Children's Home run by Devon and Cornwall Autistic Community Trust (t/a Spectrum) in Cornwall

Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 1 Registered provider: Devon & Cornwall Autistic Community Trust (t/a Spectrum)

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home was registered in May 2018 for three children. It is owned by a private organisation.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This home was graded inadequate at its first full inspection, 4 to 5 March 2019. Two compliance notices were issued at this time in respect of the protection of children standard and the leadership and management standard. These compliance notices had not been met when a monitoring visit was completed on 9 April 2019. Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 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 enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences;

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(I)(ii)(iii)(b)) 27/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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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

that staff help each child to— 27/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 4 achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(I)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b)(c)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that the registered person must ensure that —

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Requirement Due date

the individual (staff member) is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of work that the individual is to perform.

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improvement to be good

Significant changes in the staff team have diminished opportunities for trusting and secure relationships for the child who lives at the home. The home is now fully staffed, and important and consistent relationships are developing.

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improvement to be good

Care plans are not explicitly informed by the child’s needs, wishes and feelings. This means that the child is not enabled to actively participate in decisions about his life.

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improvement to be good

Healthcare planning lacks clarity. Guidance regarding diet and nutrition is not clear, Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 5 despite this being a key health need for the child.

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improvement to be good

Social and recreational opportunities are limited. The child is not benefiting from having time with other children outside of school.

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improvement to be good

An advocate is now in place for the child. The child also enjoys time with the independent visitor. He spoke fondly of her visits.

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improvement to be good

Specialist therapeutic advice underpins practice at the home. This approach has had a very positive impact on the child. There have been no behavioural concerns for over a month. This is significant progress in respect of the child’s ability to manage his own emotions.

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improvement to be good

The child presents as happy and relaxed. This is a notable difference from his anxious presentation at the last full inspection.

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improvement to be good

The child has not been helped to ensure that his use of the internet is safe. Not all staff have been trained in online safety. There is also no clear practice guidance on this issue within care planning.

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improvement to be good

The outcomes of the assessment process regarding an allegation of harm have not been provided for the child and his parent. Therefore, important reassurance that the child is safe and well cared for has not been provided.

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improvement to be good

Ongoing analysis of the child’s overall behaviour is completed by all staff. This is supporting staff to understand how to best meet the child’s needs. As a result, there has been no need for physical interventions for many weeks.

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improvement to be good

Staff are all trained to the required safeguarding standard. Safeguarding policies and procedures have been reviewed and amended. This promotes the ability of staff to manage child protection concerns effectively.

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improvement to be good

The compliance notice issued at the last full inspection in respect of the protection of children standard is now met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The acting manager has completed her application to become registered. She is awaiting her interview with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

New staff are in post and are actively engaged in regular supervision sessions and team meetings. This is supporting the development of a nurturing environment at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 6 The physical and mental capacity of staff to meet the needs of the child is not closely monitored. Assessment did not take place prior to a staff member returning to work even though they had told managers that they had personal difficulties.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Care planning does not accurately reflect the emerging nurturing practice at the home. Furthermore, not all care planning documents are clear and effective. This reduces the ability of staff to access important information easily.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Monitoring and oversight of the care provided for the child have significantly improved. This is due to the acting manager’s commitment to raising standards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The compliance notice issued in respect of the leadership and management standard is now met.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Devon & Cornwall Autistic Community Trust (t/a Spectrum)

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Lakeside Offices, The Old Cattle Market, Porthleven Road, Helston, Cornwall TR13 0SR

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Hannah-Marie Bennetts

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Inspector

Polly Soper: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1276719 8 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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