Children's home run by Orchard Children Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 1 Orchard Children Homes Ltd

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Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Some of the young people may have an autism spectrum disorder. The home is operated by a private company.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 8 January 2020. One compliance notice was issued. This listed the steps that the provider must take in order to meet regulations in respect of the protection of children. A suspension of registration was also issued on the 10 January 2020.

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This monitoring visit

To evaluate the progress being made by the provider, this monitoring visit was conducted on 17 February 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The provider continues to adhere to the suspension notice. The provider has not admitted any children to the home since the full inspection. The child who lived in the home at the last inspection has left.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have had several sessions of good-quality, face-to-face training by an accredited trainer. This includes training in risk assessment, recording and reporting and safeguarding children. Staff now have a clearer understanding of risk management and when they are required to report concerns and update risk management plans. Managers have introduced daily staff debriefings, which will include discussions about children’s behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now given clear guidance about what to do should a child go missing. Training in the policy and procedures for children who go missing is now included in new staff’s induction programme. Missing from care protocols and statutory guidance is now readily available to all staff in a dedicated folder and online. Staff Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 2 know where to find this information and say that they find it accessible and informative.

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This monitoring visit

The manager is liaising with local police to arrange to share individual children’s missing protocols.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been involved in updating and improving children’s behaviour management plans. These include specific details of how a child will be supported by staff when they display specific behaviours in the home and in the community.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has put in place new systems to monitor patterns and trends in children’s behaviours. The registered manager is planning to use this information with staff to update children’s risk management plans and to identify other issues, such as staff performance and training needs. Planned weekly updates to strategic managers will strengthen management oversight of the home.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the actions that they have taken, the provider has met the compliance notice. The suspension notice has also now been lifted.

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This monitoring visit

All remaining requirements will be reviewed at a future inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/01/2020 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 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(d)) 28/02/2020

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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; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff— provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(vii)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in 28/02/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 4 the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare; help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; ensure that each child— is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)(i))

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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. 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)) 16/02/2020

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)) 16/02/2020

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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. 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; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 28/02/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 5 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; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on

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Requirement Due date

the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home. 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— a description of the measure and its duration; 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’)— 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 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(1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(iv)(b)(i)(c)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) 28/02/2020

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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(1)(3)(a)(b)) 28/02/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 6

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Recommendations

 Records must be kept detailing all individual incidents when children go missing from the home (regulation 36 (schedule 3(14)). This information should be shared with the placing authority and, where appropriate, with the child’s parents. Evaluation of missing incidents should be undertaken to identify any gaps in training, skills or knowledge for staff or to record and retain evidence of what worked well. This evaluation should inform the review of the quality of care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 9.31, page 46)

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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

Registered provider: Orchard Children Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 118 Calais Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0UW

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2534596 7 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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