Children's Home run by Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 1 SC406638 Registered provider: Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited 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 is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties. This home provides short-term and long-term accommodation. This home has been registered with Ofsted since February 2010.

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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: 15 February 2023

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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: SC406638 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2023 Full Good 02/11/2021 Full Good 06/01/2020 Full Good 20/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a spacious home. Their rooms are furnished according to their interests. There are three children in the home. Two children have left since the last inspection, following planned short-term stays. One child reunited with their family, and the other child moved to a different home. Staff carry out suitable risk assessments, making sure that children in the home for a short period of time do not negatively affect the children who are settled in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the children in the home are in education. Senior leaders challenged professionals about provision for a child who had not been in education. This child is now in full-time education. Another child, who previously had low attendance, has now completed secondary school and is in college. This child spoke about their preparation for exams and wants to gain a qualification in their chosen subject area. One child has not been in education for nearly two years but is involved in extra- curricular activities tailored to their interests. Senior leaders have advocated for this child to remain in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For the children with health needs, staff support them to attend their appointments. One child has complex needs, and staff have found it difficult to engage them with health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff, and most are settled in the home. They feel comfortable speaking with staff if they are unhappy, and there have not been any formal complaints. One child feels that their life has improved since being in the home. This child also appreciates how supportive staff have been with their religious fast. One child has been staying with a family member following an incident. Staff have tried encouraging this child to return to the home, but this has not been successful. This child’s placement is due to end soon, and they will be moving into supported accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage well in key-work sessions. They prefer to have private conversations with staff rather than house meetings. They also complete satisfaction questionnaires. This is another way for staff to gather their wishes and feelings. Staff plan activities, although the children often prefer entertaining themselves or spending time with their friends.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, staff follow the home’s protocol to ensure that children are safe. Staff also have further discussions with the children to understand why they went missing. However, children’s local authorities do not always undertake return home interviews with them, and senior leaders do not always request information gathered from them. Therefore, opportunities are sometimes missed to understand the child’s experiences when they are missing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 4 Some missing-from-home incidents should have been notified to Ofsted, due to the risks the children were exposed to.

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

When incidents take place, staff manage them well and notify the necessary professionals and individuals. Children’s records reflect a good understanding of the risks they are exposed to. Staff encourage children to better understand child criminal exploitation and the risks involved. Staff responded to concerns about a child’s comments about religion by supporting them to gain knowledge and understanding.

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

Senior leaders encourage positive behaviour through rewards. Children are happy to have their positive behaviour recognised in this way.

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

Staff have had fire safety training, and the fire alarm system has been maintained. However, an external fire risk assessment has not been completed for a considerable time.

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

Staff understand children’s lived experiences and risks well, although records for one child have not been updated to reflect the current local authority care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff enjoy working in the home. The positive relationships they make help children to settle into the home and make progress. Staff are proud to have stayed in the home for years and to be positive role models for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Senior leaders provide individual supervision for staff every two months. Team meetings take place monthly. Supervision records show detailed discussions taking place. One staff member sees supervision as a chance to reflect on their role. Senior leaders have addressed the previous shortfall about the registered manager not having regular supervision. Annual appraisals ensure that staff can discuss their work and identify strengths and areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff are up to date with mandatory training, although there are some gaps in training to meet children’s specific health needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professional feedback is positive. Professionals feel that the staff meet children’s needs well and advocate for them. Professionals also recognise the progress children make. Parents are happy with their children’s progress. They are grateful for their communication with staff. They are confident that their child is safe in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of fire;

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire.

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In this regulation, “the fire and rescue authority” means the fire and rescue authority under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004(2) for the area in which the home is located. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d) (2)(a)(b) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the home has an updated fire risk assessment carried out by an appropriate external body. 1 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 1 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 6 seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, challenge the placing authority to ensure that the registered person has up-to-date plans for the children.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff are appraised annually. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns home after being missing, the local authority must provide the child with an opportunity to have an independent return home interview. Information from the interview is important to ensure that risks are reviewed and that measures are in place to protect the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that Ofsted is notified when there is an incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. Regulation 40 (4) requires this to take place. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 14.10)

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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: SC406638 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited

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Inspector

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 8 regulates and inspects 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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