Children's home run by Sunfield Children’s Homes Limited in Bromsgrove

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC038435 1 SC038435

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a children‟s home registered with Ofsted. It is also a residential special school registered by the Department for Education. Since May 2017, it has become a subsidiary of the Ruskin Mill Trust. The home is registered to accommodate 61 children who have severe and/or complex learning difficulties and/or behavioural needs, including seven placements for children who require short breaks. There are 12 houses within the grounds of the school. At the time of this visit, eight homes were open and accommodating 20 children.

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This monitoring visit

On 12 and 13 June 2017, Ofsted completed an unannounced full inspection. Inspectors found widespread concerns and Ofsted judged this home inadequate. The concerns included:

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This monitoring visit

 Staff and managers failed to promote children‟s safety and well-being.  Staff not following children‟s behaviour plans or supervising children in line with their individual care plans.  Staff using restrictive measures to manage children‟s behaviour.  A lack of managerial oversight in safeguarding and in the use of control measures.  A lack of consistent and qualified staff.  Managers not following safe recruitment principles when using agency staff.  Managers not ensuring that staff followed fire regulations.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager left his employment shortly after the last inspection. The registered provider has since employed a new interim manager. He has submitted his application to Ofsted and is awaiting registration.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have worked hard to bring about some of the necessary changes Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC038435 2 to safeguard children. There have been no new children admitted to the home. Managers and staff refer any concerns about children to health and social care professionals as expected. Consequently, they are promoting the well-being and safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

Staffing levels have improved. The organisation has undergone a complete restructure of staff and managers. Currently, the home is running with 10 care staff vacancies. Managers use agency staff while they recruit new permanent staff. Managers use the same agency staff where possible. This reduces the number of different adults working with children and provides children with consistency. Although staffing levels have improved, there remains a lack of regular and experienced staff. As a result, children are not always able to enjoy their prearranged activities. Although the home employs some unqualified staff, this is an improving picture; 73% of all staff are qualified to the required level compared with 53% at the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Management oversight of the home has improved. Managers now have a clear presence in the home. Comprehensive auditing systems give senior managers a strategic overview. However, managers do not use the information from audits to inform the development of the quality of care. For example, managers do not use the information to inform children‟s behaviour plans.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have put systems in place to ensure that agency staff are suitable to work with children. Safe recruitment practice helps to protect children. Furthermore, managers ensure that staff conduct fire and health and safety checks regularly. Consequently, young people live in a safe physical environment.

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This monitoring visit

The staff duty rosters are still confusing and do not allow managers to have a clear understanding of who is working in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have developed many key documents to make them easier for the staff to understand. However, staff do not review and update children‟s risk assessments to reflect children‟s behaviour. As a result, not all staff receive relevant information about known risks. Staff are still not implementing children‟s behaviour plans correctly. They continue to apply restrictive measures in an attempt to manage children‟s behaviour. For example, kitchen doors and children‟s wardrobe doors remain locked.

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This monitoring visit

Although some shortfalls remain, inspectors found that managers and staff are making improvements. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC038435 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/06/2017 Full Inadequate 22/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 04/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC038435 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who 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. (Regulation 6(2)(b)(ix)) 22/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard requires the registered person to 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 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 22/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)) 22/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard requires the registered person to 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. (Regulation 13(2)(f)) 22/09/2017

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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 if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32(4)(5)) 31/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

A copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37(2) Schedule 4(3)) 22/09/2017 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC038435 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: SC038435 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: Sunfield Children‟s Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Clent Grove, Clent, Stourbridge, Worcestershire DY9 9PB

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Inspectors

Sue Young, social care lead inspector Louise Battersby, social care inspector Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC038435 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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