Horsebridge House

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 1 SC452713

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Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private provider and offers care for up to three children. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that they specialise in working with children who have experienced significant trauma in their formative years. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since July 2023.

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Inspection date: 3 October 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 3 October 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors 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: SC452713 2

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Outcome 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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Findings from the inspection

Children are making progress from their starting points. One child has completed his exams and achieved the qualifications he needed to start his chosen college course. Another child has been supported to engage in school routines more successfully and is now able to move between classrooms with his peers for his lessons.

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Findings from the inspection

One child has moved out of the home since the last inspection. The registered manager shared information to ensure that the child’s needs were understood before they moved out. The child spoke positively about her experience of moving from the home and said that she felt supported by the staff. The child continues to keep in touch with the staff and feels able to seek advice and guidance from them when necessary.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to spend positive time with their family. Children are also able to take part in a range of other fun and enjoyable activities, including open water swimming, playing in the garden and learning the drums. Staff are helping one child to explore youth groups in the local area that they may be interested in attending in the future.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are supported to spend safe time online. Staff are mindful of the impact of prolonged screen time on children’s development. As a result, staff help children to maintain a healthy balance between their time spent online and their participation in other enjoyable activities.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have a good understanding of the needs of the children and how to support them. Staff are encouraged to reflect on the needs of children and are responsive when additional needs are identified. This has resulted in increased support being made available to children, which has had a positive impact on their experiences and the care they receive.

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Findings from the inspection

When staff are challenged by children’s behaviours, they use a variety of strategies to help children to express themselves safely. When restraint is used, it is necessary and proportionate to the risk of harm and is used to keep children and others safe. However, critical analysis of the use of restraint does not always identify the pertinent themes and patterns for further exploration. Moreover, reflective discussions with children following any restraint do not always help children to identify how they could have expressed themselves in a safer way.

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Findings from the inspection

The interactions between staff and children are kind, friendly and fun. Staff are accepting of children’s experiences and help them to explore how they are feeling. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 3 Staff adopt the principles of therapeutic parenting, as outlined in the home’s statement of purpose and in line with staff training. During the inspection, the home was filled with activity and laughter. It was one child’s birthday, and his presents and birthday banners were proudly displayed throughout the home.

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Findings from the inspection

When concerns about children’s safety are identified, staff are supported to understand the risk to children and how to mitigate it. On most occasions, staff provide children with advice and guidance on how to keep themselves safe. However, the quality of the advice and guidance provided by staff is mixed. As a result, some learning opportunities for children are missed. For example, children are not always supported to understand why staff are concerned about risky behaviours. Consequently, children are not able to apply this learning to keep themselves safe in the future.

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Findings from the inspection

When concerns are raised about members of staff, leaders and managers take appropriate action to ensure that children are kept safe. Staff are supported to reflect on their practice and, where applicable, development opportunities are identified. However, the rationale when concerns are not reported to external professionals is not always clear. This has resulted in some important information not being communicated to external professionals to inform their decision-making. Some investigations into staff practice and/or conduct are ongoing.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff supervision and reflective practice sessions are used to provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice and the support that they offer to children. The registered manager has appropriately challenged staff practice when necessary.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are provided with relevant training opportunities to help them meet the needs of children. When staff have not been able to attend training sessions, additional sessions have been booked.

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Findings from the inspection

Safer recruitment procedures allow leaders and managers to determine the suitability of staff to work with children. They take appropriatre action when they are not satisfied that applicants are suitable.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager is using internal and external monitoring systems to identify areas for improvement. However, records remain disorganised and it is difficult to achieve effective oversight.

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Findings from the inspection

The two requirements and one recommendation that were made at the last inspection have been met. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/06/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/08/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 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 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

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

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)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that critical analysis of the use of restraint is used to inform reflection with staff and children. This should be used to support staff and children to understand what could be done differently in the future.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that there is a clear rationale for the decisions made when supporting staff to improve their practice. 11 December

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff help children to understand how to keep themselves safe both inside and outside of the home. In particular, when Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 6 concerns about children’s safety are identified, staff should support children to understand the concerns of adults. Staff should provide children with clear advice and guidance to help them to respond safely in the future. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9) Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Greenfields Adolescent Development Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Community Service Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Martin Brown, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC452713 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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