Children's Home run by John-Edwards Care Homes Limited in Swindon

Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 1 SC437171

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John-Edwards Care Homes Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

 This children‘s home is registered to care for five children who have learning disabilities.  The provision offers a long-term home for some children and short breaks for others.  The home has had a vacancy for the post of registered manager since June 2017.  The new manager commenced their post on 16 September 2019 and has not yet submitted a complete application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection was carried out because of information that indicated potential safeguarding concerns. This is the sixth inspection undertaken of this children’s home since April 2019. At this inspection, Ofsted found that the home is not being managed effectively enough to ensure that it operates safely and in accordance with the regulations.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not taken enough action to ensure that all adults who work in the home have been safely recruited. Nor have they ensured that staff who transfer from elsewhere in the organisation to new roles have had their suitability to undertake these new roles assessed. This weak practice leaves children and staff at risk.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not taken enough action to ensure that senior care workers are supported sufficiently to be fully effective in their role. For example, they have not all been provided with good-quality child protection training, despite being left in charge of staff and children. Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 2 Insufficient action is taken to ensure that lone workers are monitored effectively. For example, leaders and managers have not specifically monitored night-time practices, despite the fact that concerns have previously been raised by staff/children about practices at night In addition, the manager has not been alerted to concerns raised in a supervision meeting about a waking night member of staff. It is unclear, due to poor records, what these concerns are and whether enough action has been taken to deal with them.

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This monitoring visit

Three regulatory breaches were identified at this inspection, in relation to the safer recruitment of staff, child protection training and monitoring of staff practices. The additional six requirements listed in the report were not reviewed at this monitoring visit and remain in place from the previous full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

A case review will be convened for Ofsted to determine the next steps to be taken in relation to this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/07/2019 Full Inadequate 30/04/2019 Full Inadequate 04/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive good-quality child protection training relating to safeguarding children who have disabilities. 06/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 the impact that the quality of care provided in 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. 06/01/2020 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 4 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(g)(h)) 32: Fitness of workers

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Requirement Due date

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, or if an individual is employed by a person other that the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experiences, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(b)(3)(a)(b)(d)) 16/12/2019

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Requirement Due date

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 03/01/2020 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 5 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d)) 6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(ix)) 03/01/2020

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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 03/01/2020 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 6 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

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. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 14: The care planning standard

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

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 ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 03/01/2020

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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— 03/01/2020 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 7 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“th 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.

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32(4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ( “the user”), a ), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 03/01/2020 Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 8 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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 authoris ed person”) )—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv))

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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: SC437171 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: John-Edwards Care Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Suffolk Way, Sevenoaks TN13 1YL

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Inspectors

Michelle Oxley, social care regulatory inspection manager Miss Lahey, social care regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for children‘s home – monitoring visit: SC437171 10 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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