Children's Home run by Care Focus Limited in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 1 SC477900 Registered provider: Care Focus 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

The home is run by a private provider. It provides care for up to four girls who experience social and emotional difficulties. The home has a school on site; the inspectors only inspected the children’s home. A manager has been in post since March 2024 and is not yet registered with Ofsted. There has been no registered manager since September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspectors were aware during this inspection that a serious incident alleged to have occurred at the setting since the last inspection is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered where appropriate alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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Information about this children’s home

This inspection was brought forward to address specific concerns received by Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2023 Full Good 09/11/2022 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Outstanding 12/09/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home is unstable, with a high turnover of staff and children. Management changes, combined with serious safeguarding shortfalls, have significantly affected the quality of children’s care and left them at risk of harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have moved several children from the home because staff and managers were unable to meet their needs. Eight children have lived at the home since the last inspection. Five of these children experienced sudden endings. Three of these were immediate and two included children being arrested at the home and then moved. This is a rejection and a traumatic ending for children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. However, this child is also moving as the staff cannot safely meet their needs. This child was spoken to during the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The consistent inability to meet children’s needs means that they do not experience continuity of care. Twenty staff have left the home since the last inspection, which has contributed to children experiencing turbulence and relationship breakdowns. One staff member said that the team they started with less than a year ago is completely different now. Another staff member said that practice around supporting children’s needs is inconsistent. Overall, children experience changing and unpredictable care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s health needs are not consistently met. A child’s health appointment was cancelled due to staff not feeling safe to take them in the car. A child complained that their prescription had not been collected in a timely way. The prescription was only collected during the inspection, one week after it was prepared. Consequently, receipt of medication was significantly delayed. This does not help the child to feel that their well- being and health are prioritised.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s progress in education is varied. One child was able to achieve some qualifications before they moved out. The child currently living at the home met with their headteacher on one occasion two months ago. Nothing has arisen from that meeting and there has not been any further progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children know how to complain and share their views. A home phone is used for children to contact external advocacy organisations. A child has used this phone to raise concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children take part in activities that interest them. These includes a holiday to a seaside resort, a visit to a nail salon, horse-riding sessions and visiting local funfairs and piers. A child said that they like some members of the staff and enjoy spending time with them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 4

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

The number of serious shortfalls identified mean that children have not been kept safe at this home.

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

Staff have not always understood their roles in relation to keeping children safe. Following restraints, staff have not always offered children medical assistance. Records of physical interventions do not always include the required information to ensure enough oversight. Children’s and staff’s views of restraint are not always recorded. This includes an incident when a child was held in a 30-minute ground hold and said that they could not breathe properly. There is no record of a debrief with the child following this incident. This means opportunities for learning and developing safe practice are missed.

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

During an incident in the community, a member of the public intervened and assisted staff in restraining a child, claiming to be an off-duty member of the emergency services. This has not been explored by leaders and managers, and it remains unclear who this person was.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to manage allegations effectively. They could not demonstrate that an allegation made by a child about a staff member being too forceful in a physical restraint was referred to the local authority designated officer. Staff have not shown professional curiosity or followed up other allegations made by children.

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

Following an allegation, leaders and managers provided a plan to manage and mitigate potential risk. However, the plan included errors and the suggested actions were unclear. This reduces the potential for the risk of harm to be reduced while investigations take place.

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

Leaders and managers have not always notified Ofsted of serious incidents without delay. This has included incidents when allegations have been made about staff members causing harm, and police being called to the home to manage behaviour.

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

Safe recruitment checks are not consistently carried out. For one staff member, the gaps in employment history were not satisfactorily explored. This prevents the manager from being reasonably assured that staff are suitable to work at the home.

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

Children’s individual needs are not considered when applying restrictions. The home has a blanket ban on children having mobile phones. This approach does not support children to develop knowledge and safe practice in managing online activity. Having no mobile phone creates a barrier for children seeking help if they are worried about their online safety. Despite the ban, one child has managed to bring two mobile phones into the home and has kept these hidden in their bedroom. This has led to an allegation of a serious incident that is being investigated by police. Managers have taken appropriate action once learning of the allegation. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the registered manager left, the home has had three new managers. The current manager has been in post since April 2024. She has recently submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is working additional hours to help cover staff shortages. This has resulted in reduced managerial monitoring and oversight. At this inspection, several serious shortfalls were identified in the wider leadership and management of the home. This means that leaders and managers are not leading the home effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that records are accurate. The record of who is in the home is not always accurate. This has the potential to have significant repercussions for any investigation that needs to identify who was in the home and when.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been extremely high staff turnover. The staff do not have the required skills and experience. Staff have not received sufficient training to enable them to meet children’s needs safely. Some staff are frightened of the children. During one restraint hold, staff said that they did not feel supported, and another staff member said that they did not feel safe at work. This has contributed to children being unsettled, and ultimately a high level of unplanned endings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have not had regular supervision sessions or team meetings. This does not assist staff to provide consistent care for children. This inconsistency does not help children feel safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Incidents have not been adequately followed up by leaders or managers. They have not been curious enough in their reflection following incidents. Incidents do not always contain debriefs for the children. Leaders and managers have not identified learning. Allegations have not always been taken seriously or referred to the appropriate person or agency. This lack of oversight and scrutiny leaves children at risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At times, there have not been sufficient staff to meet children’s needs and work in line with their plans. On one occasion, staff shortages led to one child being taken out at night to look for other children who had gone missing from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children’s plans are not regularly reviewed to ensure that restrictions on mobile phones are assessed as proportionate and necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children said that they did not feel they were making progress, and this was echoed in professional feedback. This does not provide individualised care that prepares children for adult life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some of the language used by the staff and manager is institutional. The home’s statement of purpose also uses some stigmatising language. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 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

*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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)) 30 August 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 30 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 7 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(f)(h))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 30 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that language about children is non- stigmatising and reflects the therapeutic approach outlined in the statement of purpose. 30 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third- party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be 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 each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. In particular, ensure that children receive appropriate support with their health appointments and prescriptions. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: SC477900 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 168 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6RA

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Inspectors

Mary Costello, Social Care Inspector Natalie Day, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC477900 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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Inspectors

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