Children's Home run by Alicie Enterprises Limited in Ealing

Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 1 Registered provider: Alicie Enterprises Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately managed children’s home that is registered to provide care for up to four girls with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home’s registration in August 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 30 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2021 Full Good 11/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. All were thriving socially, emotionally and physically.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to develop trusting and warm relationships with the children. This can be best seen at mealtimes, when children and staff engage in lively conversations that result in lots of spontaneous laughter and fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and have the skills and knowledge to meet children’s individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with the children’s schools to ensure that children have all the support they need to thrive educationally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff are strong advocates for the children. This level of support has enabled children to have a platform where their voices and views are heard. For example, staff have advocated for the children to receive specialist laptops to aid their learning both at school and at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a variety of fun activities, including day trips. Leaders and managers go above and beyond to ensure that all children living at the home enjoy a holiday abroad.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s health needs well and seek the support of specialist health services to ensure that children’s physical and mental health are promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the voice of the child is reflected in all decisions that are made about the running of the home. However, the children’s guide does not have information on how children can contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. This leaves a gap in children learning about the role of the children’s commissioner and how the team promotes their rights, views and interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff work hard to ensure that children can see people who are important to them, including family and friends.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff ensure that children feel respected and safe. Staff fully understand children’s safety plans. Consequently, children rarely go missing from the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers and staff respond quickly when incidents occur, including making sure that a child’s placing local authority is informed. However, on one occasion, managers forgot to notify Ofsted of a serious incident that involved one child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 4 Children are supported to develop independent skills in readiness for adulthood. One child has developed life skills that have enabled them to travel independently to visit friends. However, when the child was placed in a vulnerable position during a stay with a friend, this was not promptly referred to the child’s placing local authority.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers have not given enough consideration to the use of CCTV inside the home, including the impact of CCTV on children’s rights to privacy in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use well-structured processes to track and review children’s progress. This includes working closely with schools, local authorities and therapeutic teams. However, the internal quality assurance audit process has failed to pick up that some children’s records are missing their care plan or pathway plan produced by their placing local authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although senior managers understand the ethos of the home, this is not embedded in staff practice. This has resulted in some inconsistencies beginning to emerge in how staff provide care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are suitably qualified and experienced and receive ongoing training to ensure that their skills stay up to date. However, the workforce plan does not contain this information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision to help to ensure that they are fulfilling their roles, including making sure that children feel secure and can thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents hold managers and staff in high regard. For example, one parent told the inspector, ‘Staff are really caring and do a wonderful job.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff understand the approach and ethos of the home and work together to deliver care in line with this approach and ethos. 1 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the use of CCTV is fully considered in relation to children’s rights. 1 March 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. 1 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 6 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children looked after care plans and pathway plans are obtained.

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 1 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the workforce plan includes information on the experience and qualifications of staff, who staff are, and that the plan is updated regularly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff consult fully with the child’s placing authority when they become aware that a child has taken a course of action that, despite their developmental stage and wish to develop positive relationships with people outside the home, has placed them at risk. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 42, paragraph 9.13)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide includes information on how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. In addition, the children’s guide should include information on the use of CCTV in the home.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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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: 2544885 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Alicie Enterprises Limited

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Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2544885 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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