Children's home run by Potton Homes Limited in Greenwich

Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 1 SC393940 Registered provider: Potton Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides long-term care for up to five children with a diagnosed learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 14 December 2021

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2021 Full Good 15/10/2019 Full Good 21/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 3

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and six children have moved on. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living at the home.

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inadequate

Children’s progress and experiences are mixed. Some children have had favourable experiences and positive, planned moves from the home. However, the inspection identified significant shortfalls in the protection of children and the leadership and management of the home. These are reflected in the overall judgement of inadequate.

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inadequate

One child requires staff support with their communication, however, not all staff are trained in advanced communication methods. Therefore, opportunities for the child to express their opinions are limited. Staff do not routinely gather feedback from the children. Consequently, it is unclear how staff respond to their views or how children participate in decision-making about their lives.

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inadequate

Children’s progress in education is not consistent. Some children have good attendance at school, while others engage with educational activities and learning for vocational qualifications at home, provided by tutors. For one child, despite the managers persistent engagement with external agencies, there was a prolonged period without any suitable education in place.

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inadequate

A bedroom door and the lounge door, have large handles on the outside. This is because a previous deprivation of liberty order (DOL) permitted the use of door holds as an environmental safety barrier. These handles do not provide a homely environment for the children.

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inadequate

Children’s relationships with their families are supported. Regular visits and outings with families ensure that the children build and maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them.

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inadequate

Staff use incentives to reward children. Children can earn activities in the community and meals out. These incentives are used to encourage the children to eat meals at the table, tidy up their toys and develop their personal care skills. Children regularly visit local parks and restaurants. One child visited a safari park. These activities provide the children with positive experiences in the community that help them to develop their social skills.

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inadequate

The home is clean and spacious, and the feedback from parents and professionals is positive. Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 4

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

Leaders and managers failed to take appropriate action following two allegations made in May and June 2022 by a child living at the home. These concerns were not shared with the appropriate agencies and investigations were not conducted into these allegations. These failings were compounded when an internal quality assurance exercise was undertaken in November 2022. This highlighted the incidents, however, appropriate agencies were still not informed. Furthermore, following inspectors highlighting these serious issues to leaders and managers, they failed to send accurate information to the local authority designated officer. These serious shortfalls fail to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively and protected from the risk of harm.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure safer recruitment practices are followed. One member of staff has been allowed to work without a full and satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check. A high number of staff vacancies has led to the occasional, and infrequent, use of agency staff. The registered manager was not able to confidently demonstrate that all checks, including gaps in employment, had been explored by the agency. This lack of scrutiny has left children at the risk of being cared for by unsuitable adults.

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

Staff use physical interventions to keep children safe. One child was subject to a DOL. This order permitted the use of door holds at times when the child either requested it or was in crisis. Considerable discrepancies in the recording of the restraints and door holds have meant that the manager has not monitored these interventions properly. The manager could not consistently show that the use of restraint had been proportionate or necessary, or that there had been progress in reducing these interventions.

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

Positive behaviour plans, care plans and risk assessments are in place for children. However, it is difficult to find important information and the agreed strategies to keep children safe. Therefore, staff’s responses to children’s safety are often inconsistent.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager lacks knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. She has failed to demonstrate a clear understanding of regulatory requirements in respect of notifying Ofsted. Failure to notify Ofsted without delay means that the regulator’s capacity to monitor safeguarding incidents has been compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are not confident in their understanding of the aims and ethos of the home. The manager has failed to ensure that the staff understand the home’s statement of purpose. This has meant that staff are unclear about the home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for the children. Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 5 The manager completes an internal quality of care review. However, the review fails to include any feedback or opinions from children on the facilities and the quality of care they receive. These shortfalls limit the effectiveness of the report.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive supervisions and appraisals. Team meetings are held regularly, however, the meeting minutes provide limited details or agreed actions. This means that staff who were unable to attend are not kept fully informed of incidents of concern.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff access online training portals, as well as receiving face-to-face training. Induction processes for new staff are thorough, providing staff with mandatory training and shadow shifts before they work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, one of the requirements has been met. Four requirements are not met and these are restated. Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 6 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; 20 March 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 7 help each child to express views, wishes and feelings. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff seek feedback from children and that staff support children to be involved in decision- making.

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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

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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that leaders, managers and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that leaders, managers and staff respond effectively and take appropriate action when a child makes an allegation.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that children’s plans and assessments provide clear, concise guidance for staff to follow.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 6 March 2023

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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 6 March 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 8 promotes their welfare.

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

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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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that managers monitor the quality of care and the staff practice effectively.

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Ensure that leaders, managers and staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures.

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Ensure that safe recruitment procedures are followed.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 6 March 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 9 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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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the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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a description of the measure and its duration;

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details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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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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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

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 6 March 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 10 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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 6 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (2)(b)) 6 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 staff provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming and supportive. The home should maintain a domestic, rather than institutional impression. In particular, remove internal door locks and handles which are no longer required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7)

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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: SC393940 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Potton Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Rayns Way, Syston, Leicester LE7 1PF

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Inspectors

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Mary Costello, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC393940 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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