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

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the actions that senior leaders have taken since the interim inspection on 6 December 2016, when the children’s home was judged to have declined in effectiveness.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently four young people living at the home. Since the last inspection, the registered manager has resigned. The home is currently being managed by an experienced acting manager. A therapist from the company is also providing additional support to strengthen the interim arrangements. The acting manager is currently auditing all young people’s files and records. Ofsted has requested a copy of the acting manager’s findings from the audit. In addition, she is required to provide Ofsted with a copy of the home’s development plan.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing levels have improved and now reflect the staffing levels as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. Recruitment is ongoing, as vacancies for two care staff posts and a deputy remain. These vacancies are being covered by staff working additional hours and the use of staff from an external agency. The acting manager is ensuring that new staff work with experienced members of the staff team. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of staff employed from an agency being left on their own in the home with young people.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received supervision at the intervals described in the home’s statement of purpose. The records of supervision sessions have improved in quality and demonstrate a discussion with staff about their practice, including any incidents that they have been involved in. As yet, annual appraisals have not taken place as required.

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This monitoring visit

The on-call support system has been reviewed to ensure that staff on duty are able to seek advice from senior staff when required.

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This monitoring visit

Some monitoring of the quality of care provided in the home has taken place. However, it was not evident that managers are monitoring all of the incident and restraint records. This remains an area for improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The person responsible for managing safeguarding concerns has changed. Since the last inspection, there have been no new safeguarding referrals made. Records of an investigation into an existing safeguarding concern demonstrate that the acting manager has worked appropriately with external safeguarding agencies to protect a young person.

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This monitoring visit

All of the requirements and recommendations raised at the last inspection will continue, and action taken to address them will be assessed at the next inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate four children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is owned 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who: (1)(a) understand the children’s homes 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) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; treat each child with dignity and respect; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live

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Requirement Due date

there comfortably; provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice; (c) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to: meet the needs of each child; and (d) ensure that any care that: is arranged or provided for a child that relates to the child’s development (within the meaning of section 17(11) of the Children Act 1989) or health, and; is not arranged or provided as part of the health service continued under section 1(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006(a), satisfies the conditions in 06/01/2017 paragraph (3). (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(viii)(ix)(c)(i) (d)(i)(ii)) 11: The positive relationships standard

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Requirement Due date

(1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on: (a) mutual respect and trust; (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour; (c) and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent

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Requirement Due date

behaviour by children; understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable, and; have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)) 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that 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: assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and 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 06/01/2017 harm; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located

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Requirement Due date

so that children are effectively safeguarded; and (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(b)(c)(d)) 13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that 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; (b) and 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

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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 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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))* 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard (1) The care planning standard is that children: (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed; (f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14(1(a) (2)(c)(f)) 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

16: Statement of purpose 06/01/2017 (5) 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. Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(1)(5)) 33: Employment of staff (1) The registered person must: (a) ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; (b) ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation, and (c) provide each employee with a job description outlining the employee’s responsibilities. (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

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Requirement Due date

experience, and: (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a)(b)(c)) 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

34: Policies for the protection of children (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which: (a) is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect, and; (b) sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (2) The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular; (a) provide for liaison and cooperation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home; (b) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located; (c) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if

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Requirement Due date

different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred; (d) provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, 06/01/2017 and the action taken in response; (e) describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and (f) describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (6) The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f) (6)) 35: Behaviour management policies and records (3) The registered person must ensure that: (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person,

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Requirement Due date

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 the record to confirm it is accurate; (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. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

(1) Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. (2) In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. (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. (Regulation 39(1) (2) (3)) In particular, the record needs to state if the complainant is satisfied with the outcome of the investigation or not. 06/01/2017

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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. (2) When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the 06/01/2017 registered person, must help the independent person: (a) 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; and (b) to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (3) A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. (4) 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: (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44(1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b)) In particular, the independent visitor should visit the home when the young people are there. The independent visitors report should contain more information and evaluation of the quality of care the young people receive and the young people’s views. 45: Review of quality of care

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every six months. (2) In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating: (a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). (Regulation 45(1) (2(a)(b)(c) (3))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this report needs to contain more evaluation which can then be used to develop practices within the home. 06/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. It will, in most cases, be a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, repairs should be addressed swiftly, and health and safety equipment should not, when possible, be of an institutionalised standard.  As set out in regulations 31–33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, the records of staff interviews should include an explanation of the scoring system used to decide whether to employ. Also, in light of safeguarding

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Recommendations

concerns, either the records of internal investigations need be included in safeguarding files or the information in safeguarding files should identify where these are stored.  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, key-worker records should reflect more detail of the discussions that take place.

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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

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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