Children's home run by Acorn Care (NE) Limited in Darlington

This monitoring visit

This home was judged as good at the full inspection on 7 June 2016. An interim inspection was carried out on 9 January 2017 when Ofsted judged that it had declined in effectiveness. Following the interim inspection, the home was subject to a restriction of accommodation notice for three months from 11 January 2017. This is a monitoring visit to gather evidence to determine whether the provider has met the compliance notices. The evidence gathered during the inspection on 9 January 2017 demonstrated that there were concerns that the leadership and management of the home were ineffective and placed children and young people at risk of harm to their welfare. The evidence confirmed that a number of regulations were not being met. Those regulations related to understanding the needs of children and young people, and how to provide care to keep them safe. Compliance notices were issued on 16 January 2017 and were required to be

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This monitoring visit

completed by 10 February 2017. The notices related to: Regulation 12(a): The protection of children standard. The provider was required to: Ensure the child protection policy is followed consistently by staff members and keep records of actions taken in response to concerns about young people’s welfare and well-being. Review each missing from care episode. Record the actions taken to safeguard the young person when missing and the actions taken to reduce the risk of them going missing again. Review risk management systems within the home. Ensure risk assessments are regularly reviewed, including after serious events, or following incidents involving peers within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Create consultation systems for young people to feedback back their views and feelings about living in the home. The evidence gathered at this visit demonstrates that the provider has reviewed the child protection policy with all of the staff members and tested their competence against the policy in a staff meeting. The system for recording episodes of missing from the home has been reviewed. This now gives greater detail about the period of missing from home and the steps that the staff take in response. The risk management system has been reviewed and a system of monitoring has been put in place to ensure that all incidents are reviewed and the risk assessments amended as appropriate. A system of consultation with the young people, their families and those professionals involved in their care has been implemented. The first set of consultation documents has been sent out and evidence was seen of those

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This monitoring visit

responses returned by young people and their families. In addition, evidence was seen in relation to actions that the team has taken in response to issues raised by young people. Regulation 12(b)(c)(d): The protection of children standard. The provider was required to: Ensure staffing arrangements during the daytime and overnight are sufficient to meet the needs of the young people placed. Review these arrangements following serious events to ensure that staffing levels remain appropriate to respond to the needs and presenting behaviours of young people.

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This monitoring visit

Review missing from care plans and linked risk assessments to ensure steps to reduce risks are effective. Monitor records to ensure that staff members consistently follow the actions and guidance in such plans.

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This monitoring visit

Ensure fire safety equipment is available in line with the findings from the home’s fire risk assessment.

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This monitoring visit

Review the child protection policy to ensure it is up to date and reflects the needs of young people placed. Staff must be made aware of the process to be followed following a safeguarding incident. Review serious incident records to ensure that the policy is being implemented consistently to keep young people safe. The rota has been reviewed to ensure that there are appropriate numbers of staff on duty at relevant times of the day. There are still some staff shortages, but recruitment of more staff has started. A full review of the care plans and risk assessments has been undertaken and amended where appropriate. Care plans, in particular, have improved and now give a clear picture of young people’s needs and how they will be addressed by the home. The fire brigade has visited the home and given advice which has been acknowledged by the staff. The fire risk assessment has been amended, as required, taking into account the advice given.

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This monitoring visit

Regulation 11: The positive relationship standard. The provider was required to: Provide reflective practice and learning opportunities within team meetings.

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This monitoring visit

Provide training in relation to attachment and trauma and its effects on young people’s behaviour. Ensure staff members understand how to implement this learning in their day to day practice.

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This monitoring visit

Ensure every child placed has an up to date care plan. Review these documents regularly involving the young person, their parents and placing social worker. Ensure these contain guidance and direction for staff to follow in order to keep young people safe and for young people to achieve the aims identified in their care plan. Ensure that the care plans include strategies to meet the identified needs including timescales, review dates and monitoring processes.

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Provide regular, reflective supervision opportunities to enable all staff members, including the registered manager, to develop the necessary skills for engaging young people.

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This monitoring visit

The supervision format has been amended to include an opportunity for reflection and to discuss any actions from the last supervision. The form is now comprehensive, but a full evaluation of its use cannot be made due to a limited number of supervisions having taken place in the timescales. Each member of staff has had an appraisal and has been given targets for the forthcoming year. The senior management team has held two meetings with the full staff team to outline expectations and link practice to knowledge of attachment and trauma. Two members of staff have started a formal training course in attachment and trauma, and other sessions are planned. In addition, for those who have previously completed the course, an in-house update with be delivered by the psychologist working with the home. Regulation 13: The leadership and management standard. The provider is required to:

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This monitoring visit

Create a tool which allows for assessment of the potential impact of any new admission into the home on current residents. Ensure that future assessments are recorded.

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This monitoring visit

Undertake a review to demonstrate that staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet the needs of young people. Develop a programme of training to ensure that all staff members learn basic skills of engagement with young people and positive behaviour management.

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This monitoring visit

Revise monitoring systems to ensure that staff practice is regularly evaluated and any poor performance is addressed in a timely manner. Implement a written action plan for any staff member when there are concerns around staff development or practice.

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Create a development plan which addresses shortfalls ineffective team work, such as sufficiency of staff, consistency of approach, and its impact on the care of young people. The impact risk assessments are now in place and have been completed for the two young people living at the home. They are effective in measuring the impact of each young person on the other. The quality cannot be evaluated further until the restriction on admissions is lifted and new young people are admitted. The senior management team has created a plan to undertake a skills audit following on from the appraisals and self-evaluation by the staff. This will enable all them to develop a comprehensive training plan. When necessary, some staff have been given an improvement plan to develop their skills and knowledge. The compliance notices have been met satisfactorily. Due the ongoing risks associated with the reduced staffing levels, the restriction of accommodation

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notice issued on 11 January 2017 remains in place. The notice will remain under review and be lifted if the situation changes or the notice expires.

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Information about this children’s home

The home accommodates up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private provider.

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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 Text phone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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