Children's Home run by Hopedale Children and Family Services Limited in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 1 SC444869

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Hopedale Children and Family Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children‘s home provides care for up to 15 children who have suffered adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. There is also a school on the same site. This children‘s home has two registered managers.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted inspected the home in July 2019 after receiving information about the quality of care provided by the service. This information included concerns regarding behaviour management and the use of physical restraint. Inspectors found significant shortfalls that compromised children‘s safety and welfare. Ofsted issued two compliance notices following that inspection. These were with regard to behaviour management and discipline and the accurate completion of records concerning the use of physical restraint.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress made in meeting the two compliance notices and one further associated requirement. The additional eight requirements made in July 2019 will be considered at future inspections.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have reviewed the behaviour management plans for all children. These plans no longer include punitive measures of control, such as isolating children‘s bedroom electricity sockets or children having to spend time in their bedrooms when they do not comply with their activity planners. Furthermore, managers said that ‗time out‘ plans that involve children standing on a specific spot for a specific time period are no longer used and this behaviour management strategy is not included in children‘s plans. These changes mean that children are no longer subject to demeaning strategies to control their behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have taken action to review children‘s behaviour management plans in Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 2 consultation with the children, staff and the on-site therapy team. These new plans have been shared with social workers and with children‘s families where appropriate. This provides for a more collaborative approach to ensuring that strategies to meet the complex behaviour of individual children are appropriate.

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This monitoring visit

Some aspects of children‘s placement plans are generic. Managers have yet to make sure that these plans fully take account of children‘s backgrounds, individual circumstances and complex needs. Personalising these plans would enable staff to provide bespoke care that supports children‘s progress. Furthermore, current plans and daily records are not child-friendly or accessible to children. Staff do not encourage children to view this information or to see these records as ‗living documents‘ that evolve to meet their changing needs.

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This monitoring visit

Managers now ensure that records of restraint include all necessary and relevant details. Staff record an account of the child‘s behaviour leading up to the use of restraint. They include a summary of the de-escalation strategies used to try to prevent the use of this intervention. Staff also record where the restraint took place and if the child was moved during the restraint, and the types of holds used to restrain the child. This information allows managers to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of restraint and ascertain if this measure of control was lawful, necessary and proportionate. This improvement helps to protect children from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will consider the actions of the service to continue to meet the requirements of the compliance notices at the next inspection. One further requirement and one recommendation are made as a result of this inspection. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2019 Full Outstanding 19/09/2017 Full Outstanding 25/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/06/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home‘s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home‘s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(c)(i)(ii)) 12/08/2019

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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 30/08/2019 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 5 registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child‘s needs, as recorded in the child‘s relevant plans, taking account of the child‘s background. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(iv)) The positive relationships standard requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‘s behaviour, in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child‘s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‘s age and understanding. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(iii)(v)) 12/08/2019

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(2)(a)) 12/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3) (a)(b)) 12/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 34(2)(a)(b)) 12/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 12/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered 12/08/2019 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 6 provider‘s expense, a person (―the independent person‖) to visit and report on the children‘s home carried on by the registered provider.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is not a local authority; a person who is employed for payment by the registered provider; a person who has, or has had, a connection with the registered person; a person working at the home; or a child. (Regulation 43(1)(3)(b)(g((i)(ii)(iii)) The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person‘s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44(7)(a)) 12/08/2019

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Recommendations

 Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home‘s records as ‗living documents‘ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 58, paragraph 11.19) Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 7

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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. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Hopedale Children and Family Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hopedale House, Wall Lane Terrace, Cheddleton, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 7ED

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Children’s home details

Registered managers: Sarah Deaville and Clare Ratcliffe

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Inspectors

Jo Stephenson, social care inspector Alison Cooper, social care inspector Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC444869 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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