Children's home run by Castle Homes Limited in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 1 SC419330

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Castle Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to accommodate a maximum of three children who have complex difficulties. It is owned by a large private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since 4 April 2018. The manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged as declined effectiveness at the interim inspection on 29 November 2018. At that time, two compliance notices were issued. This visit focused primarily on those notices. During the visit, the inspector spoke to the manager and managing director, staff and the child currently placed there. The inspector also spoke to the responsible individual on 25 January 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Following the November inspection, compliance notices were issued in respect of two regulatory breaches. The first against Regulation 12 required the provider to:

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This monitoring visit

 Carry out a review of, and produce a report on, policies and processes for risk assessments to ensure that they are clear about who is responsible for tasks and monitoring and when assessments should be updated.  Carry out a review of, and produce a report on, how the failures in risk assessment processes and care planning impacted on the child’s time at the home.  Use these reviews to identify any learning and produce and implement a plan to address any shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not undertaken a full review or produced a document that reviews the policies for risk assessments. The review of the risk assessment processes fails to address all the circumstances when a risk assessment should be reviewed and/or updated. Clarity regarding staff’s roles and how they are informed of any changes have not been included. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 2 The review of the failures identified at the inspection was insufficient. The responsibility of the responsible individual to oversee the admission process in the manager’s absence was not considered. The report identified significant failures in the responses of the manager and deputy manager. However, no actions were taken to address these failures.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers failed to sufficiently consider the impact on the child, her experience of moving into the home and living at the home and the way that she left the home was not fully explored.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders’ and managers’ implementation to address any shortfalls has been poor. There have been further failings in admissions, updating risk assessments and implementing safety measures.

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This monitoring visit

A child’s individual risk assessment has not been updated following agreement for him to access the internet. In addition, the safety measures agreed have not been included in an agreement with the child and his social worker.

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This monitoring visit

The manager failed to adequately consider and respond to a request for a child to move into the home. The manager arranged a visit with the social worker and child the day before the child was to be placed. The manager read the social worker’s pre-admission risk assessment while she was on the way to complete an assessment. This information contained crucial additional information that informed the manager’s decision not to accept the placement request for the child. The manager failed to take decisive action to change her plans and met the social worker and child. She informed the social worker the following day that they would not accept the child. This led to the child experiencing an unnecessary rejection and a delay in the search for a suitable placement.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is aware of a staff member, who has transferred to the home from another home within the organisation, being subject to disciplinary action. She has not requested the letter of concern and was not clear about the events that had led to this action. This does not evidence sufficient rigour in understanding and managing risk and potentially children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

This compliance notice has not been met.

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This monitoring visit

The second regulatory breach was against Regulation 13. The provider was required to:

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This monitoring visit

 Carry out a full review of, and produce a report on, each individual member of staff’s skills and experience.  Put in place an action plan to address any identified gaps in staff’s knowledge, skills or training.  Put in place measures to ensure that staff’s knowledge, skills and experience are considered when deciding the suitability of new referrals. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 3 The responsible individual confirmed that he had not had sight of the compliance notice in relation to Regulation 13. The interim inspection report clearly highlighted the requirements that were subject to compliance.

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This monitoring visit

The manager was aware of the compliance notices. However, she failed to complete the steps in the notice. Training has been provided for staff, but the manager has failed to evaluate the training to ensure that the staff have understood and are able to implement what they have learned.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not explored each individual member of staff’s skills and experience to inform any gaps in their knowledge, skills or training. The manager is, therefore, unable to consider the staff’s knowledge when deciding the suitability of new referrals.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not completed the steps to rectify the breach of Regulation 13, including the requirement subject to a compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

This compliance notice has not been met.

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This monitoring visit

The two compliance notices have been reissued with a date for completion of 2 April 2019.

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This monitoring visit

At the interim inspection, a further three requirements were made. These were considered at this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

A requirement was made in respect of Regulation 5. Therapy was identified as urgent when a child moved into the home. Referral forms were sent to the provider on 30 August 2018 to initiate an assessment for therapeutic services. The form was sent on to the social worker to complete as required. The manager failed to escalate serious delays in the return of this form. The child has, to date, not accessed therapy services.

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This monitoring visit

A requirement was made in respect of Regulation 13. In particular, to ensure that monitoring and review systems are in place to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. The manager had not undertaken monitoring of files at the time of the inspection. The two compliance notices have not been met. This demonstrates failures in the internal monitoring systems.

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This monitoring visit

A requirement was made in respect of Regulation 14, particularly that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home. The manager has failed to demonstrate that the placement of the child currently living in the home has been reviewed. There has not been an adequate review of the other child’s experience of living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

These requirements have not been met. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/12/2017 Full Inadequate 13/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 5

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children can re-access therapy as required. 02/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

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. *(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 02/04/2019

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 02/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 6 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) [*(2)(c)] (h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that arrangements are in place to— manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)) 02/04/2019

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC419330 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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