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

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. At the time of the visit the home had a restriction of accommodation in place. This limits the number of children who can be accommodated to three and prevents any new children from being admitted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out by a social care regulatory inspector on 7 March 2018 to establish whether the actions set in the statutory compliance notices served on 2 February 2018 had been met. Since the monitoring visit on 14 February 2018, the responsible individual and the acting manager have improved practice in the home in relation to the prevention of and response to missing from home incidents. The responsible individual and acting manager have improved their understanding of what they are required to notify to Ofsted as the regulator. As a result, it is judged that the statutory compliance notices have been met.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no occasions of children going missing since the last inspection. One significant event, when a child hurt their hand, was appropriately managed and notified to Ofsted. The acting manager and responsible individual assert that in future they will submit a notification or at least seek Ofsted guidance, regarding any incidents that have the potential to meet the threshold. The acting manager has introduced new monitoring systems which will aid them to have better oversight of incidents in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, recording has improved and information is more effectively shared within the staff team. Missing from home risk assessments and protocols have been updated in a timely manner and any changes are shared with staff. For Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 2 example, the staff are now required to sign to say that they have read and understood changes in protocols; consequently they have improved awareness of the key issues. The staff say that there is a real focus on making them understand the consequences of children going missing, including how to prevent and respond to children missing from the home. The staff now identify appropriate actions that they would take to prevent and address missing from care incidents that are consistent with the children’s individual protocols and risk assessments.

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This monitoring visit

On three occasions when the children have been unsettled at night, the acting manager and responsible individual have provided waking night support until the children have settled. This means that the children have someone to talk to about things that are unsettling them and helps reduce the risk of the children leaving the home. The acting manager has ensured that independent return interviews took place following a serious missing from home incident immediately preceding the previous inspection. This provided the children with an opportunity to share any issues of concern that may be a motivation to leave the home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has improved security in the home, but this does not consistently provide a homely living environment. The provider has fitted, to the vast majority of windows, restrictors which cannot be undone by a screwdriver. The windows which do not have such a restrictor are in communal areas, which are locked at night. The provider has installed an additional alarm in the second staff sleep-in room. This means that two staff are notified of movement within the home at night. The provider has fitted a CCTV camera in a wire mesh cage inside the home; this provides a view of the central hallway. The decision to install the camera was taken without prior consultation with all placing authorities, parents or the children and written agreements for its use have not been obtained. This action infringes on children’s privacy and the homeliness of the accommodation, and does not keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Some children have an identified potential risk of self-harm. However, the risks associated with the use of blinds with pull cords in their bedrooms has not been considered. This means that any child intent on self-harm can easily use one of these cords as a ligature to harm themselves, unobserved by staff.

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This monitoring visit

The progress made from this visit and the remaining requirements set at the interim inspection will be monitored 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. Furthermore, ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the use of window blinds fitted with pull-cords in children’s bedrooms where children have an identified risk of self-harm. 02/04/2018

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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)) 02/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)) 02/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other 02/04/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC475088 4 children; the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; so far as 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 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

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Requirement Due date

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)) 02/04/2018

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Recommendations

 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 rationale for and outcome from any room searches.

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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: SC475088 5

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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

Joanna Heller, 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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