Children's home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025812 1 SC025812 McRae Residential Care Services 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 run and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager, who is a qualified social worker, registered with Ofsted in June 2012. He does not have a leadership and management qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, one child was living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 30 November and 1 December 2022. As a result, two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to monitor the progress made against the compliance notices. The inspector found that, although some progress has been made, further work is needed in relation to leadership and management to ensure that improvements are embedded and sustained. As a result, a further compliance notice has been issued under regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring of staff’s training is still not robust. The staff training matrix and workforce development plan are not accurate or up to date. Consequently, some gaps remain in the staff’s training, for example refresher training on knife crime and gang violence.

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This monitoring visit

Although staff now receive regular supervision, the supervision records viewed are of poor quality and do not demonstrate meaningful discussions about each child’s Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025812 2 needs, risk management, or staff practice and development. As a result, weak practice is not being adequately addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Despite managing this home for over 10 years, the registered manager still does not hold the required leadership and management qualification in the role assigned to him.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection, it was found that children are not protected and helped to keep themselves safe. Staff were not proactively responding when children’s safety was compromised, specifically children who were subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DOL) or at risk of criminal exploitation. Staff now demonstrate a good understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Leaders and managers have also sourced training in DOL, which will further strengthen staff’s safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

Children are being kept safe by positive action, support and engagement from staff. Risk assessments are thorough, written with clarity and give staff clear strategies to respond appropriately to risk.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team works closely in partnership with the headteacher of the virtual school, social workers and local education establishments. They support children who are out of school to access suitable education provision. However, when issues arise for children who are attending school, staff do not always provide effective advocacy to help overcome any barriers to the child’s attendance and learning.

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This monitoring visit

Previous requirements and recommendations were not fully reviewed during this visit. Therefore, these are restated below. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025812 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2022 Full Inadequate 10/11/2021 Full Good 19/02/2020 Full Good 17/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025812 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 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

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

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to staff training and supervision. 13 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 13 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025812 5 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 13 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the most up-to-date risk assessments and behaviour support plans for children are placed on their care files. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: SC025812 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Lodge Road, Croydon CR0 2PH

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Inspector

Maud Pipim-Addo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC025812 7 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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