Children's Home, Residential special school run by Rowden House School Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035625 1 SC035625 Rowden House School Limited

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned residential special school. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 30 children who have learning disabilities.

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This monitoring visit

At the full inspection in June 2017, the home was judged inadequate. The concerns included:

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This monitoring visit

 Staff were slow to trigger safeguarding procedures, especially when dealing with concerns about colleagues and visitors.  Senior managers did not have a clear understanding of safeguarding incidents because of managerial oversight, and review was inconsistent.  Young people were not given their correct medication.  Staff had failed to take swift action when a young person accidently ate a potentially dangerous substance.  Young people’s medication was not stored safely or in line with the home’s procedures.  Managers had not made sure that staff were trained in the administration of medication.  Staff shortages meant that young people were not supervised in accordance with their individual care plans.  Managers had failed to ensure that behaviour support plans outlined how staff should respond if a young person was likely to cause harm to others.  Staff had spoken to some young people harshly and, on one occasion, a

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This monitoring visit

member of staff was alleged to have physically assaulted a young person.  Fire safety checks were not routinely carried out in all houses. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035625 2 This monitoring visit has found that good progress has been made in addressing a number of the previous concerns. However, staff are still not following safeguarding procedures.

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This monitoring visit

There have been managerial changes since the last inspection. The registered manager has left and a new interim manager is now in post.

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This monitoring visit

Concerns remain about staff members’ ability to safeguard the young people in their care. For example, a young person made an allegation of abuse against a person outside of the home. Staff failed to implement safeguarding procedures. Initial decisions were made in isolation and without consultation with the placing authority. This resulted in delays in concerns being appropriately shared with other professionals. Although new systems have been put in place to safeguard young people, these have proved to be ineffective.

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This monitoring visit

Progress has been made in other areas. For example, recent staff recruitment has enabled young people to receive the supervision required, as set out in their individual care plans. Agency staff are still required, but where possible the same agency staff are used to help ensure that young people have better consistency of care.

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This monitoring visit

Senior management have recognised that there was a lack of effective communication between the organisation, managers and the individual houses. Consequently, managers have been brought back into the different houses. This has given staff more managerial oversight and support in their day-to-day care of young people.

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This monitoring visit

83% of staff are now trained in the care of medication. There are new systems in place to help to ensure that young people are having their health needs met. For example, there are now key people responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient stock of medication. The number of medication errors have reduced because of this carefully monitoring.

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This monitoring visit

Fire safety is now being given sufficient oversight. This includes each house having a clear fire risk assessment plan in place.

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This monitoring visit

Although new monitoring systems are in place to improve the standards in the home, these remain ineffective. For example, car checks are still not routinely being recorded accurately. Managers have failed to pick up this shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

One compliance notice relating to safeguarding is not met. A letter of concern has been sent to the responsible individual. Ofsted will continue to monitor the setting. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035625 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/06/2017 Full Inadequate 21/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 13/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035625 4

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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 with 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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm, take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iii)(vi)(vii)) 02/10/2017

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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 promotes children’s welfare. (Regulation 13(1)(b)) 02/10/2017

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(h)) 02/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

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 the level 3 diploma for residential childcare. (Regulation 32(4)(a)) 02/02/2018

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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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035625 5 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: SC035625 6

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rowden House School Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 St. George’s, Vernon Gate, Derby, Derbyshire DE1 1UQ

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Mrs Sue Young, social care inspector Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC035625 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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