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Inspector Sharron Escott

This monitoring visit . A compliance notice was served on this home following the full inspection in July 2016. At that inspection, an inadequate judgement was made and a compliance notice, under Regulation 13 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, the leadership and management standard, was issued. The purpose of this unannounced monitoring visit was to assess whether registered persons had complied with the requirements of the notice. There is evidence that the registered individual and registered manager have reviewed, introduced and implemented a new admissions policy, revised impact risk assessments and commissioned external training courses for the staff to attend. The requirements of the notice have been met. However, the home has not admitted any young people since the previous inspection, and as a result new systems and revised records have not been tested for effectiveness. In addition,

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Inspector Sharron Escott

the staff’s practice still needs to be tested to ensure that their learning is implemented in practice. The registered provider has commissioned external training agencies who have provided focused and targeted training for the manager and staff team. To date, they have received training in child sexual exploitation, self-harm and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Additional dates are scheduled for all staff to receive training in sexual health in September 2016. Feedback from staff about the training is positive, with each of them stating that they feel their knowledge has improved as a result. Staff spoken to said that they have a greater understanding of the young people’s needs and behaviours and their practice has changed as a result of the training they have received. The registered manager and responsible individual have reviewed the home’s policies and records relating to admissions and compatibility. In addition, a new

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Inspector Sharron Escott

policy has been introduced that requires senior managers to undertake a full audit of a young person’s placement prior to serving notice to their respective local authority. To date, two young people remain in placement, and no young people have left or been admitted into the home. As a result, the new systems and procedures have not been tested for effectiveness. Both young people in placement have an up-to-date local authority care plan. Looked after children reviews have taken place and the actions from these meetings are being met. However, the home has not been successful in securing the independent reviewing officer’s (IRO) minutes for one young person within the required timescales. During this visit, the manager took immediate action and emailed the IRO who acknowledged the delay in forwarding these. In addition, young people’s risk assessments have been reviewed as a result of enhanced concerns for one young person who is at significant risk of exploitation.

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Inspector Sharron Escott

A further full inspection will be undertaken to ascertain the impact of the provider’s actions and whether improvements noted at this monitoring visit have developed further.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to accommodate five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service is operated by a charitable organisation.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, the registered person must: (a) seek to involve each child’s placing authority in the child’s care effectively, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. 30/09/2016

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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 of care standard, the registered person must ensure that children receive care from staff who: (1)(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: (b) ensure that staff: (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare (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 (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to: (i) meet the needs of each child. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that: 30/09/2016 (1)(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being (c) children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff help each child to: (ii) understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well- being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: (1) that children are protected from harm and are enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, children must: (1)(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (b) that arrangements are in place to: (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home (iii) plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers 30/09/2016 (1) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (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 (d) full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the

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Requirement Due date

individual in respect of each of the matters in schedule 2. (4) 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: (a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’) (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. (5) The relevant date is: (a) in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home, or (b) in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. 35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that: (b) 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’): (i) has spoken to the user about the measure (c) within five 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. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

39: Complaints and representations 30/09/2016 (3) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. 40: Notification of a serious event

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if: (a) a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation (b) an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious (e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 30/09/2016

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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