Children's Home run by McRae Residential Care Services Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 1 Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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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 six children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2023 Full Good 03/01/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive relationships with children that are built on warmth and affection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children thrive physically, emotionally and socially. They benefit from living in a home that is cosy and maintained to a high standard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When new children move into the home, they receive a warm welcome. Children feel listened to and valued. One child commented that staff go the extra mile to support them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children participate in a range of activities. They enjoy trips to the cinema, going out for meals at local restaurants, going go-karting and working out at the gym.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage well in their regular meetings. They discuss topics such as health, well- being, lifestyle and activities. Children are encouraged to express their views and feelings through individual sessions and there is a suggestion box for them to give feedback about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress in education is variable. Managers and staff work closely with the headteacher of the virtual school to ensure that children can return to school quickly. Children are provided with additional educational support. One child has returned to mainstream school and continues to make positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in good health. Staff encourage and support children to attend routine and specialist health appointments. Staff are committed to developing effective relationships with health professionals to ensure that good health is promoted. However, staff’s understanding of children’s diagnoses is variable. In addition, children’s care plans do not always include essential information about a child’s diagnosis or how it affects them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote positive endings when children are moving out. When moves are unplanned, staff ensure that the well-being of the child is prioritised.

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

Children feel safe. They can identify a trusted adult to talk to if they have concerns.

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

Incidents of children going missing from the home have reduced. When children go missing, staff maintain contact with the relevant professionals and look for children in the local area. Incidents are thoroughly reviewed, with appropriate debriefs.

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

Children’s individual positive behaviour support plans are effective. Staff set consistent boundaries and routines for children. There is a clear reward system that promotes and encourages positive behaviour. This has reduced the number of incidents in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 4 Staff understand the potential risks to children. Risk assessments are clear, detailed and regularly reviewed. However, bedroom search records do not always show the reason for the search.

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

Safer recruitment and employment practices ensure that staff are suitably vetted. However, sometimes the provider accepts references from previous employers that are not on headed paper or do not have a company stamp to validate their authenticity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced registered manager manages the home. There are plans in place to recruit a deputy team manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are very passionate about the children’s progress and hold high aspirations for them. Feedback from children, professionals and parents about the leaders, managers and staff is overwhelmingly positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel well supported by leaders and managers. The use of agency staff has significantly reduced since the last inspection, with regular bank staff being used instead.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Records of team meetings demonstrate that staff reflect on practice and the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision, covering a broad agenda. These sessions are reflective, offer staff support and guidance and consider the needs and progress of the children. However, the supervision record does not always capture all the details of the discussions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive additional training to meet the children’s specific needs. This has had a positive impact on how staff care for the children. For example, it has helped the staff to think about children’s lived experiences and their own responses.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have completed a workforce development plan with a clear plan for staff training and how staff can achieve relevant qualifications. However, the plan does not include an appropriate induction process or how poor practice will be managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers do not have effective monitoring systems in place. There continue to be shortfalls in their oversight of all activities at the home, children’s records and staff supervision records. Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 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 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must improve their oversight of all activities at the home, including children’s records and staff supervision.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 August 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to— 30 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 6 manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s diagnoses are included and considered in their care plans.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice as set out in regulations 31-33. In particular, this relates to ensuring that all references from previous employers are on headed paper or include a company stamp. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 60, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should have a workforce plan that can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan

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Recommendations

should include induction processes and the process for managing poor practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should ensure that any searches of children or their bedrooms and possessions are carried out sensitively, with due consideration given to children’s need to feel safe, respected and maintain their dignity. In particular, the registered person should ensure all searches are appropriately recorded, with management oversight, and include the reason for searches, as well as details of efforts to seek the children’s consent. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20) Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 7

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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: 2671000 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: McRae Residential Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 57 Lodge Road, Croydon CR0 2PH

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Inspectors

Jade Nelson, Social Care Inspector Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2671000 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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