Children's home run by Beacon Childcare Ltd in Cheltenham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC482141 1 SC482141

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Beacon Childcare

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered for up to four young people who have social and emotional difficulties. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that the home will also provide care and support for young people who are remanded into the care of the local authority and who are accommodated because of police and criminal evidence (PACE) arrangements.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in July 2018.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 5 November 2018 after Ofsted received concerns that the organisation was not recruiting staff safely. At this head office inspection, inspectors found that managers had failed to ensure that appropriate vetting procedures were in place when employing new members of staff. Key shortfalls included:

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This monitoring visit

 A failure to ensure that appropriate references are obtained.  A failure to ensure that a full employment history is provided.  A failure to investigate gaps in a person’s previous employment history.  A failure to obtain verification of the reasons why a person’s previous employment with either children or vulnerable adults had ended.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, the organisation’s safer recruitment policy was not clear about the level of checks needed for the range of professionals who also work for the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, conducted on 12 November 2018, Ofsted issued a compliance notice in relation to the safe recruitment of staff.

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This monitoring visit

To evaluate the progress that managers have made in meeting the compliance Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC482141 2 notice, a further head office monitoring visit was conducted on 9 January 2019.

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This monitoring visit

This visit showed that managers have started to make some initial progress in ensuring that staff are safely recruited. However, shortfalls remain. For example, managers are still not able to show that they have made reasonable attempts to check the reason why a member of staff employment has ended when staff have previously worked with children or vulnerable adults. Managers do not thoroughly scrutinise the employment history of some staff or gain copies of staff qualifications. In addition, managers have not ensured that suitable references are gained for some staff, and that they can show that these references are from authorised persons.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring inspection, managers have updated the organisation’s safer recruitment policy. However, the policy is still unclear about the level of checks needed for personnel who are not employed to work directly with young people, but who may be in contact with them as part of their work.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls in the safe recruitment of staff continue to place young people at unnecessary risk.

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This monitoring visit

This visit has only looked at the compliance notice issued on 12 November 2018.

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This monitoring visit

All other requirements and recommendations made at the full inspection on 2 July 2018 have not been assessed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/08/2017 Full Inadequate 14/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC482141 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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1)(3))* 01/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC482141 4

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hazlewoods, Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT

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Inspectors

Alison Cooper, social care inspector Ms Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC482141 5 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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