Children's Home run by Somerset County Council in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC030439 1 SC030439

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Somerset County Council

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered as a children’s home providing full-time and short-break care for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities. The home is owned and managed by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2007.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 26 July 2018. At that inspection, serious concerns were identified with the leadership and management of the home. Senior leaders moved a child into the home in an emergency. They did not ensure that the care staff had the experience, training and skills to meet this child’s complex and deteriorating needs. A compliance notice under Regulation 13: the leadership and management standard was issued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the actions taken by leaders and managers to address the weaknesses seen at the previous inspection. The inspector found that a child continues to live in a restricted area of the home. His living environment remains unsafe and poorly maintained. Insufficient action has been taken to ensure that the child’s emotional, physical and mental health needs have been met. The same staff team continues to care for the child, despite not having the expertise to meet his needs fully. Incidents have continued to happen, and staff have been hurt.

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This monitoring visit

Insufficient action has been taken to meet the actions set out in the compliance notice. In response, senior leaders took immediate action to obtain an alternative placement, and the child has since moved. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC030439 2 Ofsted continues to monitor the performance of this home. The requirements raised at the last inspection will remain in place and be assessed at the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/07/2018 Full Inadequate 14/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Good 29/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC030439 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

9: The enjoyment and achievement standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the enjoyment and achievement standard, the registered person should ensure that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to: develop the child’s interests and hobbies; participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and have access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person should ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: 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. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments, care plans and behaviour management plans provide staff with clear instructions about how to respond to challenging behaviour. Ensure that staff apply strategies consistently. 01/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC030439 4 13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person should enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure the home’s workforce provides continuity of care for each child; understand the effect that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation (31)(1)(2)(a)) 01/09/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. The registered person must ensure that all case records are kept up to date. 01/09/2017 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC030439 5 (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) In addition, the registered person must ensure that all records are legible, accurate, detailed and factual.

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children’s home staff encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day to day health and well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10). In particular, ensure that staff encourage young people to eat healthier foods outside of their restricted diet.

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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: SC030439 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Somerset County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: County Hall, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4DY

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC030439 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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