Children's home run by UNITY ONE CARE SOLUTION LTD

Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 1 Registered provider: Unity One Care Solution Ltd

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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 three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024. The manager is currently taking a suitable management qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. The inspectors spoke to all three children.

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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 and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Poor-quality care has a negative impact on children’s experiences and progress. Inexperienced staff who have insufficient knowledge and skills contribute to this issue. Leaders and managers are failing to ensure that staff consistently or adequately protect children and promote their well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Leaders and managers lack the skills needed to effectively lead a new team in caring for children with complex needs. They have failed to consider the compatibility of children when considering which children should come to live in the home and in planning their admission. They allowed children with significant support needs to move into the home, despite the staff’s limited abilities. This resulted in children harming themselves and others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Poor routines hinder children’s progress. For example, children stay awake at night and sleep during the day. One child has recently started attending school, but their poor sleep patterns are jeopardising this. Children lack daily structure. For example, children do not have scheduled meals, leading to a lack of a varied and healthy diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children told inspectors that high numbers of staff working in the home affected their daily lives and experiences. One child said they built good relationships with some staff. But they were sad about not having enough time with staff who matter to them. Two children said they have only formed relationships with managers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff lack the ability to put in place reasonable or effective boundaries, leaving children to set the rules in the home. Children communicate their needs via online messaging services. They ask staff to bring items like water and food to their rooms and fetch coffee from the local shops, and the staff oblige. Leaders and managers have failed to help staff set appropriate boundaries and have overlooked the negative impact this has on the children’s social skills and interactions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Key-working sessions are not effective. They do not help children stay safe or develop their well-being. Staff do not ask questions to understand the children and the potential risks that they face. For instance, they lack the curiosity to explore friendships children make outside the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff offer children the chance to take part in activities, but they do so without a consistent plan. Without planning, these outings do not promote growth. One child, who should be developing independence skills, lacks a structured plan. Staff place far too much reliance on viewing and recording simple errands like going to the shop as meaningful activities. This approach does not meet children’s needs and developmental goals. As a result, children do not make good enough progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 3 The home is well maintained and suitable for children. Repairs are addressed in a timely way. The children said they like their bedrooms. They have personalised them to create their own space.

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

Staff fail to put in place effective safeguarding measures. They do not take the necessary action to minimise risks to children. For instance, all three children left the home together, despite two of them needing high levels of supervision. One child damaged the front door to enable them to leave the house. Staff were present but did not intervene. As a result, three vulnerable children roamed central London at night and were at risk of harm.

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

Staff fail to keep children safe due to poor behaviour management. During incidents, staff protect each other rather than children. Some hide in safe places, like bathrooms. There is a lack of skills and strategies to calm more difficult situations. This has led to staff calling the police to manage children’s behaviour when this could have been avoided if staff had been helped to develop the necessary skills and knowledge. Leaders have not recognised the impact of this on children or addressed staff practice or concerns.

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

Recruitment checks are inadequate, and leaders and managers cannot be assured staff are suitable to work with children. For example, leaders and managers have not reviewed gaps in the employment histories of all staff.

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

Children’s behaviour support plans fail to accurately capture their needs. Vital information is often not included or is incorrect. For example, one child’s plan stated that they have specific learning needs, but staff were unable to tell inspectors about these or how they would support the child. The child’s social worker later confirmed that the information in the plan was completely incorrect. This confusion and inaccuracy in records results in children not receiving the support they need.

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

Leaders and managers notify Ofsted about serious incidents, but these notifications lack adequate detail. Leaders and managers have not checked the accuracy of the information before sharing this with Ofsted. This prevents the regulator from having clear oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have adequate oversight of the home. They fail to effectively monitor staff practice and the quality of care provided to children. This results in the children not receiving the care they need. The home lacks clear routines and structure, with insufficient oversight of the home’s operations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager noted that children only respond to certain members of staff. The registered manager tries to compensate for this by intervening to meet the Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 4 children’s needs. This results in staff being disempowered, and there is a management failure to review children’s care effectively. In addition, there are insufficient strategies to support staff to promote children’s well-being and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff lack confidence in delivering day-to-day care to children. Leaders and managers say there is low morale among staff. Staff voice concerns about incidents in the home but leaders and managers have no plans to address these issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose misrepresents the service and staff approach. For example, it states that a therapeutic care model is used in the home. However, staff could not explain this approach and there was no evidence of this in practice. As a result, there is a gap between the home’s stated goals and staff practice. This has a detrimental effect on the quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers were not able to provide all basic information to inspectors. For example, the registered manager could not confirm if staff were trained to help them understand and meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers fail to provide crucial guidance through quality supervision. This missed opportunity undermines the potential for improved practice and professional growth.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of concerns found at this inspection, Ofsted issued a notice restricting the accommodation of the home. Ofsted also issued three compliance notices under The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, regulations 11, 12 and 13. Shortly after the inspection ended, leaders provided an action plan to begin to address the shortfalls identified. Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 6 understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(xi))

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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; help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b)) 24 November 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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promotes their welfare. 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 7 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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(a)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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

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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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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 8 experience of abuse or neglect; help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff provide care in line with the statement of purpose. Staff must also ensure that children receive the individual support they need to understand their past and present, so they can develop their confidence and make progress in their lives.

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The care planning standard is that children—

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

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

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manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that staff work to children’s agreed plans and any legal orders that are in place. The registered manager must also ensure that children’s internal plans support staff to put in place routines and support any behaviour concerns.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that children’s information is considered contextually before they move into the home, to consider if staff can support them. 24 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 9 that staff help each child to— achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(c) (2)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that children have healthy routines and a healthy diet.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 24 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 24 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 10 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2775039 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity One Care Solution Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 23, 30 Barking Road, London E16 1GQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Lingham

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Inspectors

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Ruth Okezie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2775039 12 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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