Children's Home run by Zone Central Ltd in Lewisham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 1 Registered provider: Zone Central Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in June 2020 and is privately operated. It provides care for up to three children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/07/2022 Full Inadequate 08/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle well into the home and make good progress from their individual starting points. They build meaningful relationships with a consistent team of staff who are warm and nurturing. As a result, children feel safe and well cared for. Warm interactions between children and staff were observed during this inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team helps children to express their views. Staff hold key-work sessions and house meetings. Key-work sessions are responsive to the emerging needs of each child. The sessions enable children to reflect and think of alternative ways of managing difficult emotions. As a result, one child has made significant progress and no longer requires their liberty to be restricted as the risk of harm has reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met well. Staff encourage and support children to attend their routine health appointments. Specialist help is sought when necessary, including support from an in-house qualified psychiatrist who provides guidance to the staff. Feedback from health services is very positive about the work staff carry out to ensure that children receive the appropriate support to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of education. They support children to attend school and work closely with teachers to provide additional support when needed. In the absence of formal education, children are offered a range of meaningful activities at home, including home tuition. One child, who had not been in education before moving into the home, is now attending college and is enjoying learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff work closely with children and their families to improve the quality of the time they spend together. As a result, family relationships are strengthened. Parents are very positive about the care provided to their children.

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

Children are safeguarded and say that they feel safe in their home. They receive good-quality care, protection and support from a caring and committed staff team. The trusting relationships that children develop with staff enhance their safety because children can talk to staff about things that worry them.

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

Children’s known and potential risks are well understood by staff. Staff are proactive and curious about children’s changing behaviours. Room searches are conducted sensitively when there is cause for concern. There is well-coordinated communication with other agencies when concerns are raised about children’s welfare. Safeguarding practice could be further strengthened by ensuring that all risk assessments for children show clear evaluation of the risks and important information that staff need to know. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 4 Children’s individual positive behaviour support plans are effective. Staff set consistent boundaries and routines for children. There is a clear reward system that promotes and encourages positive behaviour. Incidents in the home are managed well, and staff use a range of techniques to help de-escalate difficult situations. As a result, no children have been restrained since February 2023.

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

The admissions process for new children appropriately considers their needs and risks and the impact on children already living in the home. Managers work with placing authorities and families to understand children’s needs. However, managers do not always consider staff’s skills or training required to meet the identified needs of children. This limits staff’s capacity to implement effective risk-reduction strategies.

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

The home’s physical environment is clean and safe for children. However, leaders and managers have not promptly removed old furniture and rubbish left at the back of the garden shed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have worked hard to address the concerns identified at the last full inspection. They have taken effective action to ensure that the requirements raised at the previous inspection are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the home’s strengths and areas for development. There are effective reviewing systems in place to ensure that leaders and managers constantly review the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision which focuses on children’s needs, experiences and plans. Safeguarding issues and staff development needs are discussed. This demonstrates effective management oversight of staff practice and development, and the progress children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers work well with children’s professional networks. Feedback from professionals is positive regarding the quality of care provided and communication from staff. However, leaders, managers and staff do not consistently challenge placing authorities when they do not fulfil their statutory obligations, such as promptly arranging an initial placement review for a new child and updating their care plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access training in core areas, such as safeguarding, medication, and health and safety. They receive more targeted training in subjects such as child exploitation, autism spectrum disorder awareness and self-harm. However, not all unqualified staff are enrolled on the required residential childcare course in a timely way. This causes delay in staff attaining the qualification that they need to work in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 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

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)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they consider if the staff team has the knowledge, skills and experience to meet children’s needs at the point of referral. Additionally, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments are clear for staff. 27 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets children’s needs. This specifically relates to ensuring that the back garden area is maintained appropriately so that it is a more user-friendly space. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 6  The registered person should ensure that they maintain effective communication with placing authorities, including challenging inadequate practice. This specifically relates to managers chasing and challenging placing authorities when they do not promptly arrange initial placement reviews for new children and when they do not update and provide children’s documents as required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff are enrolled on the relevant

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Recommendations

children’s residential care qualification and undertake all essential training in a timely way. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: 2590934 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Zone Central Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Zone Central Limited, 4 Cedar Park, Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne BH21 7SF

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Inspector

Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2590934 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 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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