Children's home run by Ancora Children’s Homes Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2742259 1 Registered provider: Ancora Children’s Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2742259 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection. The home was recently registered in July 2023. It has been open for two weeks, and the inspection was brought forward due to concerns received by Ofsted. Some of these concerns relate to the time before the home was registered. A child was living at the home before registration, and this period has not been included as part of this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the child well. The child said that they feel happy living at the home and have good relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are listened to and gained through regular children’s meetings. Children are asked about their views about what activities they would like to do. These activities include the child cooking their favourite food and going shopping and to the coast.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their friends. Staff understand the importance of children’s friendships. Staff enable children to spend time with friends while following court orders that are in place. This helps children to maintain relationships while being kept safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have education plans in place. Staff support children with learning at home when they are not in formal education. There are plans for tutoring to start for one child. Education plans are in agreement with the child’s placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming. There are photos of the child displayed in the home. Staff support children to keep their bedrooms tidy.

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

Staff understand children’s risks. Children’s risk assessments are detailed, and they provide strategies for staff to support children. The assessments and strategies are personal to the children. This means that staff are able to use their knowledge of the child to respond to them in ways that are beneficial to the child.

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

There have been no missing-from-home episodes since the home registered with Ofsted. This is a reduction for the child who was previously going missing regularly. Staff understand what processes to follow should the child go missing. They are aware of when to report the child as missing to the police and which local areas to search. These clear processes mean that staff act consistently should a child go missing.

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

Incidents of restraint do not happen regularly, but when they take place, they are proportionate and to keep children safe. The use of restraints is in accordance with Inspection report for children’s home: 2742259 3 court orders for children. The staff attempt de-escalation techniques before using restraints.

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

Safer recruitment is followed for new members of staff coming to work at the home. There is an induction process for new staff, which helps them to learn their roles.

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

Staff monitor children’s online activity; however, they do not always intervene quickly when there are concerns. Clear plans about online access are in place for children. However, during one incident, staff did not intervene quickly when a child received unkind messages. This could impact on the child’s emotional well-being.

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good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. However, the overall management oversight is of poor quality. Managers do not have clear oversight following restraints and have not ensured that debriefs are undertaken or that managers’ comments are included.

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good

Managers have not always ensured that identified actions following incidents are carried out. In one instance, a key-work session about keeping safe was identified but has not been provided. This could mean that children are not supported to understand their risks and then reduce these.

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good

The statement of purpose advertises that a therapeutic model will be used at the home. The staff are not trained in this therapeutic model. This means that this is a false claim and the support provided is not consistent with the statement of purpose.

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good

Staff supervision does not happen in line with the home’s policy. For new staff, regular supervision does not always happen. Supervision sessions are in depth and support staff to reflect on their practice.

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good

Staff convey their personal opinions in some recordings. The language used by staff is not always child-focused. This could impact on the child’s feeling of being supported if they read their records. The manager has acknowledged reporting and recording as a training need for staff.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager. Professionals talk positively about the communication with the manager. Team meetings take place regularly to support the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2742259 4

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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 registered person must ensure that —

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) —

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 22 September

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) 22 September

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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. 22 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2742259 5 Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any therapeutic support outlined in the statement of purpose is offered and that staff are qualified to deliver this.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there are systems in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice that allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. The frequency of supervision should be in line with company policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  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 them. (‘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: 2742259 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Ancora Children’s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Madeira Avenue, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 3EB

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Wendy Edward-Tsuro

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Katherine Baker-Brown

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2742259 7 regulates and 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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