Children's home run by CareTech Community Services Limited in Hertsmere

Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 1 SC376211 Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a large private company and is registered to provide care for six children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2024 Full Good 17/05/2023 Full Good 22/08/2022 Full Good 20/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive, trusting relationships with staff who know them well. Having a very stable staff team allows children to get to know consistent staff and helps staff to understand each child’s individual needs so that they can provide sensitive, child centred care. All six children were seen during the inspection and relationships between staff and children are very nurturing. One child described being happy living in the home and trusting the staff who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s communication is understood by staff. Most children living in the home do not communicate verbally, however, staff are skilled at interpreting children’s body language, sounds and gestures to help them understand what the child needs. The provider has been proactive in providing devices for each child with communication aids installed. This has been funded by the provider and has helped children to use tailored communication to express their thoughts. One child used their device to tell staff that they wanted a cuddle and ice cream.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school and college and attendance rates are good. There is good partnership working with schools and regular communication helps to ensure that any changes are passed on. One child has been out of education for a long period after they moved into the home. Staff used information from the child’s previous school to create an education plan that includes a range of educational activities every day. This has helped to continue the child’s learning until they can attend a new school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to lead a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy a balanced diet, and children who have arrived at the home with a very limited diet are supported to increase the variety of food they will try. In addition, one child has undergone major surgery and has received excellent support from staff both before and after the operation. As a result, they are recovering very well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Staff welcome children’s families into the home and help to facilitate visits to see their relatives. One child enjoys attending a youth club where he is able to see lifelong friends and family members. Family members have very positive relationships with staff and value the support and care that they provide.

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

Children are safe because of high staffing ratios and consistent staff who know them well. Staffing is increased as and when needed based on children’s current needs. For example, when one child’s behaviours escalated, extra night staff were brought in to ensure their safety. Children who present with self-injurious behaviour receive sensitive care. Staff are inquisitive about the triggers but because most children are pre-verbal, it can be difficult. Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 4 Specialist support is requested when needed to ensure that there are no underlying health issues that may be leading to the behaviours.

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

Children’s plans are thorough and provide staff with clear guidance to follow. Protocols for specific health conditions are in place and are understood by staff. In addition, records are kept updated with any behaviours of concern or marks seen on children. This helps staff to monitor children’s presentation in the absence of children being able to tell staff what is wrong.

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

There are very few behavioural incidents in the home. Staff are well trained to support children with their behaviour, and physical intervention is only used as a last resort. While records provide an overview of incidents, they lack full information. In addition, not all staff involved in the interventions have follow up discussions, and records of discussions with children include adult comments rather than the child’s views. The records do not include sufficient information for the manager to assess whether the measure was proportionate, however this had not been identified, meaning that the manager’s oversight of physical interventions is not thorough.

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

Medication is usually administered correctly. Most children’s medication is given in line with their prescriptions. However, for one child a dose of medication was regularly missed because of a recording error. Despite regular medication audits, the manager has not identified the discrepancy. This is a topical medication, and no deterioration was noted as a result of the error.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a very experienced manager who has worked at the home for many years. They are committed to providing a high level of care to children with complex needs and giving them the best possible life while they are living in the home. The manager is well respected by staff, professionals and children’s families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a very stable, experienced staff team, and several members of staff have worked at the home for several years. Staff work well as a team, and all share a common goal to give children the best care they can. The home does not use agency staff; instead, staff are flexible to cover absences or work extra when needed so that the children only have care from a consistent team who know them well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home environment is safe and welcoming. Children benefit from a creative use of outbuildings that have been converted into a sensory room and cinema room. Any damage around the home is repaired quickly. This means children continue to live in a safe and welcoming environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring systems assist leaders and managers to have good oversight of the home, including a range of audits that are completed by managers and the responsible individual. While overall the monitoring is effective, it has failed to identify shortfalls found in some records, for example, where weaknesses in practice need to be Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 5 addressed. This means that staff may go unchallenged when there are shortfalls in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are proactive in supporting children to engage with their local community. They have completed charity activities to raise money for the local children’s hospice and special needs nursery and have also raised funds for new equipment for their garden. Children take part in activities, including a garden party, and have welcomed friends and relatives into the home to enjoy the events with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s families and professionals are overwhelmingly positive about the home and staff. One family member commented on the significant progress their child has made while living in the home, sharing that the home is amazing and they would not want them to live anywhere else. One professional gave similarly positive feedback, stating: ‘If my own child had to go into care, I would be happy for them to live at [name of home].’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 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 registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the frequency of children’s medication is in line with the prescription. 1 April 2026

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used, or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 1 April 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 7 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that incident records include full details of any physical intervention used. Also, that discussions are completed with all staff who are involved in the intervention. In addition, that discussions with children are completed in a child centred way that captures their views as much as possible. Furthermore, management oversight must address when improvements are needed in recording or practice, and how these will be addressed.

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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: SC376211 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: CareTech Community Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Vicky Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC376211 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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