Children's home run by Orbis Education and Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 1

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Orbis Education and Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is part of the providers education and care group and offers a 52-week placement, which may or may not include education. The home provides care and education for up to 10 children who have autism spectrum disorder and/or learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on 2 May 2019. On 20 June 2019, Ofsted was informed that the registered manager had resigned. Following his resignation, the home was managed by an interim manager until a new permanent manager was appointed in October 2019. The intended manager is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home and a school are on the same site.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 6 November 2019. During that inspection, a notice to suspend the registration was served. Ofsted has been monitoring the setting closely since the inspection in November 2019. Following the monitoring visit in January 2020 and the subsequent case review, the suspension notice ended on 31 January 2020. At the monitoring visit on 26 February 2020, inspectors reported that the home was taking steps to make the required improvements.

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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

This report outlines the steps taken to assess what action has been taken since the last inspection and the current level of risk. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 2 Off-site activity undertaken by the inspector included telephone discussions with the manager, the responsible individual, staff, two placing authority representatives and the one child living in the home. The inspector electronically reviewed all necessary documents. This monitoring activity did not include a visit to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The Ofsted report of 21 April 2020 reports that there were no safeguarding incidents that required a notification to Ofsted or other safeguarding partners since a child moved in on 2 April 2020. The inspector has since been made aware that several serious incidents have happened in which the child has been placed at risk of harm and members of staff have been injured.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have failed to share with and notify relevant professionals, including Ofsted, of the details of all serious safeguarding incidents. In a telephone discussion with the inspector, the placing social worker reported having had all the serious incidents shared with her by the manager. In contrast, the independent reviewing officer did not have this important information shared with him during the child’s recent review. Failure to share details of all serious incidents obstructs external agencies in making an accurate and informed assessment of the home’s performance and the care of the child.

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This monitoring visit

During some of the incidents, staff did not take enough action to prevent the dangers, including the child getting onto the main road outside the home and attempting to eat raw meat. The manager is clear that she would have expected staff to intervene sooner during these incidents and she is taking action to support staff to develop these skills and confidence.

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This monitoring visit

The behaviour support plan for the child is incomplete. Managers said that this is because the document requires input from specialists who are not able to undertake their assessments due to the current pandemic. However, the manager reported that she and staff have a good understanding of the child’s needs, and strategies are recorded in the child’s risk assessment. While the risk assessment contains a lot of useful information, it also advises staff to familiarise themselves with the child’s behaviour support plan and to follow it, indicating that this important document should be complete and in use. Leaders and managers are required to take swift action to ensure that staff have a suitably detailed written plan in place that directs them in how to respond to all difficult behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Managers’ oversight of and impact in the home are not fully evident. Managers said that they are spending time observing practice, coaching staff and monitoring practices. However, some staff reported that managers are not often in the home, although accessible in the office, and rotas show that, typically, managers work weekdays. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 3 Considering that this home has previously had significant concerns about the poor practices of staff and quality of care, it is imperative that managers evidence their presence in the home, observing practices and modelling quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements from the previous inspections remain, and three additional requirements under regulations 11, 12 and 13 have been raised as a result of this monitoring activity. Ofsted will continue to monitor the setting. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/11/2019 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority; 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 6 that the care meets the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care; and

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Requirement Due date

is under the supervision of a person who is appropriately skilled and qualified to supervise that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(3)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)) The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 30/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)) The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 8 their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys, and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being; and 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 9 that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all children receive a diet that is healthy, balanced and in line with their dietary needs. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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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

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 10 strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b)) 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—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff have and follow a suitably detailed written plan for how to respond to the child’s behaviours. 30/05/2020

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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. 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 11 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 30/05/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 12 This is specifically in relation to managing incidents effectively and intervening appropriately to protect the child.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to the gate and access onto the road.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(iv)(d)) 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 13 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that managers’ time in the home is documented to evidence the impact of their work in relation to observing staff practices, coaching staff and modelling good quality of care. 30/05/2020

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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.

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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 the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s behaviour support plans are adhered to. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(e)(i)) 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 14 Restraint and deprivation of liberty

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that locked doors do not restrict the liberty of children. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(2)(3)) 30/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 30/04/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 15 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

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’)—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(4)) Notification of a serious event

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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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)(e)) 30/04/2020

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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: 2519199 16

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Orbis Education and Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Vision Court, Caxton Place, Pentwyn, Cardiff, Cardiff, CF23 8HA

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519199 17 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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