Children's Home run by Anna House Limited in Havering

Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 1 SC058603 Registered provider: Anna House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides long-term care and short breaks for up to six children with learning and physical difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in March 2005, and the manager registered in May 2018.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 7 December 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: SC058603 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Good 20/12/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home and four children have moved on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff were observed to be patient, kind and nurturing. Staff used creative ways to communicate with children with complex communication needs. Staff joined in with play and activities with the children. Children are consistently encouraged to make choices. The children were happy and relaxed with the staff and have built trusting relationships. Staff deliver personalised care for children and understand their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents speak highly of the staff and manager. Parents are impressed with the progress children make. Parents feel assured that their children are receiving good care. One parent said, ‘The difference in my child is excellent. He is happy and so much calmer now.’ The staff and manager support children to spend time with their family. One child has successfully managed an extended stay with their family for the first time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children all have specialised educational places. One child who was not attending school before moving into the home now attends school regularly. The manager and staff understood the child’s barriers to learning and introduced a gradual transition back into education. Children have good outcomes in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into and on from the home are planned. Three of the young people who have moved on from the home have benefited from moving on to an adult provision with the same provider. Staff that the young people are familiar with continue to support them. This ensures that the young people are provided with consistent and continuous care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do not always receive the appropriate support to help to meet their needs. For example, one child who has a good level of understanding does not brush their teeth regularly. There has been no work undertaken with the child to support and encourage oral hygiene.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress is not documented or monitored. There are no clear targets in children’s plans regarding their independence skills, education or personal hygiene. The ineffective monitoring and review of children’s targets and support needs make it more difficult to see the progress children make.

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

The children are supervised well and feel safe. Staff use their relationships with children to encourage positive behaviours. The current children living at the home do not go missing from the home. Social workers and parents feel assured that the children are effectively safeguarded. Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 4 Two safeguarding incidents were appropriately reported to the local authority designated officer. The manager’s record and analysis of the incident were appropriate. This practice helps the manager to identify any learning and make the necessary improvements, and it helps to keep children safe.

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

Children have individualised behaviour support plans. These plans give the staff clear guidance on how to best support the children. Where possible, children contribute to their plans and the strategies to help to manage their behaviour effectively.

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

The manager considers all known risks to children before they move into the home. However, for one child, the manager did not consider the impact of the risks in relation to the children already living at the home.

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

One child who has recently moved into the home has been subject to a high number of physical interventions. However, staff have been helped to identify triggers for the child and how to de-escalate the child’s behaviour, resulting in a reduction in the number of incidents requiring the use of physical interventions. However, work has not been undertaken with the child around safely managing their anger. The physical intervention records lack sufficient information about debriefs with children and staff. The manager has not evaluated physical intervention incidents, which compromises his ability to identify and address shortfalls in recording and practice.

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

Four of the children’s bedrooms were personalised to their tastes. However, improvement is required to the home environment to make it a safe and nurturing home. There is some damage to a door and several radiator covers. There were metal office draws and filling cabinets stored in the lounge and dining area, and children’s toys were stored in damaged plastic storage towers. One of the children had caused damage to the walls and furniture in his bedroom, and the bedroom needs redecorating and new furniture items. There are stains on some of the walls and two small stains on the stairway carpet. Action was taken to start to make improvements to the home environment during the inspection.

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good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified for his role. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager and an external consultant. However, there has been a decline in the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the home.

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good

Training records are disorganised and confusing and do not demonstrate that staff are suitably trained to meet the needs of all of the children in their care.

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good

The manager completes reports of six-monthly quality of care reviews. However, Ofsted has not received all of these reports. This compromises the regulator’s oversight of the home. Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 5 Some of the home’s records are chaotic, confusing and difficult to understand. There are various versions of the same documents, and some of the handwritten documents are illegible. Staff training and supervision records are not up to date or accurate. Some of the children’s records do not include all relevant information and contain some institutionalised language. The monitoring and review systems have failed to identify and address the shortfalls in records. However, the manager is in the process of improving the recording systems and paperwork at the home.

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good

Staff feel that the managers are supportive and approachable. Staff receive regular and effective supervision that enables them to reflect on their practice and supports their learning and development.

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good

Social workers speak highly of the home. One social worker said that the manager and staff provide excellent care for the children. Another social worker said that the communication with the manager and staff is good, and she is so grateful that the children she oversees are living at the home because the staff understand and meet their needs.

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good

Two of the four requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 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 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that improvements are made to the home environment. This includes the radiator covers being replaced and any outstanding or required decoration, repairs and maintenance work being addressed. Additionally, consideration must be given to all known risks for children before they move into the home and the impact this will have on children already living in the home. 31 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

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 3 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 7 child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(C)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered person monitors and improves the quality of records. These relate to key-work sessions, monthly summaries and physical intervention records that do not detail work conducted with children or highlight the progress children are making.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that staff undertake relevant training to help them to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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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

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

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 3 May 2023

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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: SC058603 8

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Margaret Akullo-Odiya

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC058603 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 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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