Children's Home run by Haven Residential Care Ltd in Barking and Dagenham

Inspection report for children's home: 2731503 1 Registered provider: Haven Residential Care Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living in 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: not previously inspected

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2731503 2

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improvement to be good

One child has lived in the home since it was registered. This child did not settle in the home and they moved out after a short period of time as their needs could not be met. This increased the instability of this child’s life experience. Senior leaders said that the placing authority did not provide all necessary information about the child before they made the decision to care for them. However, admission processes are not robust. This limits senior leaders’ ability to be assured before children move in that staff can meet children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff did not have an updated health plan from the local authority. This creates a gap in staff knowledge regarding the agreed health needs of the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff tried to support the child with their education but were not successful. Staff supported the child to develop age-appropriate independence skills. For example, they helped the child to improve their personal hygiene and develop their cooking and washing-up skills. Staff knew the child’s likes and interests well, and the activities they put in place reflected this.

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improvement to be good

Professional feedback highlighted progress made by the child in being able to talk to staff about their experiences. This professional noted that previously the child never felt comfortable doing this.

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improvement to be good

When the child went missing, staff provided a well-coordinated response and made efforts to find them. However, staff were not able to help the child understand why being missing from their care was concerning. Senior leaders talked about return home interviews being offered to the child, but records do not reflect this. This means that the child’s files do not accurately outline how staff tried to help them.

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improvement to be good

Staff were not able to manage the child’s behaviour and the police were concerned about how calls to them for support to manage behaviour increased over time. Some incident records lack detail. For example, they do not highlight conversations with staff after difficult incidents, to fully understand the physical and emotional impact on staff. This lack of detail means that it is not clear what actions staff took to keep the child safe, what learning was gained from the incidents or what support staff received.

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improvement to be good

Staff knew and understood the primary risks to the child. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans were regularly updated and provided staff with strategies to mitigate and successfully reduce risk. Inspection report for children's home: 2731503 3 External professionals were positive about how staff responded to identified risks. However, despite these efforts, there was little impact in bringing about a change in the child’s behaviour. In addition, direct-work sessions with the child about behaviour were ineffective. Senior leaders feel the placing authority did not provide them with sufficient support to make a change for the child. However, they did not escalate this effectively with the placing authority. This contributed to the child having to move on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Senior leaders have completed a risk assessment of the local area. The risk assessment lacks consultation with professionals who can give insight into the local risks.

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improvement to be good

Staff highlight positive behaviour in the home and use incentives to support this. Records of consequences are not clear and consequences are not reviewed to consider their effectiveness. As a result, staff and the child did not learn from these interventions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are happy in the home and appreciate senior leaders investing in their professional development. Staff are confident that the home provides a caring atmosphere. Staff were committed to the child being safe but did not have all relevant information or skills to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager was not able to evidence the safe recruitment of staff. Staff files are not complete and there is a lack of evidence to show that all staff have been securely recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff met together to discuss different ways to support the child and to outline the expectations of staff practice. However, there is no set schedule of meetings, so this support mechanism is unpredictable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers meet with staff individually to discuss their concerns and training needs and for them to receive support around how they care for children. However, there is no oversight of this support to ensure this happens regularly. The workforce development plan does not meet requirements. It lacks details of staff support and the timings of supervision, probation and induction, or core training requirements. It also does not include key information about staff. In addition, training records are not kept up to date, which hinders management oversight of this essential area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior leaders do not yet have regular monitoring systems to ensure children receive good-quality, consistent care. Inspection report for children's home: 2731503 4

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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. (Regulation 32 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure all staff files are complete and provide evidence that safer recruitment processes are followed. 17 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all potential risks to children are considered and appropriately assessed at the point of referral. Leaders and managers must also consider whether staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children they plan to care for. 17 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2731503 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any consequences are reviewed to ensure that children understand the concerns around their behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that records are clear, accurate and objective. Records should always be written in a way that is helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the workforce development plan includes the necessary information about supervision, induction, probation and staff experience and qualifications. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that the location risk assessment includes consultation with external professionals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure close working with partners and escalate any concerns they have as needed with professionals who play a role in protecting or caring for the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)  The registered person should ensure that there is an agreement with the police around police involvement in managing behaviour and the criminalisation of behaviours. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 47, paragraph 9.4)  The registered person should ensure that there are internal monitoring systems in place to ensure the continuous improvement of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2731503 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Haven Residential Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Brayford Square, London E1 0SG

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Inspector

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2731503 7 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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