Children's home run by Priory Education Services Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 1

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Priory Education Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has no registered manager. A new manager is in post and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 3 February 2020. Following that inspection, the home’s registration was suspended from 4 February to 27 April 2020 inclusive.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring inspection took place by telephone on 18 March 2020, to ensure that the provider is continuing to be compliant with the suspension of registration of the home and to review any progress. At that inspection, we found that the provider has put in place an action plan to address concerns; however, limited progress had been made.

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This monitoring visit

This inspection took place by telephone on 22 April 2020. The purpose was to ensure that the provider remained compliant with the suspension and to review any further progress made. The responsible individual confirmed that there are currently no children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual reported that the home is not ready to open because of safeguarding concerns, namely that there is insufficient staffing in place due to sickness. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 2 Concerns regarding insufficient staff numbers, skills and experience remain. There is no registered manager in post. The new manager is currently working only two days a week at this home as she is also managing a second home. Therefore, she is not able to provide day-to-day leadership and management in this home. Currently, only two of the 13 team members are in work, and the rest are sick or on extended leave. One member of staff is currently suspended, pending investigation into practice issues.

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This monitoring visit

Seven members of the team did not complete the five-day extensive training programme that was put in place to enhance staff knowledge and understanding and improve practices within the home. Managers are yet to review staff’s understanding and application of the additional training completed.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have identified practice concerns which have not been addressed with staff as they are currently away from work. Supervision and team meetings have not taken place. These are key forums for the manager to review staff learning and practice issues.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently insufficient trained staff in place for the home to provide safe and effective care for young people.

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This monitoring visit

Following this inspection, the home’s registration was suspended again from 27 April to 20 July 2020 inclusive.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements will be reviewed at a subsequent inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 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 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 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; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12

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Requirement Due date

(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 05/06/2020

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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 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)) 05/06/2020

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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— 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 5 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)) 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)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

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, the registered person must ensure that— medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. Paragraph (2) does not apply to medicine which— is stored by the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it; and may be safely self-administered by that child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(a)(b)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. The registered person must ensure that— at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1)(2)(a)) 05/06/2020

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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 the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. The relevant date is the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 6 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. Case records must be kept— securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(2)(c)(d)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children. In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate. The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(2)(3)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 05/06/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 7 opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are

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Recommendations

notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 8

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of coronavirus by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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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: 1245980 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Priory Group, Fifth Floor, 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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