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

Monitoring visit 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 has been without a registered manager since December 2015. The current manager was appointed on 5 January 2019. At the time of this inspection, the acting manager does not have an active application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this home to be inadequate at the last three full inspections. A notice of restriction of accommodation, issued on 11 July 2018 to prevent any further young people from being admitted to the home, was reissued twice on 3 October 2018 and on 21 December 2018.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring inspection, the notice of restriction of accommodation remained in place. The provider has continued to comply with the restriction notice and, as a result, no further young people have been admitted to the home. There was one young person living in the home at the time that the monitoring inspection was conducted.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to review the action taken by the provider to meet the 10 requirements raised at the inspection in January 2019. At a monitoring inspection on 23 January 2019, a compliance notice issued at the inspection in January 2019 was deemed to have been met.

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This monitoring visit

At this monitoring inspection, inspectors found that, although managers have taken steps to address some of the requirements, they have failed to make sufficient Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 2 progress overall. In addition, inspectors found that previous improvements have not been sustained. At this monitoring visit, four of the 10 requirements raised at the full inspection in January 2019 were found to have been met. This leaves six requirements still unmet. In addition, two new requirements have been raised as a result of this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have implemented a plan of work with the young person who lives in the home to support him to gain the skills that he will need to live independently. This plan was implemented three days prior to the inspection, therefore it is not possible to measure the impact of this work.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have updated the risk assessments in place in the home with current information regarding the risks that the young person may face. Managers have also ensured that action to address fire safety has continued and an ongoing plan of work is in place.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager at the home is now receiving supervision from the responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

Managers are unable to demonstrate that they have made improvements to their oversight of the young person‟s health and well-being. For example, in response to concerns regarding the young person‟s diet, inspectors were provided with a menu that stated that on one day he had eaten a cooked breakfast. However, the daily log indicated that he had had a fizzy drink and a chocolate bar for breakfast. In addition, managers have failed to ensure that staff carry out regular work with the young person to increase his understanding of the impact of his unhealthy lifestyle choices. This prevents staff from supporting the young person to make positive changes to his lifestyle.

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This monitoring visit

Staff fail to ensure that they maintain good standards of care for the young person. For example, despite staff conducting regular bedroom checks, inspectors identified that the young person‟s bedroom had nowhere to hang up his clothes. Furthermore, inspectors found evidence that suggested that the young person may have been smoking in his bedroom. Although managers took action during the inspection to address these matters, the lack of action until the day of the inspection brings into question the effectiveness of the monitoring systems.

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This monitoring visit

Managers continue to fail to demonstrate that staff who work at the home are safely recruited. For example, managers have failed to verify the reasons why a new member of staff recruited to work at the home had left a previous role working with children. Senior managers are also unable to demonstrate that recruitment of the acting manager has been sufficiently rigorous to satisfy themselves that he fulfils the regulatory requirements for this role.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have been unable to sustain previous improvements regarding staff induction and training. One member of staff has still to finish a level 3 diploma in Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 3 residential childcare, despite this being outside of the regulatory timeframe. One new member of staff has been recruited to the home since the full inspection in January 2019. This member of staff had worked alone at the home prior to receiving her full induction training or having her suitability to work alone assessed by the responsible individual. This member of staff continues to work alone at the home, despite not having finished all aspects of the core training programme set by the organisation. For example, she has not undertaken her physical intervention training. Moreover, the member of staff has not received training to support her understanding about how to safeguard a young person who is known to use illegal

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This monitoring visit

drugs or to provide her with knowledge about the impact that using illegal drugs can have on the young person‟s health. This is despite the records at the home indicating that this is a daily risk factor for the young person who lives at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have updated the staff roster to state when the acting manager is working at the home. However, these records do not relate to the information in the daily log, and it is not always clear when managers are at the home. This means that the accuracy of records cannot be relied upon in the event of an allegation or complaint.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual told inspectors that she has not addressed the previously identified shortfalls in the quality of care report. She told inspectors that she will do this when she next carries out a review of the quality of care. This is a missed opportunity to use the review to drive service improvement.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/01/2019 Full Inadequate 02/10/2018 Full Inadequate 03/07/2018 Full Inadequate 13/03/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children‟s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff–

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6(1), (2)(b)(vii)) 22/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that–

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

to understand and develop skills to promote the child‟s well- being. (Regulation 10(1)(c), (2)(a)(iv)) 22/04/2019

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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–

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to– 22/04/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 5 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13(1), (2)(c))* A person may only manage a children‟s home if–

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children–

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has–

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Requirement Due date

within the last 5 years, worked for at least 2 years in a position relevant to the residential care of children;

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma. (Regulation 28(1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c), (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii), (3)(a)(b), (4)(a)(b)) 22/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. 22/04/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 6 The relevant date is in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32(1), (2)(a), (3)(b), (4), (5)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children‟s home;

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Requirement Due date

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 a position ended where the applicant has been previously employed in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults. 22/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

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)) 22/04/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, 22/04/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 7 reviewing and evaluating–

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

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(1), (2)(a)(b)(c), (3))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children‟s home – monitoring visit: SC373693 8

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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: 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 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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