Children's Home run by Laurel Leaf Homes Ltd in Newham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 1 SC060545 Registered provider: Laurel Leaf Homes Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to eight children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in April 2005. The manager registered in August 2019.

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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: 1 November 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: SC060545 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/11/2022 Full Good 25/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well cared for. There is a stable and consistent team of staff who offer the children a sense of certainty about their day-to-day routine. Children have positive, trusting relationships with the caring staff. The children know the staff and talk to them about their worries. This helps to keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle in well at the home. The manager, deputy manager and staff all work hard to make sure children feel welcomed. Children are encouraged to visit the home before moving in and are helped to personalise their room. One social worker said that the introductory meeting for a child was ‘magical’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff explain the rules to the children and maintain consistent expectations. One child said, ‘There are certain boundaries, but they are fair boundaries.’ Staff praise and celebrate the progress that the children make and show the children that they are proud of them. The manager and one child have both been at the home for over four years. The manager recently accompanied the child to their end-of-year assembly, where they received a gold reward. The manager said she could not have been prouder.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is seen as a priority by staff at the home. Three of the children are in secondary school. Staff maintain regular communication with education professionals and share important information. The manager understands the barriers for some children in accessing education and advocates on their behalf.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are registered with the relevant health services promptly. Staff have good working partnerships with child and adolescent mental health services and with other health providers in the community. Children make progress with their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in activities in the community, such as youth clubs and local football clubs. They do activities in the home together, including baking and movie nights. Children said they get on well together. There is a happy atmosphere. Children behave freely and comfortably in the home. Children describe living in the home as ‘chilled’ and one child said, ‘It feels like a home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive relationships with their families. Staff work closely with children and their families to ensure that their time spent together is safe and enjoyable. This helps children to rebuild, develop and maintain important family relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is large and spacious. The children all have comfortable bedrooms and an en-suite toilet and sink. There is a games and art room and a large garden. One child was supported to move on to semi-independent accommodation. They remain in contact with the staff and children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 4

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

Children say that they feel safe. The management and staff team talk to the children to help them understand that their safety is important. Risk assessments include detailed information about the different risks the children face and the actions that staff should take to keep the children safe. The assessments are regularly reviewed, and staff reflect on what works well.

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

Missing-from-home incidents have been reduced and are managed well. Staff follow appropriate procedures and work collaboratively with other professionals when children go missing. Children are not always contacted consistently, and this is an area for the management team to address.

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

Staff support children to live amicably together. Staff recognise when tension occurs between children and intervene to resolve difficulties. Staff know the children well and are in tune with their behavioural cues.

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

Staff impose consequences to help children to learn that they are responsible for their actions. However, incidents and consequences are not consistently recorded accurately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager work well together and are an effective team. They both know the children well and spend quality time with them, while maintaining managerial responsibilities. Feedback from children, external professionals and parents about the managers and staff was consistently positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. Supervision focuses on safeguarding practice and children’s needs. Supervision also includes a review of children’s experiences and plans, as well as staff’s development needs. This demonstrates effective management oversight of staff’s practice and development, and the progress that children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment procedures follow safer recruitment guidelines, which provides assurance that the staff who are caring for the children are suitably vetted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager welcomes internal and external scrutiny and uses feedback to make improvements to the care that the children receive. Leaders and managers know the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new child has recently joined the home, and the management team will review the number of staff on duty to ensure that the children’s needs continue to be met. This will ensure that children have opportunities to enjoy activities in the community at the weekend and in the holidays. Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 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 registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 6 (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that contingency plans are prepared in the event of a shortfall in staffing levels. If it is likely that there might only be one member of staff on duty at any time, the manager should make a formal assessment of the implications for children’s care, including any likely risks. This assessment should be recorded and available for inspection by Ofsted and placing authorities (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.18)  The registered person must ensure that they specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from home or away from the home without permission, and how staff should support the child on their return to the home (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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Information about this inspection

The 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: SC060545 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 42 Stavordale Road, London N5 1NE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Noorjahan Gokool Hoota

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Inspector

Matilda Clode, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC060545 9 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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