Children's Home run by EpicUK Ltd in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 1 Registered provider: EpicUK Limited

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Full inspection 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 three children aged between 10 and 17 years with emotional and social difficulties. Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2024. The manager registered at the same time.

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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

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 2

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improvement to be good

Both children met with the inspectors. Their views about living at the home are mixed. One child spoke positively about living at the home. The other child described a less positive experience but did not raise any specific concerns.

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improvement to be good

The staff are not clear about implementing behaviour management strategies that guide children. The staff are not consistent in supporting children’s behaviour and helping them to understand positive routines. Staff do not always help children to understand behaviours that are unsafe. Despite these shortfalls, the staff know the children well and can give examples of support, such as encouraging children with positive behaviour change and the use of non-discriminatory language.

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improvement to be good

The children are evidentially smoking or using cannabis at the home. Despite there being rules about this, they are not enforced. It is unclear if children are checked, or if medical assistance is sought when children are thought to be under the influence of substances or alcohol. Staff and managers have some evidence of attempts to support children to reduce smoking and substance misuse. However, attempts to help children stop are not clear or effective. There has been a failure to help children with smoking and substance misuse. Therefore, children are putting their health at risk.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers do not regularly seek children’s views. As these are not regularly sought, and they are unable to see the results of their views being listened to. One child said that they felt they could speak to the manager if they had any issues.

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improvement to be good

Staff are positive about their roles and the relationships that they have with the children. They show respect and consideration for children and their well-being. Staff and managers understand children’s communication preferences. One child is neurodiverse and prefers that staff verbally or visually prompt him.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers have made attempts to support children’s education. Both children have a history of not attending school. One child is currently engaging in a college-based alternative education programme. The manager is actively seeking an education placement for the other child, who is new to the home. The manager advocates for children’s education. One child who completed an education course but did not receive their award certificate was supported by the manager to get this.

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improvement to be good

The home has an approach that centres around helping children to be ready for independence. There is some evidence of this in staff helping children with aspects of independence, such as personal care, meal planning and budgeting.

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improvement to be good

Children spend time with the people who are important to them. Staff support children to spend time with family, including family visits out of the local area. Children receive Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 3 support with friendships, including having friends visit the home. Social connections support children’s identity and help them to build social relationships.

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improvement to be good

The home is well maintained, appropriately decorated and clean and tidy. Children can personalise their bedrooms. There is enough space for the number of children; however, there is no office or space for staff. This was identified when the home was registered. This means that the communal spaces are used by staff for meetings or other professional activities. This fails to support a domestic, family type home.

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improvement to be good

Children have risk assessments, which are regularly updated and reviewed. However, known risks are not always considered. For example, the children have been known to smoke in their bedrooms, but this is not clearly detailed in either child’s risk assessment. One child is at risk of criminal exploitation. These risks have not been considered despite them being previously identified. The failure to identify known risks leaves children more vulnerable to harm.

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improvement to be good

Children frequently go missing from the home. However, missing-from-care protocols are not clearly recorded. Staff have not always responded consistently when children go missing. The management oversight and scrutiny of these incidents are not clear. This means that there is a lack of evidence that missing-from-home episodes are responded to effectively and work is being done to reduce and prevent children going missing from home. Despite this, professionals and parents are positive about staff’s responses to children who go missing from the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have facilitated in-depth key-worker sessions with children, including support about substance misuse, child criminal exploitation and sexual health. This develops the children’s understanding of risk. When these sessions take place, records are detailed.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers have established good links with other professionals and agencies. For example, there is good liaison with the allocated police community support officer, who regularly visits the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not had to use physical intervention. They have received training in how to use physical interventions and are able to talk about how they would use restraint techniques safely if needed.

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

The registered manager is suitably qualified and committed to supporting staff and children. The manager has aspiration for the home and has shown insight and reflection on how practice can improve. Management oversight is not good enough. There are documents that have not been updated frequently, or regularly and effectively reviewed. The children’s records and Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 4 reports are not consistently reviewed or evaluated. This means that policies, procedures and children’s records are not of a consistently good standard.

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

Fire equipment checks and fire drills are carried out. However, children are not documented to have taken part in fire drills or fire safety education. This does not ensure that children understand how to evacuate the home in the event of a fire, which has the potential to leave them at risk.

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

There is a stable staff team. Staff speak positively about working at the home and working with each other. The home has not employed any new staff since registration, but all staff have appropriate checks. The manager was able to demonstrate a knowledge of safer recruitment.

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

Staff feel able to have open discussions with each other and the managers. They have regular supervision sessions, which they say are helpful and supportive. Staff highlight a strong culture of teamwork. There is comprehensive training, which helps them to build the necessary skills to work with children. The manager has effective oversight of training records.

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

The manager and responsible individual maintain their individual professional roles appropriately despite a personal connection. They use external professional input to assist with this. This includes regular supervision sessions from an independent social worker, and external therapeutic advice and support. The managers follow advice from the independent visitor’s reports. Combined, these measures provide adequate external scrutiny.

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

Feedback from external agencies is good. Professionals are positive about the home and the staff and managers support of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 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 health and wellbeing standard is that —

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Requirement Due date

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

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children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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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—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children smoke, vape or use substances, staff should help children to reduce or stop their use. Ensure that checks are carried out and medical advice is sought if children appear under the influence of alcohol or substances. 28 February 2025

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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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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware 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. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)) 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 6 In particular, ensure that behaviour support plans help children to develop socially acceptable behaviour and include realistic and relatable targets with proportionate rewards and consequences.

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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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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that each child’s risk assessment contains details of all identified risks and strategies to minimise these. 28 February 2025

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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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of the care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, make good use of auditing and monitoring to review and evaluate policy documents, children’s records and incident reports. 28 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

If the regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulation made under it, except for article 23 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 7 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children participate in regular fire drills.

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children’s case records are kept up to date, and that missing-from-care incidents are recorded in line with regulations. 28 February 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should provide a nurturing, homely environment. In particular, ensure that the shared communal rooms are not used for staff administration, management or other professional purposes unless unavoidable. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, and that children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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: 2782906 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Dalkeith Road, Ilford IG1 1JD

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Inspectors

Daniel Rankin, Social Care Inspector Syvanna Matthew, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2782906 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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