Children's Home run by Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 1 SC444176

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Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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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 run by a local authority and provides care for up to four children. It aims to provide high-quality care that makes children feel safe and enables them to reach their full potential. There were three children living at the home at the time of inspection and two children were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2023.

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Inspection date: 22 October 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 22 October 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. No children have moved in or out of the home since the last inspection. Two children spoke with the inspector; the other child was not present during the inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is suitably experienced and has relevant qualifications. They have been registered since August 2023. The manager was present during this inspection. Feedback from professionals was positive about the management team. One social worker said: ‘I feel the management team are very much in tune with [child’s] needs and are taking on opportunities to learn better ways of managing risks.’

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have made some progress in addressing some elements of the requirements set at the last inspection. However, further improvements are necessary to ensure these shortfalls are fully addressed. Consequently, these have been restated.

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Findings from the inspection

Positive and warm interactions were observed through the inspection. Children appeared to be relaxed and content in the company of the staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are making educational progress. When children have experienced challenges, the staff have advocated for them and worked well with external agencies to ensure children are provided with support that is tailored to their needs.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff enable children to take part in activities, hobbies and leisure interests. The staff support children to maintain links with those who are important to them.

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Findings from the inspection

Overall, the home, including the garden area, is tidy, well maintained and nicely decorated. The home has two sensory rooms and an art room. These provide children with a space to relax in and have some downtime. These areas are well used and contain items that are linked to the children’s likes and interests.

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Findings from the inspection

Despite the positives, the provider has failed to provide a hygienic and clean bedroom for one child. The child’s bedroom had paint splashed over the walls, door and carpet during an incident. Since then, there has been no attempt to rectify this, in spite of this being a water-based paint that is easily removable.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff carry out room searches when they have concerns about children’s safety and well-being. However, the staff do not seek permission from children before searching their bedrooms. Although there are occasions when an immediate room search may be necessary, the staff have failed to provide a rationale for searching children’s bedrooms without their permission. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 3 Leaders and managers have assessed risks around the home and put measures in place to mitigate these. However, there have been delays in providing staff with appropriate training to support them to manage some of the children’s individual needs and behaviours.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been incidents of children going missing from the home. When children go missing, staff are quick to respond. Partnership work with the police is effective and staff actively ensure that the children return home as soon as possible. However, children are not always offered return home interviews. This means that opportunities are missed to understand why children go missing and to reduce these incidents.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers generally have good oversight of the home. However, there was a period of management absence at the home. This led to reduced management oversight, particularly of a significant incident involving two children. This incident was not reviewed and scrutinised by managers to identify any learning.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a lack of consistency within the staff team that has an impact on the children. The home relies on agency staff to manage staffing shortfalls. This has contributed to children who find change difficult struggling. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/05/2023 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/09/2022 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 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 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

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive appropriate training without delay to support them to manage the assessed risks of the children. 25 November

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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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(e)(h)) 25 November Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 6 The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s bedrooms are clean and well maintained and provide a safe, homely personal space. 25 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Information provided by such interviews should be considered when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. In particular, the registered person should ensure that children are routinely offered return home interviews after missing-from-care incidents. The interview should be carried out within 72 hours of the child returning to the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that children’s bedrooms are only searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is

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Recommendations

a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. In particular, the registered person should ensure that when children’s bedrooms are searched without the children’s permission, staff record the reason why they have not sought permission from children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hertfordshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Farnham House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage SG1 2ST

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Inspector

Anver Rose, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC444176 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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