Children's home run by RNIB Charity in Camden

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC485607 1 SC485607

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RNIB Charity

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a large children‟s home that provides care and accommodation for up to 30 children and young people in five purpose-built bungalows. The children and young people have visual impairment, learning and/or physical disabilities and/or sensory impairment. One of the bungalows is also registered by the Care Quality Commission and provides a specialist service for children and young people who have high health and medical needs, who require long-term ventilation, or who have life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. The establishment is owned by a large national charity. The majority of the children and young people attend a registered school on the same site. Some young people remain at the home until the age of 19 to complete their education.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since March 2018. An interim manager has been appointed.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection took place to monitor a compliance notice and regulations that had been made at previous inspections. A full inspection was carried out in July 2018, at which the home was judged to be inadequate. Further monitoring inspections took place in August 2018 and September 2018 to monitor progress and to ensure that there were no immediate risks to the safety and welfare of children and young people. The home has been subject to a restriction of accommodation notice since December 2017.

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This monitoring visit

The home will be closing on 7 November 2018. There are transition plans in place for all but one young person. Managers and staff are supporting children and young people moving to their new homes, in a thoughtful and caring manner. No children or young people have been admitted to the home during the period of restriction.

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This monitoring visit

As well as supporting children and young people, managers have been proactive in Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC485607 2 supporting staff to complete their level 3 training prior to the service closing. Managers have also enrolled newer staff onto the course, allowing them to continue the training in new employment. However, some staff have not completed the qualification within the required time frame as stipulated within the regulations.

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This monitoring visit

Since the monitoring inspections in August and September 2018, seven requirements have been met. Some of the improvements include staff being more proactive in gathering children‟s and young people‟s wishes and feelings. A child who was not in education has now returned to school. Managers now know the skills and experience held by the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Despite some progress being made, ongoing and repeated shortfalls continue to be highlighted. The compliance notice that has been issued four times remains unmet. While risk assessments and behaviour management plans have been shared with parents and local authorities, managers have not always signed these. Managers have reviewed and agreed risk assessments despite vital information being missing, regarding incidents that have taken place. Risk assessments are not updated when incidents have happened. This means that staff are not given clear guidance on how to manage risk.

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This monitoring visit

Managerial oversight and monitoring systems remain ineffective. There is now a manager at the home at all times, including evenings and weekends. Despite this, there remain ongoing issues with children‟s and young people‟s medication, including them being given too much or too little, or medication running out. Not all staff have had regular supervision. Some agency staff remain unsupervised and one member of staff has not had supervision since May 2018.

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This monitoring visit

At times, children and young people have been restrained and corresponding records have been poor. On one occasion, the restraint was not recognised by the staff as a restraint. The manager was unaware that it had happened, because the behaviour monitoring system in place was not effective. This meant that after a physical intervention that helped keep young people safe, important elements were missed, such as a debrief with the young person and staff. Because the manager did not have oversight of the incident, behaviour management plans and risk assessments were not reviewed.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no registered manager since April 2018. The previous proposed manager has now left the service and a new interim manager has been appointed until the home closes in November 2018.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC485607 3 Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/07/2018 Full Inadequate 20/11/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC485607 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff 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.

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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 home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children‟s home.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. 07/11/18 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC485607 5 (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)) The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 33 (4)(b)) The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes a description of the measure and its duration; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 07/11/18

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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; and are kept up to date.

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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: SC485607 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 105 Judd Street, Camden, London WC1H 9NE

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Inspectors

Lisa O‟Donovan, social care inspector Rebecca Quested, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC485607 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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