Children's Home run by Restoration Care & Services Limited in Barking and Dagenham

Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 1 Registered provider: Restoration Care & Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home which 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 16 February 2018. The manager registered on 4 September 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children 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

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 28/03/2023 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good 14/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s safety and welfare are compromised by poor leadership and management, and this has impacted on the quality of care children receive. Despite some areas of positive practice, leaders have not always taken appropriate action, which compromises the safety and welfare of the children.

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improvement to be good

Seven children have lived at the home since the last inspection. Some children did not settle in the home and there have been several short-term placements. Some children have had to move out in an unplanned way soon after moving into the home. This adds further instability for children who have already experienced considerable disruption to their lives.

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improvement to be good

Before children move into the home, leaders and managers do not thoroughly assess their individual risks and needs or consider the needs of the children already living there. They fail to evaluate the impact on children, and this oversight compromises the quality of care provided. Additionally, leaders and managers do not ensure that they have up-to-date care plans from placing authorities. As a result, children’s needs have not been met, and they have not settled in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff talk to children about their health and cover important topics related to children’s development. Children are registered with the relevant health professionals and supported to attend appointments.

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate for children to return to education, which demonstrates their commitment to children’s academic success. They discuss the value of education with children and empower them to engage in their education review meetings. This enables children to voice their opinions and preferences about their education. Staff identify schools that are suitable to meet children’s specific needs to support them to thrive academically. The efforts made by staff help children to develop a positive attitude towards education, which can lead to better outcomes and future opportunities. For some children who have recently moved into the home and are waiting for school places, staff provide structured learning activities.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from a good range of leisure activities, such as going to the cinema, shopping, restaurants, playing games and going to animation shows. This ensures that children are supported to develop their social skills, as well as actively engaging them in the local community.

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improvement to be good

Staff recognise the value of children maintaining family relationships. Children are sensitively supported to spend time with their families and other people who are important to them. The registered manager and staff also help children and families to overcome any difficulties in their relationships. Feedback from one parent is Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 4 positive about the way staff keep them updated and how they are included in their child’s life.

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improvement to be good

Children spoken to say they like living in the home. One child said, ‘I really like living here. It’s different to the home I’ve just come from.’

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to manage children’s complex behaviours and risks. Children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans do not detail all known risks or provide effective strategies to manage children’s complex behaviours. Behaviour support plans do not provide clear guidance to staff about how to promote positive behaviour and de-escalate incidents. Consequently, incidents of negative behaviour are not managed well. Staff do not support children effectively, and they resort to calling the police to manage incidents. Additionally, leaders and managers do not have up-to-date local authority care plans. This means that staff have a limited understanding of children’s individual needs. This places staff at risk as they are working with children without understanding all their risks and behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Children are frequently missing from the home. When children are missing from home, staff report them as missing to the police and inform placing authorities. When children return home, they are not always keen to talk to staff about where they have been, which prevents staff from identifying their vulnerabilities and risks outside the home. However, the manager does request a return home interview from the placing local authority.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment checks are not robust. There is a lack of evidence to show that all staff have been safely recruited. For example, some staff files had gaps in employment histories which was not fully scrutinised and explored. Leaders and managers understand that safer recruitment needs to be robust and said they would address these shortfalls.

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improvement to be good

Searches of children’s bedrooms are conducted appropriately when children have been in possession of weapons or if concerns arise. Children are made aware of bedroom searches and are present when they are carried out, which demonstrates respect and sensitivity towards children’s views and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions are frequent and targeted and address children’s various needs and risks. This helps children to reflect on their behaviours and learn how to make positive life choices to become safer. Children are also supported to reflect on how their actions impact on others. For example, after a targeted key-work session, one child recognised the impact of their behaviour on others in the home and on their own future. Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 5

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good

While there are many strengths, the overall organisation of the home is weak. The registered manager has not ensured that staff’s knowledge and skills are up to date or that records are maintained, which impacts staff’s ability to meet children’s needs effectively.

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good

Management systems that help managers to monitor and review the quality of care are not always effective, in particular in relation to safer recruitment, staff training, oversight of incidents and how learning from incidents is discussed in supervision and appraisals.

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good

Staff are provided with a range of online and face-to-face training. Staff training is not sufficient to equip them to meet the children’s needs. Not all staff have completed relevant training to ensure that they have the specific skills and knowledge to support the needs of the children. For example, not all staff have completed mandatory training on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Additionally, staff have not been provided with training relating to deprivation of liberty orders or child online safety.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly and are well attended. Staff discuss relevant topics such as the children’s presenting needs and safeguarding issues, enabling them to respond to specific behaviours and needs as they arise. However, these meetings do not compensate for the lack of regular and effective staff supervision. Records of supervision do not show any reflective discussions following incidents or any learning from them.

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good

Leaders and managers take allegations of harm seriously. They take swift and appropriate action when concerns arise, by sharing information with safeguarding agencies and carrying out internal investigations when appropriate.

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good

Leaders and managers held a comprehensive debrief with staff following the unplanned ending of several children’s placements. This was to examine any lessons learned and will support future improvements to staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 6

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure risk assessments are robust and correctly identify risk levels and include strategies to help staff to manage and reduce children’s individual risks. 7 April 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; 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)) 7 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 7 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they have a copy of all children’s local authority care plans and develop clear placement plans.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must fully consider the needs of children moving into the home as well as those of the children already living there. They must also consider whether the staff have the skills and training to meet the needs of all children in their care.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive the appropriate support, challenge and relevant training specific to children’s needs and risks to provide a good quality of care. 7 April 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.

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff have the skills to respond to each child’s individual behaviour. When necessary, they should manage conflict, maintain constructive conversations and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. Staff should encourage positive 7 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 8 behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (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. They must ensure that supervision sessions are recorded. 7 April 2025

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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. (Regulation 32 (1)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they obtain a full employment history for each member of staff. 7 April 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: 1269966 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Restoration Care & Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 53 Levine Gardens, Barking, Essex IG11 0UH

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christina Addison

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Inspector

Sadia Akhtar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1269966 10 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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