Children's home run by Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255744 1

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Homes 2 Inspire Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is operated by a large national provider. It is registered to care for up to five children and young people, aged between 10 and 17, who have complex needs and have experienced trauma and/or loss. The manager has been registered since July 2018 and is in the process of completing the required qualification.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor a restriction notice and the requirements made following an interim inspection on 7 December 2018. During the interim inspection, the home was judged to have declined in effectiveness. This monitoring visit found that some progress has been made since the interim inspection. For example, care planning, joint working with other professionals, and work to support young people to understand positive relationships have all improved. In addition, staff now have a greater understanding of the home’s statement of purpose. No children have moved into the home since the restriction notice was served. Despite positive progress in some areas, this inspection identified continued breaches of regulations. Specifically, previously identified shortfalls in relation to education, leadership and management and the protection of children have not been sufficiently addressed. Although the manager has been supported by senior

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This monitoring visit

managers to implement various strategies, these are yet to be effective and are not always consistently followed. Staff do not engage all young people effectively. Not all young people attend education or are supported adequately to learn. For example, one young person requires the use of a computer but only has limited access to one. Staff do not always follow the young person’s education timetable or use his incentive reward chart to encourage him to attend. As such, staff are failing to consistently support all Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255744 2 young people to access education and achieve the best possible outcomes. Young people continue to smoke cigarettes and cannabis in their bedrooms. The inspector found cigarette filters in one young person’s bedroom despite staff reporting that they had completed a room check earlier that day. This demonstrates that room checks are not effective in identifying risks.

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This monitoring visit

The fire risk assessment for the home does not detail that young people are known to smoke in their rooms. Nor does it identify measures to reduce these risks. There is no clear guidance for staff detailing what action they need to take. As a result, young people and others in the home are at significant risk of harm due to the ineffective strategies implemented around fire safety. Maintenance to the home is ongoing. Previous damage to the front door needs addressing, with cigarette burn marks evident on entering the property. The carpet in some areas of the property needs cleaning/replacing. The registered manager has started to implement training for the staff team relating to safeguarding, managing disclosures, and the home’s statement of purpose, with further training planned. The knowledge gained from training is yet to be embedded in practice, with some incidents not being managed as well as they should have

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This monitoring visit

been. The registered manager’s review of incidents lack scrutiny and reflection. This is a missed opportunity to learn from practice and drive improvement to ensure that young people receive the post possible care.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/05/2018 Full Good 06/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255744 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8(1)(2)(iii)(viii)) 11/03/2019

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and 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)(a)(i))*(iii)(v)(d) 11/03/2019

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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 11/03/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255744 4 promotes their welfare. 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; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)(f))

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is 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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes 2 Inspire Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Homes 2 Inspire Limited, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1LT

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Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1255744 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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