Children's Home run by SureCare Residential Limited – The White Trees Group in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 1 Registered provider: SureCare Residential Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since January 2023 and registered with Ofsted in March 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, four children have moved to the home and four children have left. Currently, four children live at the home. Staff establish positive, trusting relationships with children. Consequently, children engage in discussions with staff that help with their understanding of online safety, unsafe situations and how to manage their emotions.

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improvement to be good

Staff use an electronic record storage system to record children’s case files and other documents related to the home. Children said that the staff spend a lot of time typing up daily records. During the inspection, the inspector observed staff typing on laptops instead of fully engaging with the children. This limits the children’s experience of feeling cared for and nurtured.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they can share their thoughts and feelings through the children’s meetings and by talking to their key worker or the manager. However, the children do not have regular access to appropriate advocacy support. Therefore, they do not have an independent trusted person to confide in should they need to.

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improvement to be good

Two children regularly take part in groups, such as outdoor pursuits, indoor climbing, singing and dancing. All the children are offered opportunities to go on community trips to the coast, cinema and restaurants. The older children often refuse to take part, choosing to spend their free time in their bedrooms, watching television, or online gaming. This limits their opportunities to develop positive self- esteem and healthy peer relationships.

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improvement to be good

All children go to school. One child has completed his GCSEs and is starting college in September. One child, who did not attend school before they moved to the home, is now accessing a return to learn programme for an hour a day. However, staff have not ensured that educational activities are planned for the rest of the day. Therefore, the child’s educational progress is restricted.

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improvement to be good

Children live in a modern, spacious home. Some areas of the home are not decorated and maintained to a good enough standard. There are marks and graffiti on the wall and stained carpets. In one bedroom, a socket and an extension lead were overloaded with plugs. This does not create a safe and homely environment for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand safeguarding and generally respond well to concerns. However, on one occasion, staff failed to follow safeguarding procedures when a child made an allegation about a member of staff. The allegation was not promptly reported, and Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 4 the member of staff concerned continued to work with the child while the allegation was being investigated. These shortfalls fail to ensure that children are safeguarded effectively and protected from the risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

There have been incidents of children leaving the house and being reported as missing from the home. The children are at risk of harm when they go missing. Staff respond well; however, independent return-home interviews are not consistently carried out. This reduces the staff’s understanding of the child’s experiences and the risks they encountered while they were away.

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improvement to be good

The quality and content of the children’s risk assessments and positive behaviour plans are not consistent. Some plans include information that is no longer relevant, while other plans are regularly updated. Consequently, the most-relevant information about children’s needs is not consistently available to staff.

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improvement to be good

The home’s location risk assessment does not include consultation with the local police. Important information and crime statistics that could help to minimise the risks to children have not been sufficiently gathered. This does not ensure that staff are continually informed about the area and can mitigate potential concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff smoke and use vapes on the premises. On two occasions, children have picked up the staff’s vapes and attempted to use them. Children can access the allocated smoking area. This goes against the organisation’s smoking policy and does not provide the children with positive role models.

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good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. The manager is a visible presence at the home and makes himself available to staff for guidance and advice. Staff receive regular supervision sessions. Consequently, staff said that they feel supported by the manager.

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good

The internal quality of care review does not provide effective analysis of care for children. Several sections in the report have been taken from the previous quality of care review report. This weakens the review and evaluation of the care provided.

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good

The statement of purpose has not been regularly revised or sent to Ofsted within 28 days of its revision.

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good

Some staff use derogatory terms and references in children’s case notes. Failing to ensure objective and clear recording means that some information is recorded in a way that is not helpful to the child.

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good

Safe recruitment processes are comprehensively carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. The staff receive a detailed induction, which includes the home’s mandatory training and shadow shifts. Good induction, support and training help staff to meet children’s needs and provide continuity of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 5 Thorough training packages are provided to meet children’s individual needs. This helps the staff to feel confident and to be consistent in their responses to children.

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good

A detailed workforce development plan is in place, and this provides strategies to steer improvements to the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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 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)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that managers and staff respond effectively and take appropriate action when a child makes an allegation;

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Requirement Due date

review the premises to protect children from avoidable risks in relation to staff smoking and using vapes on the premises. 11 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 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 the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(e)(h))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children’s plans are regularly reviewed and amended;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff spend their time appropriately with children and restrict the amount of time that staff spend on laptops;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children’s files and documents are stored in the office. 11 September

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them; 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

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the 11 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 8 home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff consistently engage with older children and encourage them to spend more time out of their bedrooms;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the children’s guide contains correct, child- friendly information and is accessible to children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children have access to independent advocacy support.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children with reduced education timetables are provided with educational activities at home to support their learning and development. 11 September

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 11 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 9 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a written record of independent return-home interviews with children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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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”). (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3)) 2 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) 11 September

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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. 11 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 10 (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environments that meets the needs of their children; they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  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)

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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: 2661812 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: SureCare Residential Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Old Snap Factory, Twyford Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3LJ

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Inspectors

Rachel Watkinson, Social Care Inspector Clare Hannah, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2661812 12 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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