Children's home run by Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited in Tewkesbury

Nicola Lownds

This monitoring visit . The purpose of this visit was to assess the homes performance in light of information received by Ofsted from safeguarding agencies. As a result of this visit a number of shortfalls are identified. Statutory requirements have been made; the home’s registered individuals must take action to address these areas.

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Nicola Lownds

The arrangements for the staffing the homes are not yet good. Staffing shortages means that young people are exposed to too many unfamiliar adults coming in and out of their home. In addition the property is used as a training venue for the company, this exasperates the situation.

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Nicola Lownds

The safe management and recording of the administration of medication is poor. On five occasions the administration of prescription medication was not recorded. This is not identified in the monitoring of the medication records. In addition there was one entry in the controlled drugs book which stated a young person had been given an additional dose of their controlled medication. Staff said this was a recording error and the young person’s night time medication had been recorded in the wrong place. This demonstrated that current monitoring systems are ineffective.

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Nicola Lownds

Young people are unable to make telephone calls without referring to staff. Pre- paid cards which hold numbers of parents, social workers, Ofsted, helplines and any other individuals important to the young person, were with the registered manager at the time of this visit. Inspectors were also told that young people could dial Ofsted and helplines even without these cards. Upon trying these numbers, this was not possible.

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Nicola Lownds

Staff are not appointed in line with safer recruitment. References are not routinely verified and in one case, there was no information or references for a person who had left and then been re-employed at a later date. These omissions do not support safer recruitment practices and safeguarding young people. In addition there was no explanation of the scoring systems used during interviews or clear evidence of the decision to appoint or not.

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Nicola Lownds

There is a failure to manage young people’s behaviour effectively. As a consequence the home is subjected to substantial damage. At the time of this visit, the glass was broken on five windows.. This damage was occurred during two incidents. Discussions were held with the registered manager about a culture within the organisation of young people breaking windows which is ongoing and which has not improved.

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Nicola Lownds

The independent visitors reports do not help develop practices at the home. These visits do not routinely take place when the young people are at the home. The report on the independent visitors interviews with young people and staff do not cover issues of quality of care, if the young people feel safe, how young people feel about the staff who cares for them or any concerns staff or young people may have.

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Nicola Lownds

Behaviour management records are well managed and no concerns were identified with respect to these at this visit.

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Nicola Lownds

Young people’s records contain all the required information which is up to date. In addition there are strategies in place to address identified risks.

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Nicola Lownds

At this inspection records of allegation management were reviewed and evidence safeguarding matters are well managed.

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Nicola Lownds

There is an effective complaint procedure in place which is known to the young people. This includes checking if young people are happy with the outcome.

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Nicola Lownds

Cars provided by the organisation for the staff team to use are serviced and well maintained to ensure they are safe for young people and staff.

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Nicola Lownds

Young people are provided with a good range of healthy well balanced meals.

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Nicola Lownds

A further inspection will be conducted within the usual inspection cycle.

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Information about this children's home

This children's home is registered to provide accommodation for a maximum of five boys who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a private organisation that also operates other children's homes and a registered school in the locality.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential, and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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, ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate, ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child, ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child, ensure that the home's workforce provides continuity of care to each child. In particular young people should be care for by a consistent staff team. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b),(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 28/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

22: Contact and access to communications

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to a telephone on which to make an receive calls in private, which they may use without reference to persons working in the home (Regulation 22 (3)(a)) 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

23: Medicines 23/12/2016 The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular the registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 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). The requirements are that the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

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 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. In particular references should be obtained for all staff including those who have left the organisation for any period of time. Where these staff have worked from a care provider a reference should be obtained from that provider. (Regulation 32 (1), (2(a)(b),(3(a)(b)(c)(d), (4(a)(b)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person 31/01/2017 must help the independent person if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. In particular the independent persons visit should take place when the young people are at the home. In addition the report should evaluate practice at the home to be an effect tool for driving forward improvement. (Regulation 44 (1),(2(a),(4(a)(b))

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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. out 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

to 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

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Information about this inspection

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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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