Children's Home run by Buckinghamshire County Council in Buckinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 1 SC032058

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Buckinghamshire County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a local authority and provides residential care for up to six young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 13 and 14 December 2017. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the progress made in relation to the six requirements made at that inspection. Overall, the management has taken positive steps to address each requirement. Further time is needed to determine how the changes will impact on the care provided to the young people. At the time of the visit, two of the six requirements were considered met and progress was noted on all those still in place. There were no further requirements or recommendations made. The previous recommendations will be reviewed at the next full inspection.

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11. The positive relationship standard

In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person must ensure that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on (a) mutual respect and trust (b) an understanding about acceptable behaviour (c) positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c))

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This is with specific reference to the quality of relationships that the

young people form with each other, the staff and others.

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This is with specific reference to the quality of relationships that the

Since the last inspection, two young people have had planned transitions to alternative placements with the assistance of the staff. The young people have remained in contact with the staff and planned visits have taken place. The decrease in the number of young people residing at the home from five to three has provided Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 2 staff with an opportunity to focus on improving their engagement and obtaining the views of the young people, while protecting them from harm. A member of staff said, ‘We are no longer responding to daily behavioural challenges, as the mix of young people living in the home is manageable compared to previous months.’

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This is with specific reference to the quality of relationships that the

Respectful relationships are forming between the young people and the staff, as is evident by young people maintaining contact upon leaving and young people seeking staff out to express their concerns. In addition, the staff have shown an improved awareness and are proactively working with specific young people who had developed concerning relationships in the community.

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This is with specific reference to the quality of relationships that the

The requirement under regulation 11 has been met.

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12. The protection of children standard

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff; (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk for 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 (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other (vi) take effective action whenever there is a concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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This is with specific reference to young people feeling safe in the home

and all safeguarding concerns being addressed appropriately by the staff.

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This is with specific reference to young people feeling safe in the home

The management and the staff were able to reflect on the safeguarding concerns highlighted at the last inspection. They acknowledged that changes needed to be made to improve the safeguarding practices of the home. The case histories of the young people have been updated and key-working templates created.

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This is with specific reference to young people feeling safe in the home

The missing from care policy has been updated to include a flow chart. Young people’s ‘absent’ and ‘missing’ episodes are discussed in weekly management meetings. The management has identified multi-agency working as an area that it will seek to improve further.

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This is with specific reference to young people feeling safe in the home

The staff have been provided with training in key areas, such as self-harm. Flow charts and body maps been adopted into practice. Whistleblowing flow charts have been revisited, reinforcing that is all right to report concerns.

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This is with specific reference to young people feeling safe in the home

The improvements in safeguarding practice are considered positive and a step in the right direction, although not yet tested.

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This is with specific reference to young people feeling safe in the home

As of this time, the requirement under regulation 12 has not yet been met. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 3

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13. The leadership and management standard

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that (1)(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential (2)(c) ensure that staff have experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experience of each child and use this understanding to inform he development of quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a), (2)(c)(f))

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This is with specific reference to the young people making progress and

the staff being supported to meet their needs.

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This is with specific reference to the young people making progress and

The manager has welcomed the support being provided to him by the senior management. An experienced permanent manager is being nominated to be the responsible individual and to line manage the registered manager. He has developed a comprehensive action plan to improve the overall quality of care provided to the young people. Internal audits will be undertaken to review documentation and keep managers up to date on the progress of the young people.

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This is with specific reference to the young people making progress and

The staff appreciate the changes made by the management, specifically its taking a stand against unplanned admissions. The staff have undertaken one session with a clinical psychologist to reflect upon their practice. This external support will be made available to the staff on a regular basis.

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This is with specific reference to the young people making progress and

A new independent visitor has been appointed to provide an internal perspective of both the care that young people receive and staff practice. One visit to the home has already taken place, with introductions being made to the young people and the staff.

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This is with specific reference to the young people making progress and

The improvements mentioned in this area are in the early stages of being implemented, therefore it is too early to judge the impact.

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This is with specific reference to the young people making progress and

The requirement under regulation 13 has not been met.

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13: The leadership and management standard

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person is required to: (2)(d) ensure the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(2)(d))

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This is with specific reference to the use of agency staff and staff

This is no longer an issue. The three young people have a stable number of permanent staff on shift to address their needs. A workforce development plan is in place and core roles have been refined. The manager plans to limit the use of agency workers in the future. However, he has changed the agency used by the home after Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 4 recognising that the quality of the staff provided was not appropriate for the home.

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14. The care planning standard

In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered manager is required to ensure: (2)(a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(2)(a))

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This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people

admitted to the home are appropriate for the setting.

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This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people

A new, comprehensive procedure for admitting young people has been developed by the management, and this will not be bypassed in any situation, according to the manager. A flow chart details the new admission procedure and this has been discussed with all referring senior managers, staff and young people.

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This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people

The referral process consists of young people and the staff being consulted, pre- placement interviews with the young person being considered for admission and placement planning meetings taking place. The information gleaned will guide the new young person’s placement evaluation, which also contains an impact risk assessment for each young person already at the home. The plan is that this process will result in informed decisions consistently being made on young people admitted to the home.

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This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people

The home has yet to use the new referral process and therefore its success cannot yet be measured.

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This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people

The requirement under regulation 14 has not been met.

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This is with specific reference to ensuring that the young people

The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(1), (5))

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This is with specific reference to the care provided to the young people

being in line with the statement of purpose.

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This is with specific reference to the care provided to the young people

A meeting had been planned by the management team on the day of the monitoring visit, in which the statement of purpose was to be reviewed and revised. The meeting was rescheduled for the near future, and the statement of purpose will be supplied to Ofsted soon after.

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This is with specific reference to the care provided to the young people

The requirement under regulation 16 has not been met. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 5

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/12/2017 Full Inadequate 15/09/2016 Full Good 25/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 6

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk for 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 (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other (vi) take effective action whenever there is a concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)) 30/03/18

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Requirement Due date

13. The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that (1)(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential (2)(c) ensure that staff have experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experience of each child and the use this understanding to inform the development of quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a), (2)(c)(f)) 30/03/18

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard the registered manager is required to ensure: (2)(a) that children admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(2)(a)) 30/03/18

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(1), (5)) 30/03/18 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 7

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Recommendations

 Staff should be skilled in understanding the range of influences that friendships can have and should encourage those with a positive impact and discourage those with a negative impact. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 36, paragraph 8.8)  The registered manager should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency of directly employed, and be able to understand and where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, and paragraph 10.19.)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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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: Buckinghamshire County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chief Officer, County Hall, Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP20 1UA

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Inspector(s)

James Harmon, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC032058 8 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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