Children's Home run by Solace Care Partners Limited in Enfield

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 1 Registered provider: Solace Care Partners Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to five children aged between 11 and 18 who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There has been no registered manager since 24 September 2024. A new manager has been appointed and has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

No children were spoken with during the inspection.

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Inspection date: 23 January 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 23 January 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are building positive relationships with staff and expressing their needs, wants and aspirations. Staff supported one child in applying for a hairdressing college course. The child now has a place and attends regularly. Staff have also provided the necessary hairdressing equipment for the child to practise their new skills.

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Findings from the inspection

The quality of risk assessments varies. Some risk assessments are up to date and help staff understand a child’s vulnerabilities and the response needed to keep them safe. However, other risk assessments lack essential details, such as relationships and the specific vulnerabilities of a child.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been a notable reduction in the number of missing-from-home incidents. In cases where children do go missing, staff adhere to the established missing-from-home protocol. Upon their return, children are given access to an independent person for support and discussion. One child was missing from home for three days and was identified as being at potential risk due to an abusive relationship. The manager took appropriate action by notifying the child’s placing authority and the police and following their advice.

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Findings from the inspection

When children are ready to move out of the home, staff ensure that there are clear plans in place. This has helped children to have successful moves.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff encourage children to attend health-related appointments and will seek medical advice when a child has refused to take their prescribed medication. When a child requested a specialist medical appointment, steps were taken to facilitate this. When appointments are cancelled, or a child does not attend, these are rescheduled.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have not ensured that the environment is kept safe. For instance, there are hazards in the upstairs bathroom due to two protruding metal hooks near the hand sink that no longer serve a purpose and could potentially cause injury to a child. In addition, a garden rake had not been locked away and could pose a risk to children.

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Findings from the inspection

When incidents occur, managers ensure that the children’s social workers are informed. However, they do not always ensure that Ofsted is also notified.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager is still unable to confirm whether staff have received their annual appraisals from the previous year, and they are still not able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the quality of care. Additionally, the manager has not sent a quality- of-care review to Ofsted since June 2024. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 3 The safe recruitment process has gaps. For example, one new staff member’s application form and their employer’s reference had inconsistent employment dates.

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Findings from the inspection

When consequences are used, the views of the children are not always secured.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff continue to receive support and training. The in-house therapists are an additional resource to help staff to reflect on their practice and to better understand the needs of the children in their care. However, not all staff have completed their level 3 diploma in residential childcare in the required timescale.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff are clear in their understanding of whistleblowing. They know what to report, when to report it and to whom they should report concerns.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the current recording systems, along with all policies, procedures, and recruitment processes. Additionally, the manager is ensuring that staff undergo a revised induction to assess their needs before appraisals take place.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection has found that although there has been progress made since the last inspection, there are still areas that require improvement. As a result, several requirements from the last inspection have been reinstated. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/09/2022 Full Good 27/04/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 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 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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that risk assessments are updated to include essential details of risk and provide staff with clear strategies to minimise risk of harm. The registered person should ensure that staff follow all procedures.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that the home environment is safe for children and any hazards are addressed without delay.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 April 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 30 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 6 promotes their welfare.

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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

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; and

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the monitoring and reviewing systems lead to consistent improvements in the quality and consistency of records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is 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.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff complete level 3 diploma training within 2 years of employment in residential childcare, and gaps in employment are addressed as part of safer recruitment processes. 30 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 7 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4) (b)(c)) 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that any incident relating to a child that they consider to be serious is notified to HMCI. 30 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 30 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 8 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality-of-care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a))

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Solace Care Partners Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2A, 420 Eastern Avenue, Ilford IG2 6NQ

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Inspector

Ruth Okezie, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2503142 9 to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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