Children's Home run by Solace Care Morden Ltd in Merton

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 1 Registered provider: Solace Care Morden Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children. The home is registered to care for children with social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 23 January 2023. The registered manager left their post on 23 June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection, and they spoke with the inspectors.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Staff have a good understanding of children’s social, emotional and health needs. Staff develop positive relationships with children. The child living at the home was able to name the staff they like, saying that they can ‘talk about anything’ with their key worker. Inspectors observed positive, respectful and relaxed interactions between the staff and the child.

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The care of children

Staff support children to attend education. Staff accompany the child currently living at the home to travel to and from school safely.

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The care of children

Staff ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are ascertained, for example through key-work sessions and house meetings. Regular house meetings provide children with the chance to talk about what it is like living together and to contribute to meal and activity planning. Children’s views are also reflected within their positive behaviour plans.

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The safety of children

Leaders and managers have partially addressed the shortfall in staff’s capacity to identify, review and explore risks for all children.

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The safety of children

Risks identified are not consistently updated across all the children’s records. For example, in sampling incident logs, debriefs with children are not consistently recorded. This may mean that potential information and opportunities to reduce risk for the child are being lost. This is particularly relevant when the child has been reported missing from home.

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The safety of children

While key-work sessions do cover relevant areas for the child, these could be strengthened and take place in a timelier manner to address specific support needs for the child following an incident of concern.

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The safety of children

Staff know the risks for the current child living in the home and the strategies to use to reduce harm to the child. The child said that they feel safe living at their home. Staff know what action they should take if children go missing from the home. Staff follow children if they leave the home without permission and encourage them to return.

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The safety of children

Staff demonstrate a wide range of knowledge, experience and confidence in responding to the needs of the children in their care. However, as evidenced within the training matrix shared, there are some shortfalls in the training completed for Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 3 the staff team, with some staff members up to date with mandatory training and others who have yet to complete these, for example in risk management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders are actively recruiting for a manager for the home. They recognise the challenges regarding supporting the staff and children at the home while this post remains vacant. The responsible individual offers hands-on support to the staff and children. Staff say that they feel supported by the responsible individual and receive regular supervision. The child living at the home stated that they have a good relationship with the responsible individual also.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders have addressed the shortfalls in leadership and management that were identified at the last inspection. Leaders have introduced a quality assurance tracker to monitor children’s progress and achievements. The use of this will further ensure that risks identified are regularly shared with all team members, and it can be used to identify any trends or patterns to support in development of the service. The home’s statement of purpose has been reviewed. Safer recruitment is in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The responsible individual is realistic regarding the shortfalls seen at the last inspection, and it was evident at this visit that some progress has been made. They have a plan in place to ensure that staff are fully equipped to meet the needs of the children in their care safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Leaders value the role of Ofsted and the independent visitor in providing guidance in respect of improving the quality of care provided to children and adhering to the Children’s Homes Regulations and quality standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Since the last inspection, one requirement has been met. While there has been progress seen in relation to three other requirements, these are not fully met and will be restated. It was not possible to fully review one requirement and one recommendation made at the last inspection. Two of the recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, risk assessments and behaviour management plans should demonstrate that staff identify, review and explore risks and their impact on the child. Key-work sessions completed with children by staff should address the known risk and vulnerabilities to help children to learn how to be safe. Leaders and managers should ensure that staff complete all training relevant to children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 1 November 2023 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 6 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any transition into the home is carefully considered and well supported. The registered person should also consider the needs of the children already living there.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 1 November 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s records reflect that their achievements are recognised and celebrated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.7). Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solace Care Morden Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2A, 420 Eastern Avenue, Ilford, Essex IG2 6NQ

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Inspectors

Amanda Burrows, Social Care Inspector Melvin Davies, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2708415 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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