Children's Home run by Idem Living Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2572552 1

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Idem Living Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was registered with Ofsted on 26 March 2020 to provide care to one young person who is assessed as requiring support with their emotional and/or behavioural needs. The home is operated by private provider who operates other homes in the South West and nationally. The home is situated near a city and is close to local amenities.

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This monitoring visit

During the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis, Ofsted is not carrying out routine inspections of social care provisions. When Ofsted has judged a service to be high risk, we need to determine what activity is needed to mitigate the risk.

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This monitoring visit

Due to off-site inspection activity raising concerns, an urgent on-site inspection was carried out. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no grading was given.

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This monitoring visit

The first young person to live in this newly registered home moved in during May, when COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were still in force. The young person has not made progress during this time. His emotional well-being has deteriorated, the risk of self-harm and harm to others has increased and he is now involved in the criminal justice system.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the staff team members, although well-intended, do not have sufficient experience or qualification to meet the complex needs of this young person. The registered manager’s actions have not compensated for these shortfalls, and his leadership lacks positive role modelling, despite support from senior managers for him and the staff team. Supervision and other records lack necessary information and do not assist in providing clear guidance to staff. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2572552 2 The difficulties that the staff have in providing well-balanced routines and boundaries for the young person’s physical and emotional well-being have become visible to the local community. The inability of the staff to meet the young person’s needs has meant that concerns have spilt into the garden and street, outside of the home. This has led to friends being entertained on the door step and serious

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This monitoring visit

incidents occurring, one involving a knife. Residents and others have become anxious and/or angry, leading to a catalogue of complaints being made and the situation becoming untenable. The young person is now fearful each time he leaves the house, which has exasperated his mental health issues and led to the local police being concerned about his well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Despite staff’s efforts to build a relationship and initiate creative ways to distract the young person, such as wild camping, the care given has been eventually reduced to reactive responses and providing accommodation and food of limited nutritional value. Latterly, the young person has spent much of his time unsupervised by staff in his friend’s home. This is a situation that staff have had limited control over but have become increasingly and inappropriately reliant on.

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This monitoring visit

Throughout the monitoring visit, the senior manager was open about the difficulties and shortfalls in the home. The provider sought to engage with the local community and communicated regularly and openly with Ofsted to identify strategies to attempt to alleviate the difficulties. Although the responsible local authority asked for the young person to continue living in the home, the home’s senior manager had to insist that he move. The senior manager was of the opinion that the young person could not be kept safe, both in and out of the home. Senior leaders of the organisation said that they will not admit another young person until they have taken time to make improvements and address the local community’s concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Statutory requirements have been set to address the regulatory beaches found at this inspection. Ofsted will continue to monitor this home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

This is the home’s first inspection since registration.

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Statutory requirements

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2572552 3 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(v)(ix)(x)(xi)) 10/08/2020

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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; 20/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2572552 4 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 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)(a)(ii)(iii)(vi)(b))

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 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;

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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)(c)(2)(a)(f)(h)) 10/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2572552 5

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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: Idem Living Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Newlands, 1a Huyton Hey Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 5SE

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Hendrik Van Schalkwyk

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Inspectors

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Paula Lahey, regulatory inspection manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2572552 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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