Children's home run by Carterhatch Homes Ltd

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 1 Registered provider: Carterhatch 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 privately run children’s home provides care for up to three children with emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since October 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 19 October 2022

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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. Inspectors have 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: 2643361 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

Staff continue to use incentives to help the child to achieve their individualised goals. This includes finding new ways to support the child to thrive physically, emotionally and socially.

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The care of children

Staff continue to ensure that the child can engage in social and leisure activities. Staff have worked hard in increasing consultation with the child on producing a weekly activity planner.

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The care of children

Staff work well with the child’s teachers to maintain good school attendance. This strong partnership enables staff to respond to any barriers to the child’s learning effectively. However, staff are still not looking into how they can promote learning outside of the school, for example visiting places of educational interest.

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The care of children

Despite the leaders’ and staff’s efforts to make improvements from the last inspection, not enough effort has been made to secure the child’s placing local authority care plan. This compromises the staff’s ability to fully understand all the child’s needs.

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The care of children

Staff ensure that the child’s religious needs are met, including supporting the child to be able to attend church regularly.

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The safety of children

Staff have made improvements to the child’s safety plan to ensure that it is more bespoke to the child’s individual needs and vulnerabilities.

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The safety of children

Staff support the child to take age-appropriate risks, including building up ‘free time’ in the community. Consequently, the child is developing independence skills as well as understanding how to keep themselves safe when they are away from the home.

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The safety of children

Leaders and staff are now reviewing all incidents. This is helping them to consider whether anything could have been done differently to safeguard the child. When leaders and staff identify shortfalls in practice, this is being addressed immediately.

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The safety of children

When the child goes missing from the home, staff work to agreed procedures to ensure that the relevant agencies are informed, and that all avenues are explored to locate the child. However, leaders and managers are not effective in escalating matters to the responsible local authority to ensure that independent return home interviews take place. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 3 Leaders and managers are notifying Ofsted appropriately when serious incidents occur.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

A new manager is in the process of applying to Ofsted for registration. The responsible individual and manager have worked well to address the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers continue to address shortfalls in practice and procedures to ensure that they are providing a good quality of care to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers continue to develop the ethos and culture of the home in line with the statement of purpose. Leaders and managers are working hard to recruit staff with the right qualities and enthusiasm to meet the aims and objectives of the home. However, leaders and managers have not followed good practice guidelines on required checks in the recruitment of some new members of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have made good progress in ensuring that staff receive an appropriate induction and ongoing training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Staff are supported through supervision and team meetings to understand their roles and responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have made good progress in developing methods for measuring the difference the home is making to children’s lives. However, the review of the quality of care still does not consider the views of parents, and the responsible local authority for the child. Furthermore, the review does not evaluate the quality of care and identify the appropriate timescales for when actions will be met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders and managers continue to work well with the independent visitor and monthly reports are received by Ofsted in a timely manner. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are provided with informal learning opportunities.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 May 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 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; 1 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 6 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made 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; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the 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)) 1 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 7 In particular, ensure that appropriate proofs of address are obtained when staff are being recruited.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children looked after plans are obtained. 1 May 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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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 quality of care provided for children;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the review of the quality of care is an evaluation of the care provided. In addition, the views of 1 May 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 8 parents, placing authorities and other professionals should be considered.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when children return to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph 9.30) Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Carterhatch Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 66B Cazenove Road, London N16 6AA

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Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2643361 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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Inspector

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