Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 1 Registered provider: Caretech Community Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. The home is registered to provide care for up to six children with physical and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

A suitably experienced registered manager manages the home. She has been registered with Ofsted since November 2022.

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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: 6 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Good 22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are four children living in the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and no children have moved out. The transition for the child who moved in was managed well. The child visited before moving in and met the staff and other children living in the home. This helped the child to quickly settle in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who live here are settled and happy. They spoke fondly of the staff and said they liked their home. One child said, ‘Staff make sure I am happy.’ Interactions between staff and children were warm, reciprocal and natural.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to access appropriate education to meet their needs. All children are in full-time education and their attendance is good. Staff communicate regularly with education providers and parents to share education information and children’s progress and achievements. This helps children to reach their goals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to have their say, using children’s preferred methods of communication. For example, one child has a resource pack of picture communication aids. All the staff carry the same pack with them. This helps the child to communicate their wishes and feelings effectively to staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with staff. They go for walks in the park, enjoy visiting sensory play centres and go on fun camping trips, which have widened their experiences. Children go swimming for fun, which has helped to build their confidence in the water. Staff take a risk-aware approach to support children to spend risk-assessed time in the community, which further enhances their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, children enjoy good health and are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles. However, one child is not up to date with their optician appointment.

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

Staff understand children’s complex needs and vulnerabilities and can identify potential new risks. Children do not go missing from home. However, staff know what action they should take if a child were to go missing.

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

Staff are committed to supporting children to experience positive emotional well- being. As a result, self-harm incidents have significantly reduced. When a child self- harms, staff take effective action to ensure their safety. The manager and staff access additional resources to enhance their knowledge and awareness to better support the child to use more positive coping strategies to manage their emotions.

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

Staff manage children’s behaviours well. Physical restraint is used as a last resort, after staff have exhausted all de-escalation techniques. The manager has oversight Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 4 of all incidents and holds debriefs with staff and children. In addition to this, staff help children to reflect on the incident. This gives children the opportunity to discuss how they are feeling.

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

All allegations and complaints are taken seriously. The manager takes immediate action and ensures that information is communicated to external professionals without delay. Staff spend time with children in key-work sessions, helping them understand what they can do to stay safe. These processes help the children feel confident to report their concerns and know that they are taken seriously.

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

Children are helped to understand their behaviours and successes. Each child has a positive behaviour chart. Each day, staff record what the child has done well. At the end of each week, children’s achievements are celebrated with rewards. Children can purchase a small toy or enjoy a reward activity. As a result, children’s positive behaviour is reinforced through restorative practice and praise.

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

Children’s medication is appropriately stored. However, children’s plans do not detail who is responsible for administering their medication when they are away from the home. For example, medication plans do not record that school staff are responsible for medication administration during school hours. The manager acknowledged this shortfall in recording, and this information was added to the plans during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A dedicated manager leads this home. She speaks highly about the children, demonstrating a genuine commitment to meeting their needs. She is supported by a deputy manager who is keen to learn and develop. This ensures that children receive the best care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is staffed by a stable and consistent staff team. Staff say morale is always high, that all the staff get on well with each other and they are open to each other’s ideas. One member of staff said, ‘This is a loving home and I’m honoured to be a part of such an amazing home.’ This culture promotes healthy working relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff are supported to undertake their roles effectively. Staff have completed a variety of relevant training to meet the children’s needs, including their individual communication needs. Consequently, staff have the knowledge and skills to provide good-quality care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal, which helps them to remain skilled and supported in their professional development. The manager is supported well by the home’s responsible individual. This demonstrates positive relationships between the leadership team and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is effective in improving staff practice. During the inspection, staff did not check the inspector’s identification badge. The manager addressed this shortfall immediately, when she reminded staff of the organisation’s internal procedures for Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 5 visitors entering the home. This shows poor practice does not go unnoticed and is challenged by the manager. This provides reassurance that errors are addressed straight away.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Not all staff with more than two years employment in residential care have a level 3 qualification. This means staff have failed to meet the regulatory timescales in obtaining their qualification. Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 6

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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 recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (5)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff gain the required qualification within the required timescales. 30 November

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure the home has a key role in organising and ensuring each child’s attendance at the necessary health services. In particular, the manager should ensure optician appointments are arranged for all the children in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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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: 1245823 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caretech Community Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Jas Nahar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1245823 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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