Children's home run by Pine Forest Homes Limited in Cannock Chase

Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 1 SC373693

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Pine Forest Homes Limited

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 company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people aged eight to 17 years. The home provides short- and long-term placements for young people who may have faced adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and placement and family breakdown.

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Information about this children’s home

The home does not currently have a manager in post. The home has been without a registered manager since December 2015.

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This monitoring visit

This children‟s home was judged inadequate at the last two full inspections on 3 and 4 July 2018 and on 2 and 3 October 2018. A notice of restriction issued on 11 July 2018, to prevent any further young people from being admitted to the home, was reissued on 3 October 2018. At the time of this monitoring inspection, the notice of restriction remained in place. The home was also subject to one compliance notice, issued following a monitoring inspection on 6 November 2018.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has continued to comply with the restriction notice, as no further young people have been admitted to the home. There was one young person living in the home at the time the monitoring inspection was conducted. The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to review the action taken to meet the compliance notice and the requirements raised at the inspection in October 2018.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring inspection, inspectors found that managers had made progress in addressing the regulatory breaches previously identified. The compliance notice and seven requirements were considered to have been met. As a result of this inspection, one new requirement was raised. Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 2 There has been progress in relation to the training and support of staff. All staff have now undertaken the core training required by the organisation. In addition, all staff have now attended training regarding the risks for young people associated with gangs. This has increased staff awareness of current risks, enabling them to identify and report concerns effectively.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now completed their induction to the organisation. All staff are receiving supervision from a suitably qualified person in line with the organisation‟s policy. This ensures that staff have regular opportunities to reflect on and develop their practice.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have reviewed and updated risk assessments and have undertaken work with staff to ensure that these are followed. This has included amending processes in the home to make it easier for staff to report the young person missing from the home in a timely way.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are regularly providing the young person who lives at the home with opportunities to discuss matters that are important to him. This has also enabled staff to discuss with him concerns regarding health matters or risk-taking behaviour. When staff identify areas of concern or inaction, these are now quickly escalated to the wider professional network. A social worker told the inspectors, „Staff ensure that I am kept up to date with regards to any missing episodes, and police intel... staff have established a positive relationship with the young person and will always advocate on behalf of the young person to ensure that he has access to all the available support he requires.‟

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This monitoring visit

There has been one complaint received during this inspection period. Managers have responded to and resolved this matter quickly and in line with the organisation‟s complaints procedures.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have begun to address some of the other requirements but have yet to complete this work. For example, managers have started to address safer recruitment failings by gathering the details of previous employers where staff have worked with children or vulnerable adults. However, they have yet to seek verification as to why individuals left these posts.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has submitted an updated quality of care review report to Ofsted. However, this fails to address the inspection judgements received by the service during the reporting period. Furthermore, it does not reflect feedback from professionals or the impact of this on the service. This limits the impact of the review in supporting service improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The home remains without a registered manager. At the time of the inspection, the home was without an acting manager. The home has been without a registered manager since December 2015. Action to address this shortfall has been limited. Currently, the responsible individual is overseeing matters at the home. However, Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 3 the staff roster at the home does not accurately reflect the time that she spends in the home. This means that it is not possible to demonstrate clear management oversight of the service.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, the responsible individual told inspectors that because of challenges with staffing the home, the home will be operating with only two permanent staff members within weeks. Interim options of temporary staff have been secured. However, this fails to ensure that the young person living in the home has access to consistent staff with whom he can build trusted relationships.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/10/2018 Full Inadequate 03/07/2018 Full Inadequate 13/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 14/08/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children‟s home if there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b)) 13/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to verification as far as reasonably practicable of the reason why employment or position ended, where the applicant has been previously employed in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults. 13/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‟s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to maintaining a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Schedule 4(3)) 13/01/2019

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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. In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating 13/01/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 5 the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”). (Regulation 45

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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: SC373693 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Pine Forest Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ballance & Lowbridge Accountants, 65 Market Street, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1AD

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Inspectors

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 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

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