Children's Home run by Positive Outcomes Childcare Ltd in Dudley

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC483958 1 SC483958

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection took place as a result of Ofsted receiving concerns about incidents occurring at the home. Specifically, these related to allegations about poor management of behaviour, young people putting themselves at risk and ineffective staff responses to challenging behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

An incident occurred in April 2017 in which a young person was alleged to have had a knife in their possession. This concern was raised with the registered manager and the young person was spoken to and their room was searched. No knife was found. However, a lack of appropriate recording means that this incident has not been treated as a concern or a complaint. As a result, there is no recorded outcome to the incident nor confirmation that the placing authority has been made aware of the incident.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team ensures that young people are aware of the dangers of smoking and substance misuse. Regular key work sessions ensure that this subject is regularly discussed and young people are offered support in respect of their health. The home’s statement of purpose makes clear that preventative work around smoking takes place. Staff discuss the dangers of smoking in young people’s key work sessions. However, effective role modelling for young people is negatively affected because some staff smoke in a designated area of the garden. This area is separate to the young people’s smoking area. This provides a mixed message to young people and does not fully promote their health or well-being. As a result, the manager is not leading the home in a manner consistent with the statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are, overall, appropriately trained. One member of staff has not been trained in Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC483958 2 substance misuse awareness. The remainder of the staff team members have received this training. As a result, young people who may present as needing support do not have access to a fully trained staff team. All staff are trained in the home’s chosen method of behaviour management and are up to date. Similarly, all staff are trained in health and safety and safeguarding.

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This monitoring visit

The home is not appropriately maintained, with several damaged areas needing repair. For example, a young person’s bedroom has a defective door handle and there are several holes in the bedroom wall and unsightly marks on the ceiling. A window restrictor has been broken and the bedroom is untidy with rubbish on the floor. Another young person’s room has a similarly broken window restrictor. This first floor window opens fully onto a drop to the ground floor. The outside of the home has graffiti on the exterior wall and this is yet to be removed. These shortfalls detract from the efforts being made to make a homely environment and also potentially affect the safety of young people.

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This monitoring visit

A further incident occurred early in May 2017. A young person accessed a roofed area of the home through their bedroom window. The young person made threats to harm themselves and tampered with exposed wire on the exterior of the home. The incident concluded with the police being called to the home. However, the registered manager has not ensured that there have been amendments made to the young person’s risk assessment in light of this incident. The registered manager has also taken unilateral action to warn a young person that their behaviour needs to improve or risk the placement having to end. The placing authority was not consulted prior to this action or afforded the opportunity to discuss other methods of promoting positive behaviour. As a result, the registered manager has not reviewed or managed the placement of the young person effectively.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this monitoring inspection, six requirements have been made.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/11/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 19/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC483958 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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) and (2) (d)) 02/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) and (2) (a) (i)) 02/06/2017

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1) (a) (b) and (2) (c)) 02/06/2017

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 02/06/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC483958 4 registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13 (1) (a)(b) and (2) (a)) The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

That they manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1) (a)(b) and (2) (b) (ii)) 02/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)) 02/06/2017

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC483958 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Positive Outcomes Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Lexington, 8 Shoplatch, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1HF

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Inspector

Pete Hylton, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC483958 6 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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