Children's home run by UNITY ONE CARE SOLUTION LTD

Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 1 Registered provider: Unity One Care Solution Ltd 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 up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in July 2024. The manager is working towards a suitable management qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 22 October 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: The home was judged to be inadequate at the full inspection on 22 and 23 October 2024.

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good

As a result, a notice restricting accommodation was imposed and three compliance notices were issued under Regulation 11 (the positive relationships standard), Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. At a monitoring visit on 28 November 2024, the compliance notices were deemed to have been met, and the notice restricting accommodation was lifted. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Leaders and managers continue to respond positively to the last inspection outcome. They are building on the positive changes observed at the monitoring visit. As a result, children’s daily experiences are getting better, and they are making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is making significant progress in their education. The child is now attending school full time, and they are achieving academically. Leaders and managers devised a plan to give the child more independence and to include the child’s friends in activities. The child now enjoys free time with friends after school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Key-work sessions focus on the issues that affect children. They provide a space for children to reflect on what matters to them. This practice ensures that children’s views are heard and addressed. Staff gain insight into the children’s experiences, which allows them to provide tailored support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff’s interactions with children are warm and caring. When children are upset, they receive a compassionate and understanding response. The registered manager is caring and is a positive role model for children. The registered manager speaks to children honestly and helps them to understand difficult messages.

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

Since the last full inspection, new training has been introduced to better equip staff to care for children. This training has supported staff to manage challenging situations better. Further training from the police has also been provided and staff now have a better understanding of the protocols to follow when children are missing from the home. This training also addressed the criminalisation of children and its effects on their outcomes.

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

Staff are now able to set effective boundaries with children. For one child, staff’s consistent use of structure and rules is positively impacting the child’s progress and leading to better outcomes. Routines are helping the child to understand what to expect and are strengthening their relationships with staff. Despite this good practice, not all children are making the same progress. Staff are working hard to have consistent boundaries for all children, but this is not always successful.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed. An external company is supporting leaders and managers to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

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

Safeguarding practices have improved in some areas. Children’s risk assessments are frequently updated, and staff get information about emerging risks. However, the home does not have robust protocols for recording allegations. In a recent incident, the registered manager reported the allegation to the necessary professionals, but there is Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 4 no evidence to demonstrate that they investigated the concerns or had clear oversight of the incident.

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

The home is clean and tidy and meets the children’s needs well. However, there are significant delays in addressing maintenance issues. For example, the curtain pole in one child’s bedroom is damaged, which makes it difficult to open and close the curtains.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, leadership and management of the home have improved. Strategies are in place to improve oversight and effective monitoring of the home, including weekly senior management meetings and team meetings, which positively impacts on the children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that morale has improved. Leaders and managers permit staff to engage directly with children instead of taking on the responsibility themselves. This approach encourages staff to respond to the children’s needs more effectively, which has supported their confidence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensured that a robust training plan was put in place following the last inspection. Staff say that the training has helped them to develop their knowledge and skills and their confidence in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing levels have reduced significantly since the last inspection. Children, staff and other professionals have noticed this change. They all agree that it has led to better outcomes, stronger relationships and improved communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s social workers and one child’s teacher praised the staff and managers for their communication. They noted that the registered manager has a proactive approach in working together with the wider network. This promotes a holistic and responsive understanding of the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Following the last inspection, supervision practices have been addressed. A clinical supervisor has been employed to offer supervision across the company. Leaders and managers have a plan to develop senior leaders’ supervision skills but recognise that the registered manager will need oversight to ensure that there are no shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that maintenance and repair work is carried out swiftly to improve the home environment for children. 12 February 2025

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and 12 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 6 that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff set routines and boundaries for all children to support them to manage any behaviours of concern.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must have a clear procedure and protocol to manage allegations. 12 February 2025

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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: 2775039 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Unity One Care Solution Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 23, 30 Barking Road, London E16 1GQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Lingham

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Inspector

Jo Tarbie, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2775039 8 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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