Children's home run by Positive Cycle Limited in Bristol, City of

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At this interim inspection the home was 'not judged' .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On 19 January 2016, the home received its first full inspection since registration. The home was rated „requires improvement‟ in two outcome areas, and inadequate for leadership and management. Eight requirements and five recommendations were made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On 3 March 2016, the single young person who was resident in the home moved out. On 21 March, the registered manager notified Ofsted that there were no young people living in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

On 30 March 2016, the inspector visited the home to conduct the present inspection. The home has no permanent staff team, and registered manager and deputy manager were elsewhere in the country. This meant that there was no one available to facilitate an inspection, and the inspector had no means to evaluate progress. For this reason, the previous requirements and recommendations have been repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has now been closed for 27 days. The registered provider has indicated that the home will not be operational for at least another five days. Should the home decide to accept placements they are required to inform Ofsted of their intention before they do so.

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Information about this children's home

The children‟s home is the sole establishment operated by a private company in the south west of England. It is registered for up to four children and young people under 18 years, who may have emotional and behavioural disorders or learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

19 January 2016 Full Requires improvement

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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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to ensuring that the home has its own effective care plans and health care plans, ensure that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

(a) understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child‟s needs, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans, taking account of the child‟s background. 15/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to making fire and premises risk assessments robust and specific to the home, preparing a lone-working risk assessment, clarifying and reviewing strategies to respond to risks to the young people, and evaluating the risks of child sexual exploitation and bullying on their risk assessments, ensure that - (1) children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if 15/04//2016 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to establishing and maintaining an effective system for monitoring the home and continuing work to develop and train the staff to work together as a team, ensure that: (1) the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 15/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

16.—(1) The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose describes the use of bedroom door alarms. Amend the statement of purpose to resolve the discrepancy in the home‟s complaints procedure with regard to how any complaints against the manager will be investigated (Regulation 16 (1) and Schedule 1) 15/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers 15/04/2016 32 (2) The registered person may only— (a) employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; or (b) if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). (3) The requirements are that— (a) the individual is of integrity and good character; (b) the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; (c) the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. In particular, ensure that there is a robust system for checking

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Requirement Due date

applicants and that their employment history is complete (Regulation 32 (2) and (3) and the Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations)

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. In particular, ensure that there are systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. Professionally qualified staff employed by the home, e.g. teachers or social workers, should be provided with relevant professional or clinical supervision by an appropriately qualified and experienced professional (Regulation 33 (4) and the Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations 2015, 15/04/2016 paragraph 13.2)

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Requirement Due date

36.—(1) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular, ensure that young people have a written plans, prepared by the manager, which specifies for staff exactly how they must deliver the objectives of the placement and standards of care specified in the local authority‟s care plans (Regulation 36 (1) and Schedule 3) 15/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

37.—(1) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‟s home. (2) The registered person must— (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; (b) ensure that the records are kept up to date; and (c) retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. In particular, ensure that there is a record of every fire drill or fire alarm test conducted, with details of any deficiency in either the procedure or the equipment concerned, together with details of the steps taken to remedy that deficiency. Regulation 37 and Schedule 4 (6)) 15/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations: Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely (Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations 2015, paragraph 5.19) Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. In particular, request that the general practitioner reviews and if appropriate, agrees, the home‟s list of homely remedies, and that receipts and disposals books are established to record medicines that are received into the home and returned to the pharmacy (Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations 2015, paragraph 7.15) Ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff

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Recommendations

safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. In particular, ensure that there is a robust system for undertaking and recording reference verification (Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations including the Quality Standards April 2015, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

Ensure that case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular, ensure that records are kept of direct work undertaken with each young person, and related to that young person‟s targets (Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations 2015, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

Ensure that the registered person undertakes a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. Reviews should be underpinned by the Quality Standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (The Guide to the Children‟s Homes Regulations 2015, paragraph 15.2)

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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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