Children's home run by Evoke Care Group Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 1 Registered provider: Evoke Care Group 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 privately owned home provides care for up to five children with social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

This home and the manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home and their placement ended on the second day 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: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 2

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improvement to be good

Children made variable progress while living in the home. Their experience and progress were negatively impacted by a lack of a strong management team combined with poor staff practice and ineffective behaviour management strategies.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not thoroughly assess children’s needs before they move in to the home. One child’s assessment included another child’s information. Another two children did not have any assessment at all. This does not demonstrate that leaders and managers make child-centred decisions about children coming to live at the home. Furthermore, they do not assess if staff have the skills to meet children’s needs. The failure to thoroughly assess children’s needs and the suitability of the home to provide appropriate care has caused disruption and instability for children.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is not currently suitable for children. At the time of this inspection, the home was in disrepair due to significant damage caused by a child during an incident the previous day. There are plans in place to repair the damage in the home and some repair works had already been undertaken to make the home safe.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are understood and met. They are registered with health services and supported by staff to attend routine appointments. Children are offered medical attention when they are not feeling well. This supports their health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children’s engagement in education is promoted. Staff encourage children to engage in online learning and to attend school. Staff engaged with one child’s school to help to reintegrate them back into school routines.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to engage in extra-curricular activities, such as ice-skating and boxing. These activities help children to develop and nurture specific interests, and keep focused on positive hobbies.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of children’s risks and needs; however, they lack the necessary skills to effectively manage complex situations. The quality of children’s risk assessments varies. Some risk assessments identify risks and strategies well, while others do not identify clear triggers or strategies that staff need to use to manage and reduce risks for children.

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improvement to be good

Children have behaviour management plans; however, staff’s approach to behaviour management is ineffective. They are unable to implement strategies to de-escalate children’s challenging behaviour. This has led to serious incidents that required police Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 3 involvement when staff were unable to manage situations safely. Consequently, one child’s placement ended in an unplanned way.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not demonstrate a good understanding of whistle-blowing policies and processes. This limits their ability to recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home incidents are managed well. When children are missing from the home, staff take appropriate action and report children as missing to safeguarding agencies. Staff demonstrate professional curiosity when children return home. They observe children’s appearance and body language, and query their whereabouts. Return- home interviews are requested to explore the reasons behind children’s behaviours. This helps staff to understand the reasons behind children going missing from home.

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions regularly take place to address children’s needs and risks. Staff encourage positive behaviours, and challenge discrimination and negative behaviours that impact on others. This helps children to reflect on their behaviours and the impact they have on themselves and others.

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

The registered manager has been absent from the home for a significant period and recently resigned from their post. Consequently, there has been a lack of management support and guidance for new staff, and they have not been able to provide children with high-quality care.

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

The responsible individual recognised the impact that the lack of management has had, including on the quality of care for children and has been seeking to address this through recruitment. Recently, a deputy manager from another home has been supporting the home and staff. Staff have commended the deputy manager for the support they have received from him.

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

Leaders and managers provide staff with mandatory training. New staff receive an induction into the home. However, the induction is basic and based on procedures rather than practice. Furthermore, new staff who are also new to working with children in residential care do not receive regular supervision. Other staff are also not receiving regular or effective supervision. Children’s needs, risks, and progress are not discussed in detail. Some supervision minutes are the same and do not demonstrate the actions taken or relevant changes regarding children. This does not help staff to receive effective support and challenge, or have opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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

Team meetings are regular and well attended. They are used to share information about young people, and focus on the children’s presenting issues and how to support children to engage in specific activities that they enjoy. These meetings also include training and clinical supervisions. However, clinical supervision lacks detail on staff learning and reflections. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 4 Leaders and managers take allegations of harm seriously, and act promptly when issues arise. They share information promptly with the relevant agencies. Internal investigations take place and children are listened to. Ofsted is notified of allegations and serious incidents, which facilitates regulatory oversight. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risk assessments include details of all known and potential risks and the strategies identified to manage and reduce these risks. All staff must fully understand their roles and responsibilities when protecting children from harm, including the whistle- blowing policy and procedure. 6 September 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 6 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 6 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must fully assess children’s needs and the staff’s experience and skills to determine if they can provide suitable care.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 6 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive the appropriate support and development opportunities to understand and manage children’s needs and risks and provide good-quality care.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and applied at all times by staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular and effective supervision. 6 September 2024

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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: 2628734 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Evoke Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ

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Inspectors

Amena Begum, Social Care Inspector Richard Wyper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2628734 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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