Children's Home run by Barnardo’s in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 1 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 7 May 2020 and is owned by a national charity. 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 on 13 April 2022. She is working towards attaining a relevant qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one young person was living at the home. They have been living at this home for some time and turned 18 in 2022. They contributed fully to the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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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: 2593095 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/03/2023 Full Good 09/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person living in the home receives individualised care that meets their needs and helps them to make good progress. The young person has developed strong and trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is in education, and staff support them to improve their independent living skills. This includes developing skills such as using public transport, cooking, and cleaning. This has helped the young person to learn and develop important life skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person can express their views about their day-to-day care and the home, such as their preferences about activities. The young person is helped to express their wishes and feelings through communication methods that are specific to their needs, such as symbols and pictures. Social stories are used to help young people to understand significant events in their lives, such as moving on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person’s health needs are met well by staff. Staff support the young person to attend medical appointments and ensure that they have access to specialist advice. Staff also ensure that the young person takes their medication as prescribed. Staff manage medication safely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that it is important for young people to maintain relationships with the people who are special to them. Parents and other family members are warmly welcomed into the home when it is safe for them to do so. If families cannot attend the home, staff support family time in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to participate in activities in the home and the community. Staff capture these moments by taking photos that to contribute to young people’s life story. The photos are also displayed throughout the house, which adds to the homely atmosphere.

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

The registered manager and staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs and vulnerabilities. The young person receives one-to-one support, which significantly minimises the risk of harm.

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

The young person’s risk assessment and behaviour support plans are reviewed regularly. They include all known risks and set out specific actions of how staff should respond to manage any risks. Incidents of behaviour that challenges in the home are rare. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 4 Staff have received safeguarding training and demonstrate a good understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures. Although no allegations have been made since the last inspection, staff know what to do if they are concerned about the conduct of their colleagues or managers. This means that staff are able to respond appropriately to any safeguarding concerns.

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

Staff are suitably trained to restrain children safely when required. When physical restraint is used, it is necessary to prevent harm. Chemical restraint has also been used, which was proportionate and agreed with health professionals.

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

The home environment is generally safe for children, but action is required to improve food safety. During the inspection, the fridge and freezer in the home contained some unlabelled items. The manager assured the inspector that this will be addressed without delay.

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

Safer recruitment and employment practices are followed to ensure that only suitable staff are employed.

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good

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager who is working towards her qualification. Although the use of agency staff is frequent, the manager works hard to provide consistency for children. There is a stable core staff team in place, providing a family-style home environment. Furthermore, the same agency staff are employed. Recruitment of permanent staff is ongoing.

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good

Leaders and managers do not use monitoring and review systems effectively to make improvements to the quality of care provided to children. For example, the young person’s plans contain some confusing information and are not consistently updated. Some documents are not readily available. Furthermore, the young person’s care plan does not demonstrate why it was deemed in their best interests to remain in the home after they turned 18.

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good

The quality of care review that has been provided to Ofsted since the last inspection was significantly delayed. Currently, another quality of care report is also delayed. This compromises management oversight and the continuous improvement of the home.

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good

Staff say that they feel well supported by leaders and managers, who are available and approachable. Staff receive training that is relevant to the needs of the young person in their care. However, staff supervision is not consistently carried out regularly. This compromises management oversight of staff practice and development.

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good

Feedback from a social worker and a family member is positive. They praise staff for their positive interactions and the progress made by the young people in their care. However, leaders and managers have failed to escalate concerns about the placing Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 5 authority not sharing all relevant plans for the young person to senior leaders. As a result, the local authority care plan and transition plan have not been shared with the manager. One assessment that was carried out by the social worker in December 2023 was only shared during this inspection.

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good

Only young people over the age of 18 have been living in this home since the last inspection. Decisions made by leaders and managers were intended to provide stability and consistency for the young people in the home. However, the home is not operating in line with its statement of purpose.

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good

Leaders and managers have addressed five of the requirements raised at the last inspection. Two requirements are restated. Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 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)) 18 June 2024

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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 relates to the quality assurance of records, and managers using records to monitor the service effectively to make ongoing improvements.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated from the previous inspection. 18 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 18 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 7 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should ensure that staff receive regular supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated from the previous inspection.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)) 18 June 2024

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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

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. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a)(b)) 30 April 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislation. In particular, any open or frozen from fresh food should be appropriately labelled. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 8

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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: 2593095 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Barnardos, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford IG6 1QG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Danielle Rebbitt

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Inspector

Aneta Wasilewska, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2593095 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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