Children's Home run by V-CARE HOMES (UK) LIMITED in Redbridge

Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 1 Registered provider: V-CARE HOMES (UK) 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 was registered with Ofsted in August 2023 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of this inspection. They engaged with the inspector and shared their views about the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home in December 2023. Since then, there have three different managers. A new manager was appointed in December 2024 and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

A responsible individual is in place. Ofsted is currently in the process of assessing their suitability.

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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

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 29 and 30 January 2024. As a result, a notice restricting accommodation in the home was issued on 2 February 2024. Following a monitoring visit on 28 March 2024, a suspension notice was issued due to the lack of progress and serious concerns raised at the visit. A monitoring visit took place on 11 June 2024 to monitor the provider’s compliance with the notice restricting accommodation and to assess any progress made since the previous inspection. Following this monitoring visit, there was a further period of suspension because the manager at the time failed to apply to register with Ofsted and leadership was not stable.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit took place in September 2024 to monitor the provider’s compliance with the suspension of accommodation and any progress made to address the concerns previously raised. Action had been taken to address some of the concerns raised at the full inspection and subsequent monitoring visits. Therefore, Ofsted lifted the suspension notice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/1/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 4

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have taken steps to address the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection and have been working hard to make positive changes. While progress has been made, there are still areas that require improvement to be good.

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improvement to be good

The child's transition into the home was carefully planned, involving her in the moving process, such as choosing and personalising her bedroom. Despite a high number of challenging incidents related to her complex needs, the child is beginning to settle in the home and build positive relationships with the staff team. On some occasions, staff have managed incidents by informing the child that they would call the police, which has been identified and addressed in team meetings. Recently, there has been positive progress, with a noticeable reduction in the number of incidents in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote the child’s education and encourage them to attend school regularly. Staff support the child’s routine in the morning and take them to and from school on public transport. As a result, the child remains in education and has developed their independence skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to continue attending activities they enjoy as well as introducing new activities, such as football. This gives the child routine and stability while expanding their interests and developing their confidence.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health needs are understood and met by staff. Staff support the child to attend routine health appointments and promote a healthy lifestyle. They provide nutritious food that supports the child’s health and well-being. This has helped the child better understand their physical health and they are making healthier food choices.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to maintain relationships with significant people in their life. The child has telephone contact with family members. However, the child’s social worker has raised concerns that, at times, the child has been able to contact individuals they are not permitted to call due to a lack of sufficient staff vigilance. Despite this, the child’s social worker is very pleased about the care and support given to the child by staff.

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improvement to be good

Despite the challenges staff face, they show resilience and compassion. This allows them to continue developing a positive relationship with the child. It is clear that staff care about the child and want the best outcomes for them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 5 Safeguarding practice in the home has improved. Staff understand the child’s risks and needs and follow their care plans to ensure the child’s safety and well-being in the home and community. Key-work sessions are carried out regularly and focus on addressing the child’s needs. These sessions give the child an opportunity to express their wishes and feelings while reinforcing positive behaviours. As a result, these sessions are beginning to have a positive impact. However, the sessions are not currently recorded in a way that captures the child’s voice effectively. Leaders have recognised this shortfall and are actively addressing it by raising the issue in group supervision sessions and team meetings to

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment procedures are not robust. Full and satisfactory information regarding gaps in employment and written references is not always obtained.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers take allegations of harm seriously. They take appropriate action when concerns are raised, by promptly sharing information with safeguarding agencies. Ofsted is notified as required, which allows regulatory oversight of the home. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection.

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

Leaders and managers are working hard to address the concerns raised previously and their efforts have helped create positive changes in the home. However, the management of the home has been unsettled, with three different managers in place since the last inspection. This instability has led to weak practice and care because staff have not received adequate guidance and support needed to develop their practice and skills, affecting the overall quality of care provided to the child.

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

Initial care planning for the child was thorough and well considered. Leaders and managers explored the child’s individual risks and needs, as well as the staff’s required skills and training to safely care for and support the child. However, mandatory training identified was not provided or completed by all staff within appropriate timescales. This has impacted on their ability to meet the needs of the child to a good standard.

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

Group supervision sessions with a therapist take place to support staff on how to better communicate with the child and support them. The therapist helps staff to explore important topics relevant to the child’s needs and handling challenging behaviours. Team meetings are held regularly, where leaders, managers and staff discuss the child’s needs and behaviours and explore ways to support them. However, the meeting minutes do not capture key discussions or clear action plans. This makes it hard for staff to review planned strategies, stay consistent in their practice and track progress.

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

Staff supervision is irregular. Supervision sessions that do take place lack a consistent focus on the child’s risks, needs and behaviours. Key areas such as staff training, practice improvement and professional development are overlooked. This impacts the quality of care, particularly around behaviour management. This is a concern given the Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 6 high number of incidents that were happening in the home when staff needed more support.

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

Staff’s knowledge of safeguarding processes has significantly improved since the last inspection. They understand that they have a responsibility to report any concerns to the manager, responsible individual or Ofsted and are aware of the whistle-blowing procedure. Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 7

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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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Requirement Due date

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

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are supported and equipped with the necessary training and skills to handle challenging behaviours. 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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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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; 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 8 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

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 (2)(a)(b)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive the appropriate support and training to provide good- quality care to children and ensure that their needs are met well. This includes behaviour management skills and maintaining vigilance in monitoring children’s contact with significant individuals.

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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

employ an individual to work at the children’s homer

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that appropriate references are obtained and gaps in employment are explored and recorded. 28 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; 28 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 9 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff receive regular and effective supervision.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff support children to contribute to the home’s records, including their key-work sessions, in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 58, paragraph 11.19)

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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: 2741744 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: V-CARE HOMES (UK) LIMITED

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 16–20 Clements Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 1BA

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Inspector

Amena Begum, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2741744 11 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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