Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 1 SC477900 Registered provider: Care Focus 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. It 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 was registered with Ofsted in August 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 9 November 2022

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/11/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Outstanding 12/09/2019 Full Outstanding 14/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel safe and form positive relationships with staff. Staff and children interact positively. Children seek out staff for physical and emotional comfort, and staff respond with sensitivity and warmth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s communication effectively. When children are unable to verbalise how they feel, they can use emotion cards to inform staff of their feelings and how they need to be supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their families and communicate with them. Staff are aware that this may come with risks, and they alert placing authorities to these. This has led to children’s plans being changed to keep children safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make progress both socially and emotionally. Social workers said that staff provide children with stability and safety. One child was non- verbal and socially isolated when they moved to the home. They are now fully engaged in education and attend a local drama group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to make progress academically. Children have taken exams in functional mathematics and English. One child has completed her mathematics and English GCSE exams this summer, an academic year ahead of her age group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in socially rewarding activities. One child has appeared in a drama production at a local theatre, while another has organised a collection for a local foodbank.

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

Staff have a good knowledge of the children and their needs and vulnerabilities. They understand what support children need to be safe. Children who go missing from home or self-harm are appropriately protected and supported. One child who self-harms has completed a safety plan with staff. The child also has a sensory box, which they use to help reduce the urge to self-harm.

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

Children receive suitable external support to manage their mental health. Appropriate referrals are made to services such as child and adolescent mental health services. The organisation also uses external therapists to support children to address issues of trauma, through child-led therapy.

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

When children make allegations, these are taken seriously and swift action ensures their safety. Relevant referrals are made to appropriate professionals, including the Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 4 local authority designated officer, placing authorities and Ofsted. Advice from professionals is followed and internal investigations are thorough.

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

Staff support children to discuss issues of bullying and peer relationships. When incidents of bullying are identified, they are generally managed via the use of consequences. This has not always been effective and, on occasions, children have verbally and physically assaulted other children. There have been long-standing plans to deliver a bespoke anti-bullying programme and the resources are in place. However, this is yet to occur.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is appropriately qualified and experienced. They know the children and their risks and vulnerabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is ambitious for children and staff and has created a nurturing, community culture in the home. Children often seek out the manager for comfort and support, and the manager is responsive to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they are supported by the manager and other leaders in the organisation. Staff feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are appropriately trained to meet the needs of the children. This includes training around self-harm, exploitation, therapeutic care and online safety. This training helps staff to understand children’s trauma and be better able to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has sought additional support from placing authorities when risks for children are escalating. This has resulted in one child’s support being increased to two-to-one staffing. The manager has also challenged a placing authority over the length of time it took them to talk to a child following an allegation of harm being made by the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two children have moved on from the home following increases in risks. These moves occurred with limited planning. Despite this, leaders and managers have not completed learning reviews. This is a missed opportunity to improve and develop practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, complete the planned one-to-one focused work with children to address issues of bullying. 31 August 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that leaders and managers are skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the standards,’ page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC477900 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 168 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6RA

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Inspector

Tom McGhee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 7 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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