Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Hertsmere

Inspection report children’s home: SC426719 1 SC426719 Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a large private company. It provides care for up to six children who have physical and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered by Ofsted in May 2021 and holds the required level 5 qualification.

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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 good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Good 29/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/10/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Five children live in the home. Since the last inspection, two children have moved on. Staff ensure that moves are planned well and take account of children’s individual needs and development. This helps children to prepare for changes in their lives. Staff have welcomed two children into the home, who have settled in well and are making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are consistent daily routines in place that help children process information, increase their confidence and reduce any anxiety. Most children’s attendance at school is regular, and learning is promoted. One child’s attendance at school has recently declined. The manager and staff are working well with professionals to understand the barriers that are impacting the child’s learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has made some home improvements, including the redecoration of some rooms. A new kitchen has been installed, and furniture has been purchased. External window blinds have been replaced with integrated blinds. These changes make the home feel more welcoming and ensure that the environment is designed to meet the needs of the children who live there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children are supported to access health services. They attend routine health checks and receive support from specialist health professionals. Medication has not been managed consistently well since the last inspection. Systems for storing, administrating and recording medication have been reviewed by the manager and an external auditor. As a result, the process has improved and there have been no further concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from keeping in touch with people who are important to them. Staff support children to build positive relationships with each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There have been some changes within the management and staff teams, who are also supported by regular agency staff. Permanently employed staff take a lead role in managing children with the most complex needs. This means some children are more likely to be cared for by staff they are not familiar with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care needs are understood by the manager and staff. However, information recorded in care plans is not recorded consistently, which has the potential for care needs to be misunderstood. On one occasion, the manager did not consider the most appropriate way of maintaining a child’s dignity while providing personal care.

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

Allegations against staff are taken seriously. The manager promptly shares information with relevant people and takes action to reduce the potential risk to Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 4 children. Thorough investigations are completed by the operations manager. Outcomes of investigations identify learning. This is used to improve practice and ensure that the welfare of children is promoted.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and behaviours and apply effective strategies to keep children safe. On one occasion, the manager has not sought advice from professionals about a child’s personal evacuation plan, which is to ‘stay put’. This is a missed opportunity to seek advice and guidance.

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

Due to the complex needs of children who live in the home, there are high levels of supervision. As a result, children’s whereabouts are always known, and the risk of exploitation is reduced. When there is a change in a child’s behaviour, staff are curious and seek advice and guidance from the multi-disciplinary team that supports the child.

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

The manager has safe recruitment systems in place. These include undertaking Disclosure and Barring Service checks, references, identification checks, full employment history and right to work. On one occasion, management oversight of recruitment checks did not identify that a member of staff’s full employment history was unclear.

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

Most staff are trained in physical intervention. Managers have reflected on an occasion where a child was restrained by a person who is not trained. As a result, only staff with suitable training now support children who are more likely to require this level of intervention. Staff communicate with children about their experience of physical intervention. On one occasion, the manager had not reviewed their feedback, and the actions identified had not been implemented. This is a missed opportunity to respond to a child’s wishes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of children’s needs and provides staff with child-focused guidance on how to support them. She works well with children’s parents and professionals involved in supporting children. This ensures that they benefit from consistent care that is informed by people who know children well and professional experts.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is developing a reflective culture that is supported and promoted by senior managers. They review practice and share learning with staff; this supports staff development and contributes to improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Permanently employed staff receive regular supervision. However, not all agency staff are supervised. This means that agency staff do not have the same opportunity to reflect on their practice and receive feedback about their performance. Expectations of supervision and probation reviews are unclear as the information recorded within the home’s development plan and induction plan is different. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 5 Staff who are permanently employed attend training that helps them to support children with complex needs. On most occasions, the manager identifies staff training needs specific to children before they move into the home or when their needs change. As some children use a picture exchange communication system (PECS), staff would benefit from training in this method of communication. Most agency staff do not have the same training opportunities as employed staff. As a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

result, agency staff are not skilled in completing all aspects for caring for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 6

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

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 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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(e)(g)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that agency staff who work in the home have the skills and knowledge to meet the specific needs of children who live in the home. Furthermore, ensure that staff are trained in a variety of communications methods used by children, including PECS.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the manager should ensure that discussions with children, following a physical intervention, are considered and, where necessary, action is taken without delay. 4 September 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 4 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 7 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is specific to ensuring that agency staff who regularly work in the home are provided with supervision.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage medication. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that children’s dignity in maintained for the duration of personal care routines. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.17)  The registered person should ensure that a full employment history of staff working in the home is known and assessed by the manager to be suitable. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC426719 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Helen Dunn, Social Care Inspector Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC426719 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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