Children's Home run by Heartwood RSW Ltd in Redbridge

Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 1 SC461865 Registered provider: Heartwood RSW Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 8 November 2013. The registered manager post has been vacant since 10 November 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/08/2024 Full Inadequate 20/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/09/2022 Full Good 07/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 3

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home left on the second day of this inspection. Staff were unable to meet the child’s needs and leaders and the manager had given notice to the placing authority that the placement would need to end. The child stayed in the home for three weeks to support their transition.

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improvement to be good

The child did not make demonstrable progress with their learning. They wanted to attend school, but an appropriate school was not found for them in good time. The child’s social worker said that leaders and managers advocated for the child’s education and that several multi-agency discussions took place. The child’s records did not include the most recent local authority education plan and leaders and managers did not effectively escalate this concern.

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improvement to be good

The child was registered with health services. Staff also had discussions with the child about their health. Staff supported the child to develop age-appropriate independence skills, for example, cooking. They also helped the child understand the importance of attending meetings. This all supported the child to gain some sense of appropriate responsibility.

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improvement to be good

The child was offered a range of activities. For example, they went to a holiday resort, had several beauty treatments and went on shopping trips.

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improvement to be good

The child engaged with key-work sessions. This gave them an opportunity to think about why professionals were worried about them. The child felt comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns.

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improvement to be good

The child’s risk assessments detailed their vulnerabilities. However, strategies to reduce these were not clear. Staff were not consistent in responding to safety concerns about the child. For example, when room searches had been agreed as part of their safety plan, staff did not carry these out consistently. This lack of curiosity meant that, after some incidents occurred, staff were not confident the child was safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff are inconsistent in their approach to de-escalating difficult incidents. Staff do not have a consistent understanding of some of the house rules. This confused the child and sometimes resulted in unnecessary escalation of day-to-day situations. Staff were not always mindful of the child’s emotional state of mind when implementing boundaries. This sometimes added further to escalating concerns. Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 4 During this inspection, an incident was under investigation by the appropriate authorities. The child made a disclosure about being physically assaulted and inappropriately restrained by a staff member. There are historic concerns about this staff member’s conduct towards children in the home. Staff did not follow appropriate procedures in reporting concerns about the child’s safety. In addition, leaders and managers did not consider appropriate staffing levels to ensure the safety of the child or

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improvement to be good

When the child went missing, professionals were contacted and staff looked for the child. When the child returned, return home interviews were requested and leaders escalated concerns to the placing authority when return home interviews did not take place. Staff showed curiosity in their discussions with the child when they returned, to help them understand the concerns about them going missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leadership and management in the home remain unstable. The manager had applied to register with Ofsted, however, they handed in their notice before their interview to determine suitability. The post of deputy manager and other key leadership roles are vacant. There is also a lack of experienced staff in the home. In addition, following the inspection, the responsible individual was suspended from their post.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have not maintained the home in good order. Very soon after the inspection, Ofsted was notified that local authority housing officers had visited the home before the inspection and identified several serious concerns with physical aspects of the home. This was not disclosed to the inspector during the inspection. Eight remedial actions were set by the housing officers. The local authority housing officers have confirmed to Ofsted that this work is now completed. It is of concern that this was not raised with the inspector during the inspection and does not provide assurance that leaders and managers work transparently with the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Recruitment processes are not robust. There is a lack of evidence to show that all staff have been securely recruited. For example, some staff files were missing full employment histories and the reasons why some staff had left their previous roles were not fully explored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive a wide range of training, which centred on the child’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. However, not all staff confidently understand some of the home’s safeguarding procedures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive supervision and appraisals. These enable staff to discuss their practice and how they can develop. This is further supported by regular team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from the child’s social worker highlighted that there was good communication from leaders and managers, and they were kept up to date with key information. Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that, before children move into the home, full consideration is given to children’s needs in the context of staff experience and skills, the potential impact on children already living in the home and how children’s needs will be met.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and has been restated. 15 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 15 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have a copy of all relevant documents, including children’s local authority care plans.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and has been restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they adhere to all regulatory requirements regarding recruitment, as well as other aspects of safe recruitment practice and principles. 15 January 2025

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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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are sensitive in their approach to implementing boundaries and keeping children safe.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that staff have a comprehensive understanding of the home’s safeguarding procedures. 15 January 2025 Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 7 And, leaders and managers must ensure that risk assessments provide enough detail for staff and that staff follow risk assessment instructions.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff —

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they are transparent with the regulator about professionals’ concerns about the home. 15 January 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they challenge the local authority when it does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)

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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: SC461865 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 416 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex IG3 9JX

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Inspector

Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC461865 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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