Children's home run by Sunfield Children’s Homes Limited in Bromsgrove

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This service was judged to require improvement at the full inspection in August 2015. Nine requirements and one recommendation were made. A monitoring visit took place in October 2015. This focused on the use of seclusion with door holding as a behaviour management strategy for four young people. This visit identified that there had been two breaches of regulations where requirements had been set at the last full inspection and had not been met. These requirements were repeated. Two new requirements and one new recommendation were also made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection found actions have been taken to meet all eleven previous requirements and two previous recommendations. The management team have undertaken thorough reviews and implemented timely new strategies which are now becoming embedded into the service’s day to day practice. Due to the size of this service the impact of some of these actions will take time. However, in other areas positive outcomes are already being observed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team continue to make progress developing systems to safeguard young people’s well-being. There are now systems in place that collate reports and ensure the management team have an improved overview of staff practice, safeguarding incidents and challenging and high risk behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the monitoring visit these systems and staff whistle-blowing have identified a number of incidents of poor staff practice. They have been appropriately referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer. Young people’s placing authorities have also been informed. Staff have been suspended pending the outcome of internal investigations and disciplinary action. These incidents have not meet the threshold for a local authority safeguarding investigation. However, the outcomes are going to be discussed at a strategy meeting with the Local Authority Designated Officer and Ofsted. The purpose of this meeting is to monitor patterns and trends of poor staff practice, the effectiveness of the senior manager’s investigation processes and actions taken to ensure young people receive good quality practice and care in the future. The management team have slowed down admissions into the home while they strengthen assessment processes. They have also reviewed the needs of young

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

people currently placed. They have made good progress in identifying at what point staff can no longer manage young people’s behaviours safely within a children’s home. Seclusion is no longer a behaviour management strategy used by staff. Where necessary the management team and staff have support young people to move onto services that can better meet their needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most young people with complex learning disabilities are making good progress. Planned strategies support young people to achieve their individual goals. As a result most young people have excellent school attendance and make good academic progress. They develop social skills and increase their independence through learning new personal and life skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The senior management team continue to work towards meeting the service’s action plan. This plan is informed by good quality assurance processes. The service’s registered manager post is currently vacant. There are clear and effective interim management arrangements in place. The post has been recruited to and the new appointment will start at the end of March 2016.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Timely recruitment, regular support and increased training of staff continues to be developed. Staffing levels have been reviewed by the senior management team. As a result there is a new recruitment drive and a number of newly created posts. A new supervision monitoring system has been implemented. This provides prompts for managers to ensure supervisions are completed within the required timescale. Further systems are currently being developed in order to monitor the quality of supervisions and records. Additional focused training continues to be delivered and directed at specific staff teams and positions. As well as additional training being delivered to all staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The responsible individual and management team continue to work to drive up standards. To create a safe environment. With a more stable, consistent and professional staff team, who are able to successfully meet the needs of young people.

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Information about this children's home

This service is a children’s home registered with Ofsted. It is also a residential special school registered by the Department of Education. It is run by a charity. It provides a service to boys and girls aged 6 to 19 years with severe and complex learning difficulties and behavioural needs. It offers flexible placements of 38 to 52 weeks a year for up to 61 young people. 7 of these placements are for short breaks for current students who receive day or 38 week placements. There are 12 homes within the grounds of the school. Each house is different in design, the number of young people it can accommodate and the size of the staff team.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/08/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

18/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory progress

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure

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Requirement Due date

(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking account information in the child’s relevant plans, and , if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

(ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

(iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

(iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a children’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

(vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. 01/04/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service 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. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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