Children's home run by Acorn Children’s Home (Branston) Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1276706 1

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Acorn Children’s Home (Branston) Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home accommodates up to four children. It is one of two children’s homes run by a small limited company. The home aims to stabilise children and ensure that they feel safe, secure and cared for.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed who is yet to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to review the home’s ongoing compliance with a restriction of accommodation notice.

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This monitoring visit

Despite recently meeting a compliance notice relating to safe recruitment, this visit found shortfalls in how new staff have been recruited. Again, managers have failed to verify the reason why staff have left their previous positions when they have worked with children and/or vulnerable adults. Furthermore, there is a failure by managers to use their professional curiosity to thoroughly explore a member of staff’s work history. In one instance, when a member of staff had previously carried out voluntary work, no clarification had been gained as to what this work entailed. Furthermore, managers have failed to pick up on differences between what they have been told in a verbal reference against what an applicant has stated in their application form. This shows a clear lack of priority being given to how new staff are being safely recruited and an inability to sustain improvement. This failure to safely

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This monitoring visit

recruit new staff compromises essential safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls were also found in the home’s environment. Many areas of the home still require redecoration. The downstairs bathroom requires work to the wall underneath the boiler to ensure that it is safe. The current condition of the home is not welcoming for any potential new child. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1276706 2 More positively, a new manager has been appointed and new staff are benefiting from an induction and ongoing training.

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This monitoring visit

All remaining requirements will be reviewed at a future inspection.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this monitoring visit, the home has been issued with a further compliance notice on the safe recruitment of staff and has had the restriction of accommodation notice reissued for a further period.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/10/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1276706 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)) 22/09/2019

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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 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)(b)) 19/08/2019

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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; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(h)) 19/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)) 19/08/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1276706 4 The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children’s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)) * 22/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 19/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 5 days of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(c)) 19/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that 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 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)) 19/08/2019

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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)(c)) 19/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 1276706 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Children’s Home (Branston) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Claremont House, 223 Branston Road, Burton-on- Trent, Staffordshire DE14 3BT

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Inspector

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1276706 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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