Children's Home run by Creating Care Choices Limited in Lewisham

Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 1 Registered provider: Creating Care Choices Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to six children with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in October 2021. The manager was registered with Ofsted on 22 September 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

During the visit, the inspectors were aware that a serious incident was under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, the inspectors considered the actions the home has taken in response to the incident, alongside other relevant evidence available to them.

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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 and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2022

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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: 2642537 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 3

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inadequate

Children’s safety and welfare are compromised by poor supervision by staff and poor leadership and management. This has led to an inadequate inspection judgement.

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inadequate

Staff fail to consistently supervise children as outlined in their care plans. As a result, one child was able to leave the house on two occasions, despite requiring two-to- one supervision at all times. Staff did not take effective action at the time of the first incident and the child was found by a member of the public who contacted the police. Leaders and managers then failed to act quickly enough to prevent the child leaving the house a second time. Leaders and managers did not conduct a thorough investigation into this incident. There are discrepancies in recorded information and it remains unclear what happened.

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inadequate

Children’s records are not accurate. This makes it difficult to understand their day- to-day experiences living in the home, particularly for non-verbal children. For example, children’s daily records do not include information about incidents that are known to have taken place. On some records the author is not stated, and they do not have the correct date. There are also discrepancies between staff rotas and signing-in records that make it difficult to know exactly who has been working with children. These recording errors undermine effective safeguarding and scrutiny of practice in the home.

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inadequate

Children’s health and education needs are being met well. All children are registered with local services and receive treatment when required. All children are engaging in education and making good progress.

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inadequate

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with their families. Staff work closely with children and their families, to ensure that the time they spend together is enjoyable.

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inadequate

The home is well maintained and suitable for children. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and the living area is welcoming and homely.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are inadequate and have placed children at risk.

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

Leaders have failed to ensure that staff respond effectively to significant incidents and record them accurately. The police shared information that on one occasion, a child was restrained by staff in the community. However, this was not reported to the relevant external professionals or recorded by staff. The registered manager was not aware of this information until this inspection and disputes that staff restrained the child. There is no indication that a debrief was undertaken or that there were Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 4 checks to see if the child was injured. The lack of response, accurate information- sharing and reporting prevent children from receiving the appropriate help and support.

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

Recruitment practice is not robust. Leaders and managers do not ensure that they have important information they need about agency staff, to assure themselves that they are safe to work with children. Additionally, the registered manager did not know which agency staff had been working in the home. Inspectors also found gaps in the recruitment records of the home’s own staff. These shortfalls in employment practice potentially place children at risk.

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

The home’s day-to-day care is not arranged or delivered to ensure that children’s needs can be met safely. There are no clear procedures for staff working on their own at night. These shortfalls potentially place children at risk.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to follow the recommendations from the last fire risk assessment. Also, fire doors are kept open when they should be closed and fire extinguishers are stored in locked cupboards and would not be easily accessible in an emergency.

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

The whistle-blowing policy is inadequate. It does not give sufficient guidance about action staff should take if they have a concern about leaders or managers. Additionally, whistle-blowing policy and practice are not covered in the staff induction process. This compromises effective safeguarding practice in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management of the home are poor. There is a lack of effective oversight of staff practice and of the work of the registered manager. Leaders and managers do not consistently notify Ofsted of significant incidents as required. Additionally, regulation 44 reports do not include information about all incidents that have taken place. This failure to report serious incidents and share information compromises external oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight is weak. Staff and children do not receive appropriate debriefing following incidents. Children’s records do not reflect their experiences, and some contain inappropriate language. Staff lack understanding of children’s needs and behaviours, and supervision of staff’s work is poor. The responsible individual’s oversight of the home is not effective. The registered manager does not receive regular supervision. This is a significant gap, particularly following serious incidents and when concerns are raised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive annual appraisals. However, the registered manager does not appraise staff himself or provide his own feedback on staff members’ performance. Also, the quality of performance appraisal is limited by the lack of feedback from other staff members and children. Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 5 Due to the concerns raised at this inspection, two compliance notices have been issued. Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 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, The 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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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 home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is accurate recording of incidents and that they share important information. Leaders and managers must ensure that they implement clear procedures for staff working alone at night. Leaders and managers must ensure that they follow the correct fire precautions. 26 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 7 *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

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must have sufficient oversight of records, practices and incidents in the home. Leaders and managers must follow important recommendations from risk assessments. The registered manager must receive regular and effective supervision. 23 June 2023

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and 26 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 8 any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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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)) 23 June 2023

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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

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (2)(b) (4)(a)(b)) 23 June 2023

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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

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) (3)(d)) 26 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 9 In particular, the registered person must ensure that appropriate references are obtained and that gaps in employment are explored. The registered person must obtain satisfactory information about all agency staff working with children.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the whistle-blowing policy is adequate and that staff are familiar through the induction process with the home’s internal whistle-blowing procedures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that all staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This

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Recommendations

appraisal should take into account the registered manager’s view and, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and of children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that the responsible individual supervises the management of the home as set out in the definition of a responsible individual in regulation 2. The responsible individual should have an understanding of both effective practice in responding to the needs of looked after children and of local authority care planning duties and how children’s homes are required to support these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 12.3)

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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: 2642537 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Creating Care Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 38 Castle Drive, Ilford, Essex IG4 5AE

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Inspectors

Leanne Grant, Social Care Inspector Aneta Wasilewska, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2642537 11 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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