Children's home run by Carterhatch Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 1 Registered provider: Carterhatch Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home provides care for up to three children with emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2021. The registered manager’s post has been vacant since October 2022. A manager has been appointed and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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: 19 October 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move to this home are supported to settle in and to form trusted and secure relationships with staff. As a result, children make progress relative to their individual circumstances.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have aspirations and be ambitious. Both children attend education. Although one child’s school attendance has recently reduced, staff’s communication with the teacher ensures that the child continues to learn at home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive help to improve their independence skills, such as cooking, budgeting and keeping their rooms clean and tidy. One child said, ‘I enjoy baking with staff and having home spa treatment days’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. Staff listen to children’s views, wishes and feelings about family time, and plans are put in place to make this safe and meaningful. This reduces children’s anxieties and helps them to settle well in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in a variety of social and physical activities in the home and the community. They are supported to develop existing and new hobbies. For example, one child receives support to pursue their interest in hair and beauty.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment of the home is clean and tidy, and repairs are carried out swiftly. Children like their bedrooms because they have personalised them. Children are happy living in a warm and nurturing environment, and they take pride in their home.

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

The children have good relationships with each other. Staff swiftly act to address any fallouts or disagreements, which are resolved using restorative approaches. Regular discussions about respecting others are helping children to live together safely.

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

Children’s files are kept up to date with all the relevant documents and assessments to help staff understand their needs and how to care for children appropriately. However, when new children move into the home, records do not demonstrate that full consideration is given to the impact this will have on children already living in the home. This shortfall requires improvement to ensure that children entering the home are suitably matched with children already living in the home.

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

One child’s risk assessment does not correlate with the risks identified in their care plan. This means that staff are not able to identify strategies to minimise risk for that child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 4 Safer recruitment practice needs to be strengthened. For example, gaps in employment history are not explored and proof of change of addresses have not obtained for all staff.

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

Children have the opportunity to share their views with their key workers and in children’s meetings. Children’s views are listened to and acted on. Children’s complaints are recorded well and responded to with detailed action plans.

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

Professionals report that children are safe and happy at the home. However, the communication with some professionals about incidents in the home is not timely and is inconsistent. This impacts on the collaborative decisions being made to safeguard children.

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good

The responsible individual and manager were not present at this inspection.

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good

The leaders and manager promote staff development and internal progression. This has led to a recent change in the staff team’s roles. Staff retention provides the children with consistency and stability. This also helps the children to maintain positive relationships with staff and to feel secure and stable when at the home.

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good

Staff say they work in a supportive environment. Staff can access a wide range of training to increase their skills and knowledge. However, some staff have not been offered training to meet the specific needs of children, such as training specifically relating to child criminal exploitation and substance misuse.

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good

The requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection have been partially met.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated and a copy provided to Ofsted.

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good

The leaders and manager have not reported serious safeguarding incidents. This oversight places children at risk and compromises their safety.

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good

Staff benefit from an informative induction and receive regular supervision. However, the provider is unclear about the arrangements for the supervision of the therapist. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 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 registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 7 September 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; if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have a record of the full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment for all staff. 7 September 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 7 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff undertake appropriate training to meet the needs of children living in the home.

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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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

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Requirement Due date

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)(c)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 7 September 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s external whistle-blowing procedures through the induction process (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.9)  The registered person should ensure that they only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that there are clear arrangements in place for the therapist to receive supervision from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 7

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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: 2643361 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Carterhatch Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 66B Cazenove Road, London N16 6AA

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Inspector

Melvin Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2643361 9 inspects 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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