Children's Home run by Emsee Living Ltd in Milton Keynes

Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 1 Registered provider: Emsee Living Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. One of the children had recently arrived and one moved out during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2023.

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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: 2731497 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with the support and care they need to thrive. However, most children who have lived at the home since the last inspection have struggled to settle down, due to living far away from their homes. This has had a negative impact on their identity, social connections and sense of belonging. Consequently, children have frequently gone missing so they can visit their home area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite the staff team’s best efforts, it has not always been possible to support children to make positive choices that will help them to remain in the home. Staff and the management team have demonstrated strong commitment to children and held the highest aspirations for them to settle. All the foundations to enable children to make positive progress are in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s rights are valued. Staff encourage children to express their wishes and feelings and to participate in day-to-day decisions about their lives. Staff regularly advocate on behalf of children to their wider professional networks, for example, maximising the time children can spend with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have ensured that children have attended all their necessary health appointments and they have proactively identified a range of support services for children. Children benefit from multidisciplinary support, in line with their presenting needs. Staff are attuned to children’s past trauma and recognise the barriers that may influence children’s engagement in the services provided to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from positive activities and staff celebrate important life events with them, creating lifelong memories of their time spent in the home. The impact of this is that children feel valued, and this promotes good connections between staff and children. Children have been supported to develop important independence skills, such as how to cook healthy balanced meals.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have moved on from the home, the management team has ensured that endings have been managed in a sensitive child-centred manner. One child who was moving on from the home during the inspection said, ‘I will miss these guys [staff]. If this home was in [hometown], then I would live there, no problem.’

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

When children go missing from the home, there is a robust multidisciplinary response and a clear focus on protecting their welfare. Despite this, children have not consistently benefited from return home interviews. This is a missed opportunity to gather important information that may reduce the risk of a recurrence. Leaders and managers have challenged children’s placing authorities, but this has not had the intended impact. Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 4 There is a strong safeguarding culture in the home and staff are passionate about supporting children to make positive choices in their lives. Staff make good use of natural consequences when things do not go to plan.

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

Staff are curious about children’s lives and have provided opportunities for children to reflect on their experiences. Children have engaged positively in this work, and it has provided a good basis for children’s strong relationships with familiar staff. The diversity in the staff team enables children to benefit from being looked after by staff from a range of different cultures and with a range of different lived experiences.

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

New staff are appropriately vetted and appointed in accordance with good safer recruitment procedures. Some staff who have joined the home have not always acted in line with the responsibilities and policies underpinning their roles. This has not had a negative impact on children, and leaders and managers have responded appropriately to promote consistent staff performance.

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

The staff have developed positive working relationships with children’s wider network of professionals. They have communicated effectively to promote a shared and transparent safeguarding response when children have been at risk of harm. However, reporting of significant incidents to Ofsted is frequently not done in a timely manner, and this has prevented important regulatory oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team works hard to embed consistency and stability in the staff team. Managers lead by example and have a good sense of the ethos they aspire to embed in the culture of the home. Most staff demonstrate a good understanding of their role. However, some staff have not acted in accordance with the responsibilities of their role. Leaders and managers have responded proactively to resolve this and promote good practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff value supervision and the management team uses this to support individuals and the wider development of the staff team. Staff speak positively about the advice and support they receive from managers. All staff receive a range of training opportunities to support their care of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has not fully considered all available information when determining which children should live in the home, and subsequent plans have relied too much on keeping children with similar needs apart. Consequently, two children regularly went missing together, and this could have been prevented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers understand the progress and experiences of children in the home and recognise when children would benefit from additional support or when a change in the environment would be in their best interests. The management team has advocated on behalf of children to their placing authorities. They recognise the difficulties the geographical location of the home may pose for some children in relation to their willingness to settle and make local links. Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 5 The staff have developed effective working relationships with external professionals and demonstrate a good understanding of the services and support available in the local community. Consequently, when new needs have emerged for children, referrals have quickly been made to support them, to promote positive outcomes for them. Staff have worked positively alongside support services to support children and maintain regular

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have demonstrated exceptional commitment to providing care and stability for children, recognising the challenges of caring for those placed some distance away from their homes. One child’s social worker said, ‘They’ve gone above and beyond and couldn’t have done any more.’ Leaders and managers are refocusing their future aspirations and have taken on board feedback from children about living far away from their homes. Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all current and historical information is fully considered and reviewed as part of deciding which children may live in the home. 31 January 2025

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 31 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 7 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 (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should engage effectively with placing authorities in ensuring that all children are given an opportunity to have an independent return home interview when appropriate. They should escalate this appropriately to the placing authority if this does not happen. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that all staff act in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures and carry out their duties in accordance with the responsibilities of their role. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20)

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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: 2731497 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Turnpike Lane, London N8 0EP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nuala Harrington

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Inspector

Ashley Edwards, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2731497 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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