Children's Home run by SEVA CHILDCARE LTD in Barnet

Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 1 Registered provider: Seva Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2022. The home has not had a registered manager since May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Date of last inspection: 14 February 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 3

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improvement to be good

The child currently living in the home is enabled to build trusted and secure relationships with adults who are looking after them. The child’s social worker said, ‘Staff are very supportive, kind and knowledgeable and have supported this young person in a significant placement move. [Name of child] has settled in well and feels comfortable with the placement staff. CAMHS have commented on the kindness of the staff.’ However, understanding the experiences of children who lived in the home before the current manager was appointed is difficult, due to the lack of all relevant records, for example, children’s daily logs.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child living in the home to express their views during house meetings and key-work sessions. Issues are discussed, including activities, menus and suggestions for improvements in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff work closely with health agencies to ensure that the child receives the appropriate healthcare and support. Staff support the child in attending medical appointments and ensure that they take medication as prescribed. However, the social worker for one child who used to live in the home reported that the managers and staff had failed to ensure that the child was provided with the agreed therapeutic support.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff promote children’s education well. Children are encouraged and supported to attend school. Staff support children to prepare for independent living. Children are encouraged to prepare their own meals, tidy their bedrooms and attend to their personal care.

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improvement to be good

There are no records of the consequences and rewards used before the current manager was appointed. As a result, the inspector was unable to gain a full picture of how well staff encouraged good behaviour and whether measures taken to address poor behaviour were restorative in nature.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff work hard to ensure that the child in the home is protected from harm. Staff carry out key-work sessions to explore risks and vulnerabilities and to help the child to keep safe in the community. However, the home has not kept records of the key-work sessions for a child who no longer lives in the home. Despite concerns and vulnerabilities identified for that child, it is unclear what work was carried out by staff to help them to be safe.

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improvement to be good

Children who go missing from the home experience a well-coordinated response. Staff follow children’s safety plans and work collaboratively with key professionals to Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 4 safeguard children. Staff take action and continuously check the local area. Children are offered independent return home interviews. Staff use the information obtained from these interviews when they are looking for children in any future episodes of them going missing.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not challenge the placing authorities and other relevant professionals effectively when they are concerned about children. On one occasion, a child sustained bruises during family time. This was reported to the social worker. However, it was not escalated when no satisfactory action followed. Furthermore, when a child was physically restrained at school by a non-teaching staff member, leaders and managers failed to seek clarification on what steps the school was taking to address this incident.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are not consistently robust. For one new member of staff, only one reference has been obtained. Discrepancies in the employment history and references for another member of staff were not explored thoroughly enough. Furthermore, one new staff member’s Disclosure and Barring Service check was not received before they started work at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the policies and procedures to follow if allegations are made against a staff member. However, the system of recording allegations is not consistent. One allegation was only recorded in the form of notification to Ofsted and there is no detailed record of any actions taken to address the allegation. This means that leaders and managers are unable to reflect on this allegation in order to improve practice.

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improvement to be good

The use and recording of restraint could not be fully assessed during this inspection as there was no access to some of the records made before the new manager was appointed. The records available demonstrated appropriate use of restraint. However, some of the records lacked detail of all strategies used by staff to de- escalate behaviour. In addition, some of the debriefs with children and staff were conducted by staff who were involved in the incidents.

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improvement to be good

Action is required to improve safety at the home. Flammable materials which could pose a risk of fire were seen in the utility area. Furthermore, the downstairs bathroom is only fitted with a sliding bolt and the door cannot be opened from the outside. The manager reassured the inspector that these issues will be addressed.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff rotas and actual worked hours are recorded securely and the records are accessible. There was an incident when two children made allegations against each other. At the time, the agreed staffing level had not been adhered to. Information about staff working on that day was not clear, as there had been a failure to follow the staff signing-in system. This could compromise the effectiveness of safeguarding in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 5

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good

The leadership and management of the home have been inconsistent. The home has not had a registered manager since May 2023. Since then, the home has been through a challenging time, with the departure of some staff and the managing director who was providing oversight of the home. A new manager was appointed in May 2023. The leaders and managers decided to pause the operation of the home in August 2023, when no children were living there. The home was redecorated and the new management team embedded before a child moved into the home in November 2023. The new manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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good

The instability in the leadership and management of the home had an impact on management oversight and the quality of the home’s records. Some of the children’s vital records could not be accessed during this inspection and may have been lost. This is a breach of regulation. It also undermines the capacity of leaders and managers to reflect on and improve the quality of care provided in the home.

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good

Leaders and managers are aware of the home’s strengths and the areas for development. The new manager has been putting plans in place to improve practice and the monitoring of the quality of care provided. However, due to the limited time these processes have been in place, their effectiveness cannot yet be measured.

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good

The feedback provided by staff about the leadership of the home is positive. Staff say that they feel supported by the manager. Staff benefit from induction, training and regular supervision from the manager. However, there is no evidence of regular supervision or induction for the home’s manager. This compromises the oversight of their practice and development.

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good

Leaders and managers work very well with other agencies and carers to support the day-to-day care of children, and feedback from external professionals on the leadership of the home is positive overall. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has settled amazingly well and staff have been very supportive. Communication is very good.’

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good

Feedback from external professionals about the home’s leadership is variable. A social worker for a child who no longer lives in the home spoke about a delay in following agreed plans. However, the social worker and other relevant professionals involved with the child who currently lives in the home spoke very positively about the care and support the child receives. The social worker said, ‘I think [name of deputy manager] and the team are really fantastic. [deputy manager] is attentive, responsive and understands [name of child]’s needs well. She has been available for all meetings and there have been a few!’

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good

The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated. It currently contains outdated or incorrect information. Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that any concerns about a child are raised with relevant agencies and escalated if necessary. 3 January 2024

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d)) 3 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 31 January 2024

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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

The requirements are that— 3 January 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 7 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there is a record of the date and circumstances of any measure of control, discipline or restraint used in relation to a child. 31 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there is a record of the staff duty roster of people working at the home and a record of the actual hours worked. 31 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the following items, which may be kept in electronic form, are kept in an accessible manner—

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Requirement Due date

records of the use of measures of control, discipline or restraint (see regulation 35); 31 January 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 8 children’s case records (see regulation 36);

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Requirement Due date

records of complaints (see regulation 39). (Regulation 38 (h)(i)(j)(l))

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to the registered person ensuring that monitoring and review systems lead to consistent improvement in the quality and consistency of records. 31 January 2024

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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: 2675155 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ

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Inspector

Aneta Wasilewska, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2675155 10 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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