Children's home in Belfast

This monitoring inspection

The home was judged as inadequate at an inspection on 27 July 2016, and 13 requirements were made. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess whether the home met the requirements made at the full inspection on 27 July 2016. There is one young person living at the home. The home was due to close on 1 September 2016 after the organisation submitted a voluntary closure application to Ofsted. However, due to the young person still living at the home, it remains open until a suitable arrangement is made for his future care. This monitoring visit found that improvements have taken place at the home since the full inspection. There were numerous deficits in the home’s environment and these have been repaired and improved, leading to a more homely and comfortable place to live, promoting the emotional well-being of the young person living at the home. The organisation has a new maintenance and repairs procedure, which has

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This monitoring inspection

led to an improved response to any deficits in the home. Managers and staff track and audit any outstanding repairs so that that these are not overlooked. The young person has a pleasant bedroom, including a bathroom, equipped with personal items appropriate for his age. Managers and staff liaise with professionals and the young person’s family to ensure that his needs are met, and any omissions in services are rectified as soon as possible. The young person does not attend school yet, and has a few hours each week at an alternative education provision. Managers continue to liaise with social workers and educational professionals to identify suitable education for him, so that he has every opportunity to improve his educational skills and make the most of opportunities throughout his life. Staff have helped the young person to make improvements in his health. Incidents of self-injurious behaviour have significantly declined. He eats a healthy diet and is

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This monitoring inspection

involved in his meal planning. He has recently attended the dentist and completed dental treatment. He is reluctant to try new activities, but staff successfully persuaded him to have a day at the seaside, which he enjoyed and which extended his experiences and enjoyment of life. The organisation has employed a member of staff to complete waking nights, to offer the young person additional support throughout the night. There are thorough arrangements in place to store and administer medication, including controlled drugs. The clear protocol ensures that staff administer medication safely, improving the safety of the young person. Since the last inspection, there has been one safeguarding matter, which was appropriately reported to professionals, including the designated officer in the local authority. This is currently under investigation by the organisation, and actions taken to date have promoted the safety and protection of the young person involved.

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This monitoring inspection

There have been no incidents of the young person going missing from care, and only one occasion when he was absent without agreement. The young person was quickly found and returned to the home safe and well. Staff have addressed fire safety concerns. The young person has moved rooms and a fire siren is in place in his room. Staff have liaised with the fire officer from the local authority who raised no concerns about the home. A broken panel covering the fire alarm panel has been replaced. These actions have resulted in a safer environment for the young person living at the home. Concerns were raised at the last inspection about a lack of privacy for the young person, as his toilet door did not have a working lock. This has now been repaired and his privacy promoted. Leadership and management arrangements at the home have changed. A temporary manager has left and another manager is overseeing the running of the home until it

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This monitoring inspection

closes. Supervision arrangements have improved, with staff having regular supervision in line with company policy. There remains a shortfall in staff training as not all staff have completed their level 3 diploma in residential childcare with children and young people, within the required timescale. A failure to ensure the completion of necessary training results in young people being cared for by staff who may lack necessary skills and abilities to care for them. There is a shortfall in the young person’s case records as his education, health and care (EHC) plan and personal education plan (PEP) are not on his file. Managers and staff continue to request these documents from the local authority. This omission means that staff may not have all the essential information they need to meet the young person’s needs. Staff have not completed records of physical interventions thoroughly, leading to confusion for the reader about the course of events. If he reads his files, the young

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This monitoring inspection

person may not be clear why a physical intervention was necessary in the circumstances.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service is operated by a national provider in partnership with a local authority.

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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

8: The education standard In order to meet the education standard, (2)(a) the registered person must ensure that staff (i) help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans; (ii) support each child's learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (v) promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; (vi) maintain regular contact with each child's education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child's education and training and to

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Requirement Due date

maximise the child's achievement; (vii) raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child's education or training provider and the child's placing authority; 18/11/2016 (viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification by the relevant date. The appropriate qualification is (4)(a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’). The relevant date is (5)(b) in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(5)(b)) 30/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’) has spoken to the user about the measure, and has signed a record to confirm it is accurate, and that 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. (Regulation 35(3)(b)(i)(ii)) 18/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

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. In particular, this refers to a copy of the child's EHC plan and PEP. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 18/11/2016

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and progress made by the home since their last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. 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.

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Information about this inspection

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 .

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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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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