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 this inspection, the home’s registration was suspended from 4 February to 27 April 2020 inclusive.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring inspections took place on 18 March 2020 and 22 April 2020 via telephone due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. Little progress had been made, and the home was not ready to admit children.

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This monitoring visit

There was insufficient staffing in place due to staff sickness and extended leave. Key training to improve the staff team’s skills and experience remained outstanding. The manager was working in another home in the company for three days a week.

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This monitoring visit

Following the inspection on 22 April 2020, the home’s registration was suspended for a second period from 27 April 2020 to 20 July 2020 inclusive.

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This monitoring visit

At this inspection, further concerns were identified. The manager will be working full time at the home from 8 June 2020. However, concerns regarding staff consistency remain. There are no deputy managers available due to staff secondment and disciplinary action. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 2 The manager has identified eight members of staff who will be placed on individual performance plans due to shortfalls in practice. However, these plans were not yet in place. In addition, key staff training has still not taken place, as many staff remain away from work.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has not received supervision in line with the provider’s processes. She has not had supervision since December 2019. Team meetings and the supervision of the staff team are yet to be established.

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This monitoring visit

The physical environment is not ready to admit children. The entire property requires redecoration, and not all bedrooms had beds, furniture or curtains.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely manner. There was a three-month delay in reporting a concern regarding a member of staff to Ofsted, as the regulator, and to the designated safeguarding officer.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector identified large amounts of confidential paperwork regarding children and staff that are not stored securely. Boxes of paperwork were in the lounge and dining room, which anyone who entered the house had access to, and were visible through the windows. The manager confirmed that this had been the case since March 2020. A new requirement has been raised regarding this.

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This monitoring visit

Six of the 11 requirements raised at the interim inspection in February 2020 were not met. The requirements which have been met relate to: the manager has sent a revised statement of purpose to Ofsted; the complaints protocol has been revised; all but one staff member now has a suitable first aid qualification; and a staff member who had not completed their level 3 qualification within the relevant timescales has now completed this.

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This monitoring visit

The suspension of the home’s registration remains in place. 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 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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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)) 30/07/2020

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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— 30/07/2020 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 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

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Requirement Due date

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)) 30/07/2020

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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. (Regulation 33 (1)(4)(b)) 30/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 30/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for 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)) 30/07/2020

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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 30/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 6 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))

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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 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 notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system

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Recommendations

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)

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 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 COVID-19 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.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Children’s home Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1245980 7 Registered provider: Priory Education Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Priory Group, 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 8 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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