Children's Home run by Kattz (YH) Limited in Central Bedfordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 1

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Kattz (YH) Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children who have emotional and behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the post on 12 February 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection was undertaken with some remote inspection activity due to the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to Ofsted inspecting services.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor and investigate concerns raised to Ofsted. Although some shortfalls have been identified, at the time of the visit, all three children were happy, settled and said that they felt safe.

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This monitoring visit

On occasion, the management team has failed to recruit staff safely. This shortfall meant a missed opportunity to explore further with the previous employer known concerns about the member of staff’s practice. On other occasions, gaps in employment were not routinely identified. These failings did not ensure that the children received care from suitably checked staff. The management team has recognised this shortfall and implemented changes to the recruitment of staff. These changes include verification of references undertaken by the responsible individual Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 2 and seeking references from either the human resources department or the organisation’s director for the applicant’s previous employer.

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This monitoring visit

The deputy manager, who has recently resigned, failed to ensure that a detailed and clear record was made following concerns raised by staff about other staff members’ practice. The records do not include the context of the concern and the actions taken as a result to safeguard children. The deputy manager failed to ensure that the responsible individual was aware of the concerns to enable a joint decision to be made on any further action required. The safeguarding policy was not consistently implemented.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has referred other serious concerns about staff practice to the designated officer. Two internal investigations since the last inspection have concluded with the dismissal of two staff.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has tried to ensure that the children receive care from suitably experienced staff. This is despite the dismissal of two members of staff, other staff leaving the organisation and the challenges of recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, on occasions, an inexperienced member of staff led the shift after working at the home for only eight days. Although they worked with a known agency member of staff, who provides consistency for the staff and children, this had the potential to put additional responsibility onto the new member of core staff.

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This monitoring visit

The children are making progress. They engage extremely well in education and are making academic progress. Two of the children have an attendance rate of 99% and 100% in their education. Another child has a clear plan for their future and receives support from the staff to help them to achieve their goals.

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This monitoring visit

The children live in a homely and welcoming environment. They engage in wide- ranging activities, including table tennis, football, and Segway riding. The house rabbit freely roams the home and the large garden and provides the children with positive experiences of having a pet.

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This monitoring visit

The staff interact positively with the children, provide healthy food and support them to see their families. The children spoke warmly of the relationships that they have with the staff and said that they feel safe living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The management team’s oversight of incidents is effective. The staff and children receive debriefs following incidents. On occasion, when a measure of control has been required in response to an incident, the action taken has been meaningful and related to the incident. Therefore, children have learned why their behaviour was inappropriate, and the frequency of incidents has reduced.

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This monitoring visit

The six requirements (marked ‡ in the table below) raised at the last full inspection have not been reviewed at this visit and will be evaluated at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/11/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 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 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

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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; and

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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)(a)(c)(h)) 23/12/2019 ‡

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 23/12/2019 ‡ Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 5 The registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)(5)) 13/12/2019 ‡

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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

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 31/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34(1)(a)(b)(2)(d)) 31/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 13/12/2019 ‡

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 13/12/2019 ‡ Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 6 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)(d)(e)) The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(1)) 23/12/2019 ‡

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have enough suitably trained staff on duty. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1) In particular, ensure that, when possible, newly appointed staff work with experienced staff.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor and investigate concerns raised to Ofsted.

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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: 2536455 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 51 Station Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 3BQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Kofoworola Ibitoye

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Inspectors

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Deirdra Keating, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2536455 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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