Children's home run by R Place Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 1 SC429189

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R Place Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home registered for five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out an unannounced monitoring inspection to this home on 22 August 2017. Recent notifications to Ofsted regarding serious events in the home raised issues regarding the matching considerations for young people, and how individual risks are assessed and managed.

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This monitoring visit

There is clear evidence that each referral to the home is assessed against the information provided by the local authority and the needs of the young people already accommodated. Clear impact assessments are completed at the point of a placement being offered, and are a reflection of the concerns and trends already evident in the home.

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This monitoring visit

It is apparent that on three separate occasions two local authorities failed to provide some care planning information until after the placement was made. This information was pertinent to the planning of each placement, with particular regard to the management of risk. The manager must ensure that all information is received and reviewed prior to a placement offer being made. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

A review of risk assessments provides clear evidence that the manager and staff make necessary adjustments to risk management strategies following episodes of risk-taking behaviour. These adjustments include acting on the receipt of new information regarding an individual’s personal risk-taking behaviour, and providing additional staffing and one-to-one support for the young person concerned. There is clear evidence of concerns being highlighted to local authorities, including requests Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 2 for emergency placement meetings. This indicates the steps taken by the home to address the concerns around individual young people’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

In order to manage the serious concerns relating to one young person, the manager developed a ‘locked door’ risk assessment. This was agreed by the local authority. However, although this strategy was used as a short term measure to manage a specific risk, this is not a suitable strategy for longer term concerns. Any measure that impacts on the movement of accommodated young people in and out of the home is deemed as a restriction of liberty and is not permissible in a children’s home environment. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

Although overall health care planning is good and the home has regular contact with the looked after children’s nurse, there is a shortfall in the training that staff receive in relation to specific health conditions. For example, the staff group has not received training on matters such as foetal alcohol syndrome, a condition relevant to one of the young people which may impact on the individual or on the other young people in the home. The manager must ensure that all staff have the most appropriate training in order to meet the needs of all referrals to the home. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

There has been an increase in the number of young people presenting as absent or missing from the home. Evidence shows that the home takes suitable steps to locate and safely return young people to the home. Procedures are followed, and parents and local authorities are regularly updated. However, there have been delays on a number of occasions when young people have been initially reported as absent, but where the status has later been escalated to missing. The manager must ensure that when the whereabouts of a young person is not fully known, the situation must be escalated to a missing-from-home incident. A recommendation is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

While reviewing the level of absences or missing episodes, it is noted that young people are not consistently offered an independent return home interview. Although requests are regularly made, they are not suitably followed up to ensure that the visit takes place. The manager must ensure that an independent body visits a returning child, and that a record is held of that meeting. This matter was raised at the last full inspection in April 2017 and is restated at this monitoring inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The home issues notifications of serious events under regulation 40 as required; however, they are not always issued in accordance with regulatory timescales. This means that there are frequent delays in notifications being received and reviewed by Ofsted. This matter was raised at the home’s full inspection in April 2017. A requirement is restated to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

Two placing social workers are complimentary of the service provided in the home. Social workers state that their young people are making progress, and that staff go the extra mile in helping young people to make effective changes in their lives. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/04/2017 Full Good 16/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 29/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if- an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4) (b)) 22/09/2017

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care, the responsible authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must challenge any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current care plan that includes all pertinent information. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure any measure of restraint, such as the locking of external doors, must be proportionate and in place for no longer than necessary to manage the immediate risk. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.52)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission. Specifically with regard to escalating an absent report to a missing report without delay. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure all staff are suitably trained to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home. With specific regard to training in foetal alcohol syndrome. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 5

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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: SC429189 6

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC429189 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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