Children's Home run by Care2rise Ltd in Hillingdon

Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 1 Registered provider: Care2Rise 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 four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home and manager registered with Ofsted on 4 May 2023. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection that serious child protection allegations were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the home in response to the allegations were considered, where appropriate, alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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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 inadequate

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 2

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improvement to be good

Three children have lived at the home since it opened. The admissions process for new children moving into the home is not sufficiently robust. Leaders and managers do not fully assess the impact the needs of children will have on each other. As a result, the home is unsettled, with incidents of bullying taking place. This has resulted in one child being given notice to leave the home because the staff cannot meet their needs. This does not provide stability for the children.

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improvement to be good

Children’s case records do not always include important information. For example, details of children’s most recent looked after review health assessment and education plans are not on their files. In addition, two children’s care plans are incomplete, despite them having lived in the home for over two months. This reduces the manager’s and staff’s oversight and understanding of the children’s needs and progress.

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improvement to be good

Children’s meetings are not regular and therefore children are not always given the opportunity to share their views, wishes and feelings about the home. This impacts on children’s participation and sense of belonging in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the value of children maintaining family relationships. Children are sensitively supported to spend time with their family and others who are important to them. The manager and staff support children and families to overcome any difficulties in their relationships. Feedback from parents is very positive.

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improvement to be good

Generally, children have good relationships with staff. Children were observed acting freely and comfortably in the home. However, the high use of agency staff means that children do not receive a consistent level of care. Additionally, the lack of staff training limits the quality of care provided to children and impacts on the progress they make.

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improvement to be good

Staff’s response to managing risk is variable. Although risks are understood and risk assessments include clear safety plans, staff do not consistently follow and implement these. For example, bedroom searches are not regularly undertaken when there is a concern that a child may be at risk of harm. Additionally, leaders and managers fail to regularly review the effectiveness of children’s risk assessments and have poor oversight of incidents and staff practice.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are followed by staff in the organisation responsible for recruitment. However, the registered manager does not always satisfy himself that Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 3 the relevant checks have been completed. For example, managers do not always ensure that all references from previous employers are on headed paper or include a company stamp. In addition, the enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and a professional’s reference for one staff member covering night shifts have not yet been received. However, the interim manager identified the shortfalls in recruitment practice before this inspection and has taken appropriate action to address the concerns.

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improvement to be good

Some staff are not clear about the home’s medication procedures and do not follow them consistently. Not all staff have completed the training in medication administration. Staff do not accurately record how all medications should be administered. This has resulted in an error in the administration of one child’s antibiotic medication. Furthermore, staff do not always record when children refuse to take their medication. These errors compromise the children’s health, welfare and safety. Since identifying these errors, the interim manager has further improved the monitoring systems and medication training has been arranged for all staff.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have appropriately reported allegations once they have become aware of them. However, one member of staff does not demonstrate a good understanding of whistle-blowing policies and processes. This limits their ability to recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

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improvement to be good

Children are helped to understand risks through regular individual sessions. They engage well and talk about what is happening in their lives. Key-work sessions are regular and focus on children’s individual needs, and are in line with their plans. However, there is no evidence to demonstrate that individual sessions have taken place for a child who moved into the home three weeks before the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks when children are missing from home and understand the missing-from-home protocols. Staff follow children in the community when they attempt to run away, and maintain contact with children when they are missing from home. The manager and staff work effectively with other professionals when children are missing from home. However, leaders and managers do not always ensure that independent return home interviews are carried out when children have been missing. This is a missed opportunity to gather important information to manage and reduce risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of the home are weak, which compromises safeguarding practice. Leaders and managers have not assessed the skill set of the staff team effectively or taken action to ensure that all staff are equipped for their role. The lack of management oversight of staff practice impacts negatively on the consistency of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Professional relationships with the children’s professional networks need to be strengthened. Feedback from two placing local authority social workers is that communication with them is inconsistent. For example, one child was told about a Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 4 move to another home in the organisation before their social worker had been consulted or any planning done. In addition, pets have been bought for the children without the provider discussing this with social workers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The quality and frequency of staff supervision are inconsistent. For example, some staff have not received monthly supervision in line with the home’s statement of purpose, despite them having no previous experience of working in a children’s home. In addition, the staff induction programme is not always monitored to ensure that all the required learning for new staff is completed within the specified timescale. Furthermore, some staff have not completed all the required mandatory training. These shortfalls compromise managers’ and staff’s ability to reflect on their practice and adapt their practice when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not benefit from regular team meetings. Only two meetings have been held since the home opened in May 2023. Minutes from the meetings do not demonstrate that staff are able to reflect on practice and the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided to children and identify shortfalls in staff practice. This is due to the inconsistency in the quality of records. For example, not all consequences implemented are recorded. In addition, managers do not always respond to and address the shortfalls identified in the independent person’s monthly reports, such as medication errors. This compromises management oversight and the development of the service. Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 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, 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting children from harm. 29 September 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 6 Leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated and staff follow the strategies identified to manage and reduce risks.

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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

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 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they understand, monitor and review the quality of care provided to children and take effective action to address shortfalls in practice.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff undertake training that helps them to meet the needs of the children in their care. 29 September

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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; or 29 September Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 7 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d) (8))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff are suitably vetted, in line with safer recruitment and employment practices. This includes the provider receiving all required checks and references or having a risk assessment in place to cover any gaps before a new member of staff starts to work at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 29 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 29 September Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 8 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s care and placement plans are up to date and on their files.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that safeguarding procedures, including whistle-blowing policies, are understood by all staff and are covered as part of the induction for new staff.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular and effective supervision. 29 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should work in close partnership with the children’s support network. In particular, they should ensure that they maintain effective communication with placing authorities and take action to escalate concerns where they consider responses to be inadequate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.5)  The registered person should ensure that records are kept more efficiently and organised in ways that allow for easy access and monitoring. In particular, they should ensure that all children’s records are completed, updated in a timely manner and placed on children’s files. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.2)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing or away from home without permission, the responsible local

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 9 authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. They should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this inspection

Inspector has 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: 2726852 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 118a Barking Road, Royal Victoria Docks, London E16 1EN

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Inspector

Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2726852 11 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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