Horsebridge House

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 1 SC452713

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Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that it specialises in working with children who have experienced significant trauma in their formative years. At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since February 2023 and has not yet applied for registration with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 22 November 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. The inspector 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: SC452713 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

Children enjoy living in this home. They say that staff help them and they can talk to them when they are upset or worried about something. Interactions between staff and children are often warm and friendly. Staff were good humoured when one child was dancing to music throughout the day. This helps children to feel cared for and have a sense of belonging in the home.

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The care of children

Most children are making some progress in the home. Staff are providing more structured learning opportunities for one child, and there are plans to increase his attendance at school. Another child has successfully secured a place on a college course and is excited about using the art facilities there in the future. However, the care being provided to one child, who has specific health needs, requires greater attention. Some staff are unsure how to meet the child’s current needs and engage them to make good progress. This is compounded by vague care plans, which lack information and consultation with the relevant professionals about how to meet the child’s individual needs. The new manager is aware of these challenges and is taking steps to address them.

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The care of children

Since the last inspection, improvements have been made to the environment. The home has benefited from new furniture and the shower room has been refitted. Children’s bedrooms are personalised, and large cracks and patches of mould have been repaired and cleared from the walls and ceilings. However, some furniture in children’s bedrooms is damaged and there remains a large and unsightly radiator bracket fixed to the wall in one child’s bedroom. The environment is cluttered, particularly the staff bedrooms, and ongoing improvements are required to provide a homely and nurturing environment for children.

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The safety of children

Leaders and managers have responded appropriately when safeguarding concerns have been raised, including by sharing the concerns with the relevant professionals. Leaders and managers identified a delayed response by staff when reporting one concern and implemented a new reporting procedure to prevent delays from occurring in the future. Safeguarding training was delivered to staff in January 2023 to help develop their knowledge about how to keep children safe and respond effectively to concerns.

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The safety of children

Since the last inspection, restraint has been used on one occasion. However, staff did not use sufficient strategies and de-escalation techniques to avoid the use of the measure. Moreover, when the child complained of injury, staff did not respond in a Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 3 timely fashion to offer medical treatment and ensure the child was not harmed. The new manager is working with the staff to review their responses to children’s behaviour to ensure this is consistently positive.

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The safety of children

Staff supervision sessions and debriefs provide the opportunity for staff to reflect on their practices and the support they offer to children. However, staff are not always supported to reflect effectively on their responses to behaviours that challenge them and identify what could have been done differently. As a result, learning and development opportunities for staff, with regard to the care they provide, are missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The new manager has been in post since the start of February 2023 and is still getting to know the children and the staff team. The responsible individual has worked closely with the manager to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Leaders and managers recognise that this is an ongoing process, which requires further development of the skills of staff in reflection and their therapeutic ways of working. The manager has started to identify areas for development and is making plans to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has increased the frequency of team meetings, which provide a space for staff to reflect on the care of children and the support they offer. There are still some examples of punitive responses to children’s behaviour, although the manager is working with the team to bring about a change in their approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Independent monitoring of the home does not do enough to capture the views and opinions of children, parents or external professionals. As a result, the development of the home and improvements to the quality of care provided by staff are not always informed by the experiences of others. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/08/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Good 12/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 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 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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that care plans provide staff with a clear understanding of how to meet the individual needs of children. This specifically relates to staff having the knowledge and skills they need to provide good-quality care. 24 April 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 24 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to de-escalate challenging situations.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff are supported to reflect on challenging situations and identify how they could have responded differently to achieve more positive outcomes.

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Requirement Due date

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

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

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(viii)) 10 April 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 7 In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff check that children following the use of restraint and offer appropriate medical treatment if required.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the independent person seeks feedback from children and other relevant people about the care being provided. 10 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of children. The environment should be homely and maintain a domestic, rather than ‘institutional’, impression. In particular, the registered person should ensure the home has adequate furniture, so it is tidy and uncluttered. This includes in staff sleep-in rooms. When furniture is damaged, the registered person should replace or repair the furniture in a timely fashion. They should also review the use of an unsightly radiator bracket in one child’s bedroom. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Community Service Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC452713 9 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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