Children's home run by Back on Track Children’s Services SE LTD in Dover

Assurance visit report: SC473404 1 SC473404

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people. According to the home’s statement of purpose, care is offered to young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 30 October 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

The home is currently subject to a notice suspending registration, issued on 25 June 2020. Assurance visit report: SC473404 2 We identified the following serious concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:

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Findings from the visit

 Leaders are unable to demonstrate that the provider has the capacity to make and sustain the required improvements in response to the shortfalls and failures, as set out in the notice to suspend the registration of the home.

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The care of children

No children have lived in the home during this period of suspension. The provider has complied with the suspension notice.

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The care of children

During this period, leaders have failed to take the opportunity to undertake a full and meaningful review of the previous failures and serious shortfalls that resulted in Ofsted’s decision to suspend the home. Consequently, they do not demonstrate that they have understood or learned from previous events.

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The care of children

There is no clear action plan to reassure the provider or Ofsted that appropriate and timely improvements are being made to provide an effective staff team that could competently care for children.

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The safety of children

Owing to the provider’s compliance with the suspension notice, the home has remained empty and no children have been placed at risk of harm.

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The safety of children

Senior leaders have been working on a review of policies and procedures. However, their focus is not reliably informed, in terms of how they have prioritised the order in which this work is being completed. Consequently, their unstructured approach is failing to identify and work on the most important areas that relate to the protection of children.

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The safety of children

The monitoring inspection of 24 June 2020 found children to be at risk of harm, with examples of children actually being harmed. Despite such serious failings, core areas of necessary learning, such as keeping children safe on a day-to-day basis, have not been prioritised, whereas updating the policy on the staff dress code has. Such examples raise serious concerns about the provider’s ability to prioritise where its efforts are most needed, to ensure that safe care would be provided if children were to move in.

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Leaders and managers

There is currently no clear and sequenced plan in place to show how the home will reach a state of readiness to receive children, and leaders and managers have not shown that they have the experience and expertise to address the identified failures and shortfalls effectively. Assurance visit report: SC473404 3 Senior leaders described the additional recruitment constraints associated with the current pandemic. No staff appointments, including a manager position, have been made. While the recruitment difficulties associated with Covid-19 are understood, this factor does not negate the need for a realistic and timely action plan.

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Leaders and managers

Consequently, significant concerns remain about the capacity of the provider to make and sustain the required improvements to run the service in compliance with the regulations, to keep children safe and promote their welfare.

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Leaders and managers

Ofsted will continue to monitor this service.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Back on Track Children’s Services SE Ltd

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Campbell

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Inspector

John Pledger, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC473404 4 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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