Children's Home run by Suffolk County Council in Suffolk

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 1 SC037281

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Suffolk County Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides care for up to seven children aged between eight and 13. The children may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse and/or had traumatic experiences that have left them vulnerable. The manager of the home was registered with Ofsted in August 2008. She has the experience and qualifications required for the role. She is a qualified social worker.

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This monitoring visit

This children‟s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 3, 4 and 5 October 2018. Following this monitoring visit, Ofsted has made a new full inspection judgement in line with the inspection framework. The children‟s home‟s new full inspection judgement is requires improvement to be good.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted served a compliance notice on 12 October 2018 due to the serious concerns that were identified at the full inspection. The notice was served under Regulation 12, protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor progress against the four steps set out in the compliance notice. The statutory requirements raised at the full inspection have not been monitored at this visit. They will be reviewed at the next inspection and so are restated with the original timescales.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit found that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the steps set out in the compliance notice, ensuring that physical interventions are applied appropriately and that children are not confined to their bedrooms.

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This monitoring visit

The home‟s main behaviour management policy was revised and updated by senior managers from the local authority on 12 October 2018. The policy explicitly states that escorting or carrying children to their rooms and holding the door closed is an Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 2 unacceptable strategy to deal with challenging behaviour. The majority of the staff have signed this updated policy to state that they have read it and that they understand it. The policy was discussed in a team meeting on 10 October 2018. The minutes of this meeting have also been signed by most of the staff team. Managers have taken effective action to ensure that the staff who are working at the home are aware of the changes.

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This monitoring visit

Four staff were interviewed as part of the monitoring visit. Each member of staff was clear about the revised behaviour management policy and demonstrated an understanding that it is unacceptable to escort or carry children to their rooms and hold doors closed as a strategy to deal with behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Each child‟s risk assessment and behaviour management plan have been updated within the last three weeks. These plans now reflect the home‟s revised behaviour management policy and have been signed by most of the staff to say that they have read and understand the documents.

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This monitoring visit

On 25 October 2018, the manager of the company that provides physical intervention training for the staff visited the home. A report was provided that made recommendations to support the staff to apply physical interventions appropriately and safely and to make improvements to the physical environment. This included purchasing new furniture that is suitable, which the home is in the process of doing.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, there have been 19 occasions when staff have needed to physically manage children. All of the records of these incidents were reviewed during the monitoring visit and all of the records indicate that the physical intervention in each case was appropriate. Records are concise, completed in full and management review of each incident is recorded.

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This monitoring visit

Following the full inspection on 3, 4 and 5 October 2018, all of the staff watched a National Health Service video about managing ligatures. On 25 October 2018, the deputy manager and a senior member of staff received training that enables them to train other staff in how to respond and remove ligatures with a ligature knife. Over half of the staff team received this training in two sessions. Members of staff who work during the night received separate training. Consequently, staff have the training that they need to enable them to meet children‟s specific needs safely. A further training session is planned for 16 November 2018 for the remaining staff to receive the training. There is always a member of staff working at the home who is trained in ligature removal.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has made significant improvements and has therefore met the compliance notice. Consequently, children‟s experiences are improving and behaviour management strategies are lawful and proportionate. Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/10/2018 Full Inadequate 21/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/09/2017 Full Good 14/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 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; ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home‟s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child‟s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect; and

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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. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 12/11/2018

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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

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))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that grounds of the home are made safe and hazards are removed or repaired. 02/11/2018 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 5 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)) 12/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 12/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, make immediate arrangements to ensure that all of the fire doors close fully. 12/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 12/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children‟s home at least once each month. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person‟s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. The independent person‟s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)(5)) 12/11/2018

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 6 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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Suffolk County Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suffolk County Council, Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX

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Inspector

Ricky D‟Arcy, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC037281 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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