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

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This private home provides long-term specialist therapeutic care and education for up to 12 young males who have displayed inappropriate or harmful sexualised behaviours. The manager is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This children‟s home was inspected on 15 May 2018 and was judged inadequate. Nine requirements were raised, of which three were subject to compliance notices. A restriction of accommodation notice was also issued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection took place to check progress since the last inspection, to ensure that managers have adhered to the restriction of accommodation notice and to ensure that steps have been taken to meet the three compliance notices. The remaining five requirements are not due until late July 2018. As a result, these will be checked at the next full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Every young person now has a key which enables them to access their own bedroom and use their en suite facilities. Young people are positive about this change and enjoy the ability to go to their rooms without having to ask staff to unlock their bedrooms. However, the media/games room continues to be locked, without a clear assessment of the why this is necessary and proportionate.

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This monitoring visit

Door bells have now been removed, so young people do not have to use these to alert staff to their movements. This has been replaced with a door alarm system that is activated after 45 minutes of young people being in their rooms. The alarms for the bedroom doors sound in a communal area downstairs as well as in the office. This is intrusive and does not provide a homely environment or protect young people‟s privacy. It is not sufficiently clear why this measure is necessary, particularly during the day, when staff are on duty to support and supervise young Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 2 people.

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This monitoring visit

A new CCTV policy is in place. Staff discussed this with young people as a group. The minutes of the meeting showed that some young people challenged the need for CCTV within the home, even in communal areas, such as landings. Detailed risk assessments, which outline the necessity and proportionality of this form of surveillance for each young person, are not in place. In addition, young people have not had the opportunity to discuss this individually with staff, to help them to understand the rationale for this intrusive observation.

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This monitoring visit

Young people continue to live in an environment where there are high levels of scrutiny, monitoring and supervision. This infringes young people‟s privacy and hinders young people‟s movement around the home. It remains unclear whether all these measures are consistent with the risks for each young person and are necessary and proportionate. Furthermore, these measures mean that the home has an institutionalised feel and does not align with the home‟s statement of purpose and the „Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟ 2015.

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This monitoring visit

Records of discussions with young people have improved. These show that young people‟s views are considered more, and staff respond to these. Young people‟s requests for equipment for the home have been actioned. For example, a football goal has been purchased for the back garden. Young people state that the home has improved as they have been listened to more.

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This monitoring visit

Reports by the independent visitor now clearly show that young people have the opportunity to speak privately to the visitor.

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This monitoring visit

New monitoring systems have been developed to support improvements in the home. Some key aspects of care provision are examined by managers. This has led to improvements, for example with staff training.

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This monitoring visit

The absence of the manager has been responded to well, with a deputy manager of another home within the organisation offering support and management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this inspection, one compliance notice has been raised and the restriction of accommodation notice remains in place. The requirements raised at the last inspection that were not reviewed at the monitoring visit, are carried over to the next full inspection. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/05/2018 Full Inadequate 17/01/2018 Full Inadequate 04/10/2017 Full Inadequate 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home‟s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child‟s needs, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans, taking account of the child‟s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(iii)(iv)(vi)) 22/07/2018

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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 22/07/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 5 harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) Ensure that no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19(1)) 22/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children‟s home‟s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child‟s privacy or access to any area of the home‟s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

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)) 06/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child‟s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(d)) 22/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 22/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC448209 6

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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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Inspectors

Andrew Hewston, social care inspector Ms Quested, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC448209 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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