Children's Home run by Full Circle Living Ltd in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 1 Registered provider: Full Circle Living 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 owned and run by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager were registered with Ofsted on 21 June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home and one child had recently moved out.

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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 inadequate

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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: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 2

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improvement to be good

The child is relatively new to the home. Their move was well planned and managed. Staff have not yet built relationships with the child to help motivate them to engage with staff and other services. Staff have registered the children who have lived in the home with local universal health services. However, the work carried out by staff to support and encourage the children to attend routine health appointments has been ineffective. Consequently, the children’s engagement and attendance at appointments have been variable.

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improvement to be good

The manager has worked with the child’s social worker and local services to advocate for the child’s right to a suitable education. However, this has yet to be arranged. The staff have made some attempts to engage the child in learning. However, they have not implemented clear daily routines or a structured approach to the child’s learning and development through alternative educational activities and tuition. Consequently, there have been missed opportunities to re-engage the child in routines which will help them become ready for school or other education.

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improvement to be good

The staff have explored and provided opportunities for the child to become involved in local community activities. However, they have not found things that interest the child or motivated them effectively to engage in local clubs and activities. No other children live in the home and the child has no friends locally. This has the potential to leave the child feeling bored and isolated. The child said, ‘I would love for someone else to live here. I don’t get the chance to socialise. It would be amazing.’

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improvement to be good

While staff have yet to build trusting relationships with the child, the child feels able to talk to the manager and staff about the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s social workers are positive about the care and support that has been provided to the children. They say that staff have tried to support the children, although their interventions have often been unsuccessful. Social workers say they have good working relationships with the manager and staff. One social worker said, ‘This was a lovely home, and I would gladly work with them again.’

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improvement to be good

The home is safe, well maintained, clean and tidy. However, the home, including the child’s bedroom, has not been personalised to make it more homely. CCTV is used in some communal areas. Children and social workers were made aware when children moved in of the home’s use of CCTV, and one camera has been covered following the child commenting on it. However, there is no clear rationale for the use of cameras. Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 3

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improvement to be good

The child regularly accesses the internet and is active across social media platforms. There is no clear strategy to monitor and manage the child’s online presence or any associated e-safety risks. It is unclear how staff work with the child on how to stay safe online.

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improvement to be good

The manager ensures that safer recruitment principles are generally in place. However, on one occasion, gaps in one member of staff’s employment record had not been fully explored and on another occasion evidence of reference checks having been completed was missing. One member of staff is working without a current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The manager confirmed that this member of staff was always supervised. However, the associated risk assessment detailing supervision arrangements was not clearly documented in the relevant recruitment file. This lack of attention to consistent safe recruitment does not safeguard children effectively from unsuitable people being employed in the home.

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improvement to be good

The number of missing-from-home episodes for the child currently living in the home is low. When children have previously gone missing from home, staff have managed these incidents appropriately. Staff have worked well with partner safeguarding professionals. For example, the manager had weekly network meetings with one child’s social worker about the ongoing challenges and risks faced by the child. However, staff recording of these incidents is inconsistent and independent return home interviews have not always been requested following children going missing.

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improvement to be good

The number of serious incidents is low and there are no concerns about how staff have managed individual incidents. When they have been required, notifications have been completed swiftly. However, some notifications lack sufficient detail. This undermines the regulator’s ability to maintain effective oversight and ensure that effective action was taken at the time.

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improvement to be good

There have been few allegations. Any allegations are well managed, and the manager ensures that external professionals are informed and consulted regarding any issues raised. The manager consults appropriately with the local authority designated officer. This provides independent analysis and scrutiny of the home’s safeguarding practices.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in the home’s model of de-escalation and restraint. They are clear that restraint is to be used only as a last resort to keep children or others safe. Only one incident of physical intervention has taken place. Information regarding the incident was appropriately shared with relevant people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders have not maintained sufficient or effective oversight of the home. The manager has begun to complete monthly monitoring audits. However, these processes Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 4 are yet to be fully embedded. Consequently, a significant number of shortfalls have been identified that the manager was unaware of or was yet to address.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no evidence of oversight, by the manager or responsible individual, of the reports of the independent person’s visits to the home. It is unclear how manager audits and independent visitor reports feed into the development of the home. The independent visitor accesses the child’s records. However, there is no recorded consent for this from the child or placing authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This is a new home with a new staff team. The manager has not ensured that staff have consistent access to regular supervision. As a result, staff do not have frequent opportunities to reflect on their practice and there are no effective arrangements to support their development. This is of particular concern given the inexperience of the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff have access to a variety of relevant training and are making progress with completing the provider’s core training programme. However, there is a lack of clarity around what constitutes core training needs and expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose clearly outlines the aims of the home. However, staff are not fully aware of the home’s model of care and they do not always understand expectations of them and why these exist. For example, staff conduct regular welfare checks on the child throughout the day but are not clear on their purpose. Staff are not clear and consistent in implementing the home’s expectations, rules and boundaries in their interactions with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is using two recording systems, but staff do not have full access to both systems and therefore the full information about the child. Important information such as local authority documents, permissions, consents and delegated authority are missing or not held. Consequently, it is unclear what staff can do independently or when they need permission from the child’s placing authority. The manager has not actively escalated the lack of documentation with the child’s placing authority. Furthermore, the manager was unable to access some important documents and case records for the child no longer living in the home. They said these had been shredded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has successfully recruited permanent staff. This has reduced the need for agency workers. This supports consistency of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management structure is currently under review and the provider is looking at ways to strengthen the management oversight of all aspects of the home. Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 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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Requirements Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements 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; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirements Due date

In particular, ensure there are clear and suitable arrangements to keep children safe online. 1 January 2025

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements 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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Requirements Due date

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

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Requirements Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child 1 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 6 and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirements 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)(f)(h))

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Requirements Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirements Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirements Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d)) 1 January 2025

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirements Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirements Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirements Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(d)) 31 January 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make every effort for the home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children and is a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that when children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, ensure staff work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 7 the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children understand what local leisure and other cultural or religious activities are on offer for them, support them to access any relevant leisure passes and encourage them to participate in activities in the community and wider if appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.6)  The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should seek appropriate permissions for the person conducting independent visits to access the relevant parts of the child’s records, as agreed with

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Recommendations

the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.3)  The registered person should maintain good employment practice. As set out in regulations 31-33 they must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2777900 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Full Circle Living Ltd 20-22, Wenlock Road, London, England, N1 7GU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Shereen Carter-Sang

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Inspector

Cassie Martin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2777900 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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