8 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.6)

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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: SC040631 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Surrey County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Quadrant Court, 35 Guildford Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 7QQ

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC040631 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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