Children's home run by Newrays Care Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241861 1

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Newrays Care Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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This monitoring visit

On 15 February 2019, Ofsted issued a notice restricting accommodation at the home. This was because during a monitoring visit in February the inspector found significant shortfalls. These included having an unqualified and inexperienced staff team, unsafe recruitment, inconsistent staffing arrangements and a failure to meet the home’s statement of purpose. It was Ofsted’s view that there was a risk to young people’s safety and welfare, should any further young people be admitted to the home. In addition, two compliance notices were served in relation to staff recruitment and staff training.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit found that some progress had been achieved.

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This monitoring visit

 There is now a full staff team.  A new manager has been appointed and is due to start in May 2019.  Staff have received training to enable them to meet the needs of one young person who has autism spectrum disorder.  A new therapist has been recruited. This means that young people will be able to access therapeutic support as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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This monitoring visit

Despite this progress, fundamental shortfalls remain. For example, staff recruitment remains weak. Managers have not investigated why some staff members have gaps in their employment history. There is an absence of verification made by managers as to why a member of staff who has previously worked with children and/or Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241861 2 vulnerable adults might have left these positions. This leaves young people at continued risk of potential harm.

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This monitoring visit

There are poor arrangements in place to manage risk and to ensure that young people are safe. For example, one young person has physically assaulted another young person through targeted behaviour that staff have been unable to manage safely. Following these incidents, staff have failed to put in place additional safeguarding measures that help to protect young people and/or ensure that risk assessments are brought up to date.

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This monitoring visit

When young people display bullying behaviour towards others, staff are too slow in challenging this behaviour and do not provide a detailed record of the action taken.

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This monitoring visit

The staff rotas do not detail members of staff’s full names. It is also difficult to establish how many hours staff have worked. This shortfall means that managers do not have an accurate record of which staff are working with young people and the times they have been required to work.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, the home was issued with a further compliance notice. The restriction of accommodation notice remains in place.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised during the full inspection will be revisited during the next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2018 Full Good 30/11/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 23/05/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241861 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(2)(c)(i)) 28/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 28/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable. (Regulation 11 (1)(2)(a)(xii)) 26/04/2019

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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 26/04/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241861 4 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; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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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)) * 26/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that they maintain in the home the records relating to schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)) This is specifically in relation to having a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, their full names and hours worked. 26/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that just as in a family home, children are able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (Regulation 21 (c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home, and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10). This is with reference to ensuring that bedroom door alarms are used only on the basis of individual safeguarding need. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241861 5

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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: Newrays Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Newrays Care Services Limited, Sinckot House, 211 Station House, Harrow HA1 2TP

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1241861 6 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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