Children's home run by Dame Hannah Roger‟s School

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 1 SC065443

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Dame Hannah Roger’s School

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides long-term care and accommodation, extended stays and short-break care for up to 15 children and young people. The provision is operated by a charitable trust.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post and she has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged as inadequate at the last full inspection, and a compliance notice under regulation 12: the protection of children standard was issued. This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the action taken by the provider to comply with the notice. Leaders and managers have taken effective action to address the serious and widespread safeguarding concerns identified during the last inspection. All areas of compliance have been met. The action they have taken needs to be consolidated into day-to-day practice. Improved safeguarding policies and processes are in place. Staff have had training, guidance and support to help them understand the changes. These systems are in their infancy and are not yet embedded into practice. The new safeguarding team has paved the way for leaders to have better oversight and scrutiny. Weekly meetings take place to help managers to review and respond to concerns for children.

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This monitoring visit

An internal and external review of restrictive practice has resulted in less intrusive care for children. The manager has also taken the decision that physical intervention Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 2 will not be used. Training is being provided for staff to ensure that they have the skills to respond to children. Care planning for children remains weak. As a result, staff are not provided with clear written direction about children’s care. The manager is aware of this shortfall and is taking action to address it. Changes to the aesthetics of the home are remarkable. The manager has achieved improvement at an impressive pace. The home now presents as nurturing and calm. Children enjoy the light and airy space. Further improvements are planned. Ofsted will undertake a full inspection to review the requirements from the previous inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/05/2019 Full Inadequate 10/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/07/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard (1) The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— (a) understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff— (i) understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; (ii) protect and promote each child’s welfare; (iv) provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; (vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

(ix) make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. In particular, ensure that each child’s care considers and meets their individual needs and that staff understand what they need to do to meet those needs. In addition, ensure that ‘blanket’ approaches to care are only used if all the children’s needs have been assessed to require such levels of support. 30/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 4 12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if

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Requirement Due date

necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (vii) are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; (b) 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; (c) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. In particular, make sure that effective action is taken when children present with worrying injuries, ensuring that child

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Requirement Due date

protection policy and processes are adhered to. Ensure that any concerns in respect of staff are understood and managed effectively and safely. Ensure that any form of physical intervention is appropriate, recorded and reviewed effectively. Ensure that children are not cared for in a way that is intrusive or unnecessarily restricts their liberty. Ensure that the arrangements in place for safer recruitment are effective. In addition, ensure that there is a dedicated, suitably skilled and effective safeguarding team. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard 30/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 5 (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in

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Requirement Due date

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; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 14: The care planning standard (1) The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is

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Requirement Due date

intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 30/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 6 (b) that arrangements are in place to— (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed; (d) that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; (e) that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— (i) the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. 16: Statement of purpose (3 ) The registered person must— (a) keep the statement of purpose under review and, where

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Requirement Due date

appropriate, revise it; and (b) notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (5) Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty (1) Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing— (a) injury to any person (including the child); (b) serious damage to the property of any person (including the child). (2) Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

21: Privacy and access The registered person must ensure that— (a) the privacy of children is appropriately protected; (b) children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and (c) any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— (i) is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the 30/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 7 home; (ii) is necessary and proportionate; (iii) is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and (iv) allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. In particular, children should not have supervision when undertaking toileting or personal care unless their needs warrant this level of support. Children accessing the community should be supported in a way that reflects their needs. Children should only be monitored at night time if their

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Requirement Due date

needs have been assessed to require this level of intervention. 23: Medicines (1) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. In particular, any medication errors must be escalated and reviewed to ensure that future risk is reduced. Agency staff working with children should have the skills required to meet their needs to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff (4) The registered person must ensure that all employees— (a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

34: Policies for the protection of children (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which— (a) is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and (b) sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (2) The procedure to be followed in the event of an 30/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 8 allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular— (a) provide for liaison and co-operation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home; (b) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located; (c) provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about

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Requirement Due date

past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged abuse or neglect occurred; (d) provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response; (e) describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect; and (f) describe how and to whom staff are to report, without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (3) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy for the prevention of bullying in the home, which must in particular set out the procedure for dealing with an allegation of bullying. (4) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out— (a) the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and (b) the procedures to be followed, and the roles and

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Requirement Due date

responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (5) Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to the missing child policy, the registered person must— (a) consult, and take into account the views of each relevant person; and (b) have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (6) The registered person must keep under review and, as necessary, revise the home’s child protection policies. 35: Behaviour management policies and records (1) The registered person must prepare and implement a 30/06/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 9 policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— (a) how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and (b) the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes— (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result

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Requirement Due date

of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; and (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (4) Paragraph (3) does not apply in relation to restraint that is planned or provided for as a matter of routine in the child’s EHC plan or statement of special educational needs. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 10

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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

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: John Branchflower

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Inspector

Tracey Ledder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC065443 11 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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