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 this home 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 14 February 2018 to investigate information received, which suggests there may be a breach of regulations. As a result of this monitoring visit, Ofsted has served a notice restricting the admission of any further children to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Since the monitoring visit on 22 January 2018, two children have moved on from the home. One child has been admitted, which means that on the day of this monitoring visit there were three children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The documentary evidence for the matching of a new child to come to live in this home is not sufficient. A new child is known to have a significant history of going missing. The matching documentation recognises this behaviour but does not assess the child’s needs in order to keep him safe. Nor does it assess the likely impact of this behaviour on the existing two children. Furthermore, the matching documentation does not show the home’s manager’s contribution to the matching process. This does not ensure that every child receives effectively planned care.

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This monitoring visit

A few days after the third child came to live in the home, two of the children attempted to go missing from the home together at night. With the support of and direct intervention from the responsible individual, the staff successfully managed to persuade both of the children not to leave the home on this occasion. Records do Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 2 not demonstrate what action was then taken by the home’s manager to make the necessary adjustments in the home to reduce the likelihood of the same two children leaving the home again. A few nights later, both children left the home in the middle of the night, unbeknown to the two staff sleeping at the home. The children left the home through a communal bathroom window and were located by another agency in the early hours of the morning walking along a major road approximately two hours’ walk from the home. The two children were at risk of

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This monitoring visit

Since this incident, the provider has fitted one additional window restrictor, which cannot be undone by a screwdriver to one of the openings of the communal bathroom window. There was no evidence found that a further assessment of the whole building had taken place, given the presenting risks. A failure to review all areas, continues to place children at serious risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

The staff are aware, following a previous incident, that one of the children has the ability to use an implement to unlock the window restrictors in this home. The provider has conducted searches of one of the children’s bedrooms for implements that may be used, but these searches are not documented, so the effectiveness and rationale of any room search cannot be evidenced.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has fitted a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera inside the home. This action does not keep children safe. Furthermore, the decision was taken before consultation with all placing authorities, parents, children or the regulator. This action infringes children’s privacy, is not documented in the home’s statement of purpose and does not create a homely living environment.

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This monitoring visit

The progress made from the compliance notices issued on 2 February 2018 and the remaining regulations from the interim inspection will be monitored at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22/01/2017 27/09/2017 Monitoring Interim No judgement Declined in effectiveness 14/06/2017 Full Good 22/11/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 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 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 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)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring of surveillance of children if the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; 02/03/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 4 so far as is reasonably practicable in light of the child’s age and understanding; the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance; and the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)) The registered person must implement the missing child policy that sets out the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and the procedures to be followed, and the roles and

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Requirement Due date

responsibilities of persons working in the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b)) 02/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of any measure of restraint, the registered person, or a person who is authorised 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)  Usually rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary where there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child’s or another person’s safety or well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20) In particular, ensure that there is written documentation to demonstrate the

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Recommendations

rationale for and outcome from any room searches. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 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.

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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

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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 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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