Children's Home run by Park Blue Homes Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453372 1 SC453372

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Park Blue Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private provider owns and manages the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant.

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This monitoring visit

During an assurance visit on 14 and 15 September 2020, serious concerns were identified in relation to safeguarding practice and management oversight. Two compliance notices and seven requirements were issued.

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This monitoring visit

At this visit we evaluated the progress made and assessed that one of the compliance notices has been met. The provider has taken sufficient steps to address the shortfalls under regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

The compliance notice under regulation 13 has been reissued along with an added requirement made under regulation 32. The provider has not ensured that the home has a registered manager. This has been the position since May 2019 despite appointing several managers.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken steps to improve safeguarding practice in the home. Safeguarding policies have been reviewed and shared with staff. All staff, including senior managers, have completed advanced level online training in safeguarding children for children’s homes. The effectiveness of the training will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s and young people’s risk assessments have been reviewed and updated to ensure that they contain relevant and accurate information. This will help children and young people to see how they are making progress in relation to their known risks. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453372 2 Since the assurance visit on 14 and 15 September 2020, Ofsted has received several notifications under regulation 40. This means that there has been regulatory oversight to ensure that, in these instances, staff and leaders have taken steps to safeguard children and young people.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose has been updated to reflect who is involved in the day-to- day care arrangements for children and young people. This means that parents and carers, commissioners and Ofsted understand which individuals who work in the home have the required skills, knowledge and experience.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations made at the assurance visit and at this monitoring visit will be monitored and considered at the next inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will continue to monitor the progress that the provider makes in relation to the compliance notice under regulation 13 being reissued.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/07/2019 Full Good 24/09/2018 Full Good 19/07/2017 Full Good 11/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453372 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, the 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d)) 27/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(b)(vi)) 27/12/2020

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)) * 27/12/2020

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 27/12/2020 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453372 4 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(2)(b)(iii)) The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow

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Requirement Due date

that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 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. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(3)(4))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453372 5 should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: Park Blue Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Fairfield Lodge, Evenwood, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 9NH

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Inspector

Jacqueline Tate, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC453372 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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