Children's Home, Residential special school run by Amberleigh Care Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 1 SC448209

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Amberleigh Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home for up to 12 young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 17 and 18 January 2018. As a result of this inspection, 11 requirements were raised and a compliance notice was issued in relation to one of these requirements.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to review the progress made by managers and staff with regard to improving the standard of care provided for young people, and to examine if the compliance notice has been met. This inspection showed that some improvements have been made.

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This monitoring visit

Recruitment processes have improved. Staff who are involved in recruiting new staff have undertaken ‘safer recruitment’ training. Furthermore, the format for recording information regarding recruitment checks has been developed. Satisfactory checks have been carried out on new staff, which include the reasons why an employee left their previous employment. The compliance notice is therefore met.

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This monitoring visit

Information regarding therapeutic care now forms an integral part of each young person’s placement plan. This allows staff to have a greater awareness of the therapeutic needs of the young people and how these needs are being met.

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This monitoring visit

Young people continue to show some aggressive behaviours towards each other. This is responded to with bridge-building meetings between young people and discussions with staff. Although the staff respond appropriately to these challenging incidents, records contain some inaccuracies and do not include an outcome or evaluation of the effectiveness of the work undertaken. This is an area identified for Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 2 further improvement and the requirement raised at the last inspection is repeated.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff have updated young people’s risk assessments and these documents now contain accurate information. For example, they clearly outline how staff supervise young people according to their individual needs.

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This monitoring visit

Staff undertake fire safety checks every day, including at weekends. Greater attention to health and safety matters improves young people’s welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Responses to young people’s challenging behaviours are more effective. Staff follow guidance relating to restorative justice and any sanctions imposed on young people are more relevant to the exhibited behaviour. For example, young people will help staff to repair broken items and/or contribute to the cost of replacing damaged items. As a result, young people begin to understand the impact of their behaviours on themselves and other people.

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This monitoring visit

Behaviour management records are now examined by the manager within expected timescales. The manager makes comments within her review of restraint incidents to help staff reflect and consider strategies that may help them to manage any future incidents.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met five of the 11 requirements raised at the last inspection. The provider is still within the timescales set regarding four of the requirements raised at the last full inspection and so these were not reviewed by the inspector at this visit. No complaints have been made at the home and the requirement raised previously about this issue this will be examined at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/01/2018 Full Inadequate 04/10/2017 Full Inadequate 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(2)(xi)) In particular, that staff accurately record the work undertaken with young people and evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions. 30/04/2018

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(c)(e)(h)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the privacy of children is appropriately protected; children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and 31/03/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 4 fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(b)(c)) The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 30/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 31/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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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

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amberleigh Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Amberleigh Care Ltd, Golfa Hall, Golfa, Welshpool, Powys SY21 9AF

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Inspector

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 5 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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