Children's Home run by Shalamar Children Limited in Essex

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 1 SC475088

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Shalamar Children Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is privately owned and managed. The statement of purpose states that it operates using a therapeutic approach to childcare.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out by a social care regulatory inspector on 22 January 2018 to investigate information received which suggests there may be a breach of regulations.

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This monitoring visit

On the day of this monitoring visit, two of the four children living in the home were missing. They had left the building together in the early hours of the morning from one of the bedroom windows, unbeknown to staff who subsequently reported the children missing to the police some hours later. One of these children is known to be at significant risk of child sexual exploitation. Notice had already been given on the placement of one of the children and on the day of this monitoring visit the child’s placement was terminated.

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This monitoring visit

In the days preceding this incident, the same two children had gone missing together from the home on more than one occasion. The staff had notified the children’s families and the appropriate lead or safeguarding agencies. Some of the staff, the manager and the responsible individual went out to search for the children. The staff had made regular phone calls to the children in an effort to establish contact with them. On more than one occasion, the children called the staff at the home asking to be picked up. The regulator had not been notified of at least three incidents when children had gone missing together from the home necessitating police involvement. Failure to notify the regulator of significant events happening in the home was raised at the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 2 On one occasion, six days prior to the above incident, the same two children left the

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This monitoring visit

building from a bathroom window. The next night, the same two children were left unattended in the same room together for 10 minutes by the staff on duty before the children again left the building together, from the living room window. This happened despite the current manager writing a protocol days before, which states that these two children are to be observed at all times.

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This monitoring visit

After a child has made risky decisions or has gone missing, the staff meet with them to talk about the seriousness of their behaviour. However, the agreed actions from these meetings and the manager’s view, where he has not been involved in these discussions, are not clearly documented. The risk assessments for each of the children are updated by the deputy manager. However, the content of each of the children’s risk assessments does not make sufficiently clear the actions the staff should take to reduce the risks of each child leaving the home. In addition, the manager could not demonstrate whether the staff had read the updated risk assessments. All of this represents a failure by the managers and the staff to work effectively to keep children safe from harm at all times.

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This monitoring visit

The progress made with regard to the remaining regulations and the quality standard will be evaluated at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/09/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/06/2017 Full Good 22/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) 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, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)) 02/03/2018*

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(ii)) 02/03/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is managed and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this is in relation to reviewing the missing child policy. 02/03/2018

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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 to aspire to their full potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers 02/03/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 4 the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose, and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(e)) The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of any measure of restraint that the registered person, or a person who is registered by the person to do so, has spoken to the user about the measure and has signed the record to confirm that it is accurate, and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident requiring police involvement relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 02/03/2018*

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of the information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Shalamar Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 3, 2nd Floor, Stanhope House, High Street, Stanford le Hope, Essex SS17 0HA Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 5 Responsible individual: Anita Connor

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Inspector

Rosie Davie, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 6 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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