Children's home run by Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited in Tewkesbury

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC393228 1 SC393228

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Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to care for up to five children of the same sex. The children may have behavioural and/or emotional difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

09/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/04/2016 Full Good 12/10/2015 Full Requires improvement

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit of this service as a result of receiving a number of concerning notifications.

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Information about this inspection

Leaders and managers at this home fail to ensure that concerns raised by children about staff are managed appropriately. The safeguarding policy and procedures have not been followed on two recent occasions. This resulted in poor investigations, which excluded children and failed to result in expert advice being sought from the designated officer. The home’s safeguarding lead gave poor instructions to the acting manager. These instructions resulted in a failure to adhere to the local authority’s safeguarding procedure.

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Information about this inspection

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that they have robust oversight of incidents. Two physical interventions were used; these were dangerous and compromised the Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC393228 2 safety of children. Worryingly, not all staff have been trained in de-escalation techniques or in how to use physical interventions.

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Information about this inspection

There is a lack of creative and decisive action taken by adults to prevent violent and aggressive behaviours, or manage them effectively when they occur. Themes such as children smashing windows have been commonplace for some time. There is an absence of a therapeutic approach to care and direction for staff in order to ensure an appropriate, consistent and robust approach to behaviour management. As a result, these behaviours continue, and have a detrimental emotional effect on children.

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Information about this inspection

Leaders and managers fail to ensure that care documentation for children provides clarity for staff in terms of the expectations of them. Care planning documentation is not updated in a timely way following significant incidents or concerns. As a result, risks and strategies for dealing with these are unclear.

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Information about this inspection

Children are not provided with a clean and homely environment to live in. Poor decor and dirty and untidy bedrooms were evident during this monitoring visit. Some children had DVDs in their room rated older than their years. A leaflet displaying an image that is unsuitable for children was found under the bed of one child. These items had not been considered in relation to the difficult backgrounds and histories of the children living in this home. Window restrictors and bars around one radiator were in place where there was no risk identified to prove them necessary. Senior leaders took action to replace two sofas while inspectors were at the home, and have advised Ofsted that they will be addressing the other environmental issues that were highlighted.

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Information about this inspection

There have been significant changes in senior leadership within the organisation to drive improvements. While there is an acceptance that there is much to be done to improve the quality of care for children, current and previous leaders have failed to ensure that all of the requirements made at the last inspection are met. As a result, areas of very weak and dangerous practice remain. The training and experience of staff is one area that remains a significant cause for concern, as this has had a negative impact on the care of children who live in this home.

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Information about this inspection

The registered manager has recently left this service. The new acting manager comes with enthusiasm and a real desire to ensure that the children in this home are safe and making good progress. However, despite these good intentions, there have been few tangible improvements made at this home.

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Information about this inspection

A notice of decision to cancel this registration has been served. Ofsted will continue to keep this service under review. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC393228 3

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Marlowe Child & Family Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Staverton Court, Staverton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 0UX

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Inspectors:

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Michelle Oxley, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC393228 4 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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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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