Children's home run by Newrays Care Services Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 1 Registered provider: Newrays Care Services Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private organistaion. It specialises in providing planned and managed therapeutic interventions for children who have suffered early life trauma as the victims of serious abuse and/or profound neglect.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been no registered manager in the home since December 2017. This absence of a registered manager has had a direct impact on the level of oversight of staff practice and how well young people are cared for.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Poor matching has led to young people’s placements quickly breaking down. This is often because the staff do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to keep young people safe. For example, one young person was admitted with a known risk of being vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and of going missing from care. Despite this Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 2 known risk, only six out of 14 members of staff had received training in child sexual exploitation. Furthermore, only five out of 14 members of staff had undertaken training in young people going missing from care. Because of this gap in knowledge, the staff were not able to safeguard the young person and their placement ended after only eight days.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are further gaps in staff training. For example, not all staff have undertaken training in safeguarding children, using physical restraint, the care of medicines, health and safety, substance misuse, and therapeutic practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff make decisions without adequate risk assessment. These poor decisions have put young people at risk of harm. For example, one young person was allowed by staff to keep their own medication without any adequate risk assessment being initially completed. This led to a suspected overdose of prescribed medication. This lack of oversight resulted in the young person requiring medical attention. Staff have failed to ensure that the care of medicine is safe, or to be aware of details such as how much medication is in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One member of staff’s poor practice has gone unchallenged. The member of staff was found to have engaged in inappropriate sexualised conversations with a young person. Despite managers being made aware of this poor practice, there was no referral to any outside agency. The member of staff has since left the home. This failure to follow up poor practice has resulted in a missed opportunity to fully investigate raised concerns.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have not ensured that return to care interviews have taken place when a young person has gone missing from the home. Furthermore, the staff have not challenged the local authority about this delay in securing an interview. This has led to a missed opportunity to understand better the reasons why a young person has chosen to put themselves at risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have made attempts to improve the environment for young people. However, managers have been too slow in making sure that maintenance work in relation to fire doors is completed without delay. This delay compromises young people’s and staff’s safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers’ overview of care practice has failed to secure the views of stakeholders. This creates a missed opportunity to use feedback to improve or celebrate practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff rota does not clearly show which staff members are on duty. This failure to hold an accurate record compromises the manager’s ability to know which staff have supported young people at any given time.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new manager has been appointed and will start in the next few weeks. Since the last inspection, there have been some improvements. For example, recruitment of new staff is now safe, and more focus has been given to young people’s educational needs. Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/11/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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, and must ensure that staff seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 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)) 12/10/2018

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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 mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 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 ─

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be 12/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 4 supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(vi)(viii))

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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 ─

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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,

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Requirement Due date

and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)) 12/10/2018

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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 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)(d)) 12/10/2018

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(e)) 12/10/2018

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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 aspire to fulfil their potential and 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(c))* 12/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the 12/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 5 handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(c))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular ─

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response;

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Requirement Due date

describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

and describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(d)(e)(f)) 12/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(5)) 12/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 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 differences 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 1240269 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Newrays Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Newrays Care Services Limited, Sinckot House, 211 Station House, Harrow HA1 2TP

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240269 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 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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