Children's home run by Altum Residential Care Ltd

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC489660 1 SC489660

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Altum Residential Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children‘s home is owned and managed by a private company. It is registered to care for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

An unannounced visit took place on the 9 October 2017. This was a result of a number of concerns that were raised with Ofsted by the police and the local child sexual exploitation team. During the visit, a number of significant shortfalls were identified. The registered manager and staff had failed to take effective action in response to safeguarding concerns. Furthermore, the registered manager and staff had failed to identify, minimise and manage all known risks to the young people. The lack of robust safeguarding practice compromised young people‘s welfare and safety. As a result, eight requirements were made. Two of the requirements are subject to compliance notices. On 19 October 2017, Ofsted carried out an unannounced visit to the home. The purpose of the monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the registered manager to ensure that there were effective safeguarding practices in place. In particular, to assess the progress made by the home in meeting the steps

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This monitoring visit

required in the compliance notice, Regulation 12, The protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that the registered manager had taken appropriate action to prioritise the safety of young people, staff and visitors to the home. In particular, risk management plans pertaining to fire safety now identified the specific actions that staff should take to reduce the risk of harm. During discussions with the staff, they confirmed that the provider had arranged a team meeting for all staff to reiterate their roles and responsibilities regarding safeguarding and protecting young Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC489660 2 people. This included reinforcing expectations around the necessity to follow safeguarding policies and procedures and risk management plans in regards to fire- starting incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector found that staff now undertake regular room checks and encourage young people to give their lighters, cigarettes and matches to staff after use to reduce the likelihood of fires starting within the home. When young people are reluctant to do this, staff support young people sensitively to consider the potential fire risks to themselves and others. Young people confirmed to the inspector that the registered manager and staff had talked to them about the risks at which they were placing themselves and others. Staff had also talked to the young people about other support systems that they can access, including smoking cessation. This supports and encourages young people to make good and safe decisions and comply with the rules of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff have updated all risk management documents. This included young people‘s individual risk assessments, the home‘s fire risk assessment and fire safety documentation. Recent changes are shared with the team at the earliest opportunity, and staff sign to acknowledge their understanding of these changes. As such, the staff are fully aware of young people‘s individual risk management plans and the home‘s fire risk assessment arrangements, which are in place to maintain everyone‘s safety. Records viewed such as the home‘s logbook, and discussions with staff, confirm that the staff understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that all these plans are systematically followed and implemented. This ensures that everyone is kept safe from fire risks in the home.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit will take place to continue to monitor the compliance notice and ensure that effective action continues to be taken to safeguard and protect young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC489660 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

5: In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‘s needs; (c) consider a placing authority‘s or a relevant person‘s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‘s needs are met in accordance with the child‘s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(b)(c)) 08/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The quality of care standard is that the registered persons must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(2)(c)(i)) In particular, the registered persons must ensure that the premises are decorated and furnished to a good standard and provide children with a comfortable and pleasant home environment. This is with particular regards to ensuring that new sofas are in situ in the living area, the kitchen area is modernised, the water stain on the ceiling in the main staff office is addressed, the door separating the hall and the living room is rehung and the plaster around this door frame needs to be replaced. In addition, the damage that has been caused by the young people to the upstairs ‗chill out/nurture room‘ requires addressing as this is currently out of bounds. 08/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their education potential and are helped to do so.

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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 help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help 08/11/2017 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC489660 4 a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and that staff help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8(1) and (2)(a)(iv)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, this standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour by encouraging each child to take responsibility for the child‘s behaviour while helping each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 08/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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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

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; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b) and (2)(a)(f)(h)) 08/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (―the behaviour management policy‖) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‘s home (Regulation 35(1)(a)) 08/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other 08/11/2017 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC489660 5 relevant person without delay if a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Where the registered person considers that a child is at serious risk of harm, due to their escalating violence and aggression or an increase in their risk- taking behaviour, such as being persistently missing from their placement, they must contact the local authority to request a review of the child‘s care plan. Where a review does not take place, the Registered Person must escalate this concern under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children‘s needs are met). (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 57, paragraph 11.12)

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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: SC489660 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Altum Residential Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Altum Residential Care Ltd, 550 Valley Road, Nottingham NG5 1JJ

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Inspector

Janine Shortman-Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC489660 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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