Children's Home run by Options Autism (4) Ltd in Staffordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271607 1

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Options Autism (4) Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for children and young people who have a range of complex needs and/or autism spectrum disorder and associated learning disability. Children and young people are aged between eight and 18 years old.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager holds the NVQ level 4 in leadership and management and was registered with the home in May 2020.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to investigate concerns raised by external professionals about the safeguarding practices of staff. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Ofsted did not physically visit the home. Instead, the inspectors gathered evidence in several different ways, including talking to the manager, children’s social workers, children’s families and members of staff. The manager also provided electronic documents for the inspectors to review.

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This monitoring visit

Staff manage children with complex needs well. Any concerns or allegations are referred to the relevant authorities. Appropriate strategies are put in place to protect children’s well-being and safety while concerns are investigated. Additional staff members are deployed when managers feel this is necessary to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff work in partnership with health professionals to best meet children’s healthcare needs. Social workers and parents are complimentary about the care that staff give to their children. As a result, children are having their health needs well met.

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This monitoring visit

Staff know the children well and work hard to maintain their dignity and welfare when they display challenging behaviour. However, this is not always reflected in the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271607 2 records that staff complete. Monitoring systems have not picked up that staff do not always follow children’s bedtime care routines as outlined in their relevant plans. Mistakes in record-keeping have not been identified, and incident reports, sleep records and night-time logs are not consistently completed. This means that managers do not have a clear understanding of staff practice.

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This monitoring visit

A new member of staff has been employed and, despite having worked in children’s homes for five years, has not yet obtained the required qualification in residential care. Consequently, this member of staff is outside the required timescales to achieve the expected level of qualification in residential care.

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This monitoring visit

One requirement and one recommendation have been raised at this inspection. The three requirements raised at the last inspection were not examined during this monitoring visit. As a result, these will be considered at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271607 3

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— Are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(vii)) 31/07/2020

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(h)) 31/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 31/07/2020

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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— 31/01/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271607 4 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ page 62 paragraph 14.4)

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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

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we regulate. 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

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271607 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Options Autism (4) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Options Autism (4) Ltd, Turnpike Gate House, Alcester Heath, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5JG

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Caroline Adams-Evans

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Inspectors

Louise Battersby, social care inspector Sue Young, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271607 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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