Children's Home run by Momentum Residential Care Home Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 1 Registered provider: Momentum Residential Care Home Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private provider and can provide care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022. The manager resigned in March 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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Overall experiences and progress of

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/04/2022 Full Inadequate 20/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 3

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inadequate

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. Although this child is relatively settled and making some progress, there are widespread concerns. These include the management of the home and responses to safeguarding concerns, resulting in a judgement of inadequate.

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inadequate

Children do not receive good enough care. Staff do not consistently consider the impact of their actions and decisions on children. One child returned to the home and was refused a takeaway meal, despite staff having one. This led to the child becoming distressed and being unable to safely manage their emotions, which led to an avoidable physical restraint.

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inadequate

Children make progress in education. The child currently living at the home has moved to a mainstream provision after a period of online tutoring. The staff provide the child with good educational routines, and support them to attend the local library to help with their education.

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inadequate

The child has good relationships with staff. The child identifies their key worker as someone they feel particularly comfortable with.

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inadequate

Staff involve the child in an increasing range of social activities. The child has visited a local zoo and a cat cafe. They are interested in insects and have a terrarium in their bedroom. Staff support the child to visit local parks to hunt for bugs.

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

The managers and staff have failed to identify and take appropriate action regarding allegations against adults working at the home. Information is not always shared with the local authority designated officer or the child’s social worker. This means that children have not had the opportunity to speak to an external adult. The management of these allegations has not had the required multi-agency involvement. The failure to respond to allegations appropriately leaves children at risk of further harm.

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

One internal investigation into an allegation was not objective or thorough. Poor- quality investigations do not provide the accurate information needed to support good decision-making that keeps children safe.

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

Staff do not consistently meet children’s behavioural needs effectively. Poor behaviour management has led to restraints that could have been reasonably avoided. On one occasion, a child was informed by phone, while travelling to school, that a consequence had been imposed on them. This showed a lack of consideration for the impact that this may have on the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 4 Leaders and managers’ monitoring of restraint is ineffective. Therefore, opportunities to review and address poor practice are missed. In addition, children are not consistently spoken to after the use of physical interventions or consequences. This does not ensure safe and effective care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager resigned in March 2023 and no longer works for the provider. However, at the time of the inspection, the registered manager had not cancelled her registration and therefore remained registered with Ofsted. An interim manager is now in post. The interim manager provides support two days each week.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The culture at the home has not been conducive to good-quality care. The management and staff team have not worked cohesively, and have failed to ensure that significant concerns are appropriately acted on. Poor and ineffective management means that many shortfalls from previous inspections have been raised again at this inspection. Although some management changes have recently been made, it is too early to assess their effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers’ oversight of the quality of care is inadequate. Poor management oversight in relation to significant incidents involving children means that inadequate practice has not been identified or addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

For some children, care planning has been poor. For children who have moved on from the home, many documents were missing or incomplete. As a result, staff did not have all the information that they needed to provide well-planned, consistent care. In addition, other important documents, including staff rotas and details of children moving to and from the home, were not available.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

External monitoring has failed to identify significant issues. Gaps in planning and recording for children have not been identified. Poor staff practice in relation to safeguarding and behaviour management has also not been identified, leaving children at risk of significant harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The new interim manager has completed an audit and is in the process of rectifying poor record-keeping. Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that: - staff and managers understand the home’s safeguarding procedures in respect of managing allegations and escalating concerns about adults working with children - all staff and managers share concerns with the local authority designated officer and the child’s social worker when necessary - all information relating to a referral to the local authority designated officer and any subsequent actions are clearly recorded and completed in the directed timescales. 13 June 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— 13 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 6 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

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

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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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)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that: - the home’s managers review the support in place for staff in relation to the management of bullying allegations.

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Requirement Due date

- children’s documents and plans contain the information required to enable staff to deliver consistent care based on children’s needs - children’s concerns, complaints and allegations are clearly recorded and acted on in line with the home’s procedures - managers monitor the quality of care and the practice of the home effectively. This includes ensuring that all records of restraint clearly outline all of the information required in Regulation 35 (The Children’s Home’s (England) Regulations 2015).

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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.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 13 June 2023

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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— 13 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 7 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use 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

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)(a)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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

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

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(viii)(xi)) 13 June 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 any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 8

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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: 2621215 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Momentum Residential Care Home Limited

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Inspector

Tom McGhee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2621215 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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