Children's Home, Residential special school run by Rowden House School Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report children's home: SC035625 1 SC035625 Registered provider: Rowden House School Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a residential special school that can accommodate up to 30 young people who have learning disabilities. The registered manager has managed the home since February 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC035625 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/06/2017 Full Inadequate 21/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC035625 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‟s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(b)(c)) 12/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children‟s home from abuse or neglect; and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b), (2)(d)) 12/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child that include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3. The records must be kept up to date, and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 12/07/2018 Inspection report children's home: SC035625 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in six different houses, and most young people attend the school which is on the same site. Each house is maintained to a good standard to help to ensure that each young person can feel relaxed, warm and comfortable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been significant investment over the past 12 months, which has resulted in more careful consideration being given to the needs of young people. Leaders have successfully managed a considerable restructuring of residential care. Consequently, young people‟s experiences have significantly improved. For example, staff are now more aware of young people‟s cultural needs and work hard to ensure that these needs are respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from a good variety of on- and off-site activities. For example, young people enjoy the benefits of having extensive grounds that they can easily access to enjoy various play with their friends, family and staff. This includes the on-site leisure barn and play equipment. Off-site, young people enjoy going swimming, having meals and going for days out at the zoo.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents recognise the progress that their children are making. For example, one parent told the inspector: „My daughter has enjoyed lots of outings and has learned many new skills since she has been a resident.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff are patient, caring and understanding of young people‟s individual needs. However, the same level of care is not given to young people‟s care plans. For example, some young people‟s care plans have other young people‟s names recorded in the plan. This compromises the accuracy of the care plan. In addition, some young people‟s files do not hold statutory documentation. This means that staff do not have all required essential information. Managers have not sufficiently challenged placing authorities to make sure that this information is promptly received.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The implementation of a new electronic medication system has meant that medication errors are now rare. As a result, young people now have their medication as prescribed and on time. This has helped to ensure that young people‟s health needs are met.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Close working with teaching staff, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and advocate services means that young people thrive educationally, socially, emotionally and physically.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are clear behaviour management strategies in place to help young people to de- escalate their behaviours. This means that physical restraint is rarely necessary. Inspection report children's home: SC035625 5 Safe recruitment means that anyone employed in the school is safe to work with young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There has been one occasion when management has not implemented its safeguarding policy after a concern was raised about a member of staff. For example, managers have not ensured that the staff member has fortnightly supervision as set out in a safeguarding action plan.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are effective arrangements for the health and safety of young people. This includes staff ensuring that health and safety issues are promptly addressed. This helps to ensure that young people stay safe and have a pleasant and stimulating environment in which to live.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, managers have been committed to making improvements across the residential service. Systems for self-evulation are much more thorough and are helping to raise standards across the whole service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff now benefit from regular supervision and undertake training. The registered manager is working hard to improve staff knowledge to ensure that they have the necessary skills, confidence and experience to enable them to continue to develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there has been one complaint which has been investigated. This has resulted in some learning which mangers are actively addressing. Inspection report children's home: SC035625 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children‟s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the „Social care common inspection framework‟, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children‟s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the „Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟. Inspection report children's home: SC035625 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Rowden House School Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 St George‟s, Vernon Gate, Derby, Derbyshire DE1 1UQ

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Sarah Junor-Fitzpatrick, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC035625 8 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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