Children's home run by Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Ltd in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479596 1 SC479596

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Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children and/or young people with complex learning needs.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted registered the home and the manager in July 2014.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken to assess the safety of children following a safeguarding notification received by Ofsted. As a result of this inspection, Ofsted issued three compliance notices and made a further requirement. A requirement set at the last inspection in relation to the supervision of staff remains in place. Progress to meet this requirement was not assessed at this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Children are not always protected from harm. This is because leaders and managers do not always respond appropriately to significant changes in children’s behaviours. For example, the registered manager does not ensure that all children’s risk assessments provide clear guidance for staff to follow to keep children safe. As a result, staff’s actions to manage risks to children’s safety are inconsistent. On a recent occasion, this inconsistent practice meant that a child had possession of dangerous items and used these to cause excessive damage to the home. This posed a risk of harm to the child, other children in the home and to staff.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments do not include details or dates of when the risks to children’s safety last occurred. This lack of information prevents staff from understanding the level of risks and how likely these risks are to occur again. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479596 2 The registered manager does not ensure that staff receive suitable training to help them to care for children who self-harm using ligatures. This lack of training may delay staff’s responses to managing or preventing these behaviours.

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This monitoring visit

Internal monitoring systems are not up to date. This prevents the registered manager from retaining sufficient oversight of the quality of care that children receive, children’s progress and safety, and staff’s practice and performance. For example, the training records for staff are not accurate. These records do not reflect the current staff team, and do not consistently detail when some staff complete their training. These gaps in essential information hinder the registered manager’s ability to be confident that the staff have the skills required to meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager does not always notify Ofsted of significant incidents that place children at risk of serious harm. This prevents Ofsted from monitoring the suitability and effectiveness of safeguarding practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the age range of children admitted to this home. The stated age range does not match the staff’s skills or the service provided for the children. This means that this document does not accurately reflect the care and support offered by the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/09/2019 Full Good 09/05/2018 Full Outstanding 07/08/2017 Full Outstanding 27/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479596 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—

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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

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

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)) 03 January 2021

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 03 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479596 4 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; 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 03 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

The employment of staff standard is that the registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 03 January 2021

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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)) 03 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC479596 5

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tree House Care Fostering Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 107 Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 3ER

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479596 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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