Children's Home run by Dorset Emergency Placement Services Ltd in Dorset

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: Not previously inspected

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Not previously inspected

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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

We identified the following widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit:  Leaders and managers failed to ensure that they understood the complex needs of a child before the child moved into the home. As a result, staff were not sufficiently skilled to support the child. Assurance visit report: 2579887 2  Leaders and managers failed to prevent one child from engaging in dangerous behaviours and causing extensive damage to the home.  On more than one occasion, police have been called to assist staff with the management of children’s behaviours.  Leaders and managers have failed to monitor, review and report safeguarding incidents in line with statutory guidance and requirements or in a timely manner.  Leaders and managers have not demonstrated a robust understanding of the regulations.

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The care of children

Since the home was registered in June 2020, leaders and managers have not consistently delivered a service in line with their statement of purpose.

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The care of children

One child did not move into the home in a planned way. Leaders and managers failed to understand the complex needs of one child before the child moved into the home. Staff were challenged by the child’s behaviours and were unable to prevent the child from causing extensive damage to the home. Following 11 days of repeated incidents that challenged the staff, leaders and managers took the decision to move this child out of the home.

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The care of children

Leaders and managers have worked to improve the process of moving children into the home. As a result, two children have recently moved into the home in a smooth and planned way. One social worker spoke of this move as being well coordinated, which has already helped the child to make progress.

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The care of children

Both children currently living in the home present as settled. The inspector observed staff interacting positively with the children.

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The care of children

Suitable education has been provided, ensuring that children do not miss learning opportunities when they move home. The home has made efforts to progress one child to a more formal education provider.

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The care of children

The home is clean, well decorated and homely, and both the children have personalised rooms.

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The safety of children

One child, who has since moved out of the home, was not always or adequately protected from their own risk-taking behaviours, such as attempting to jump off a bridge and assaulting staff and medical professionals. As a result, on more than one occasion, police have been called to assist staff with the management of the children’s behaviours. Assurance visit report: 2579887 3 Staff have been challenged by the behaviours of children. Several serious incidents have taken place, resulting in assaults on staff, extensive damage to the home, the use of physical intervention, and the restrictive practice of staff routinely locking internal communal rooms during the day to manage behaviours.

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The safety of children

Some staff do not understand how to report safeguarding and/or practice concerns, and one member of staff told the inspector that they were unsure of when to call the police for support. On one occasion, staff failed to follow the directions given to them by the registered manager. This resulted in one child who was at risk of exploitation going missing. The inspector identified during the visit a serious allegation made by a child that had not been shared with the registered manager.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers have failed to monitor, review and report safeguarding incidents in line with statutory guidance and requirements or in a timely manner. For example, a serious allegation made by one child was unnoticed by the registered manager and the independent visitor.

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Leaders and managers

The registered manager has not demonstrated a robust understanding of the regulations. For example, not all notifiable incidents have been shared in a timely manner, not all serious incidents have been considered by the registered manager as serious, and a reviewed statement of purpose had not been submitted to Ofsted.

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Leaders and managers

The independent visitor has repeatedly raised actions in relation to poor record keeping and staff not receiving regular supervision. The registered manager has responded to a number of these actions. However, the inspector did not find enough evidence of how, or if, these visits directly inform the development of the home. This is because the registered manager does not have a development plan.

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Leaders and managers

During the visit, the inspector found several anomalies across records. These include staff failing to sign and date records and a recently submitted Regulation 45 report not reflecting accurately data kept within the home.

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Leaders and managers

Leaders and managers are aware of the serious failings. They have stabilised the staff team, which has in turn settled the two children living in the home. They have provided assurances to Ofsted in the form of beginning to produce an action plan. Ofsted will undertake a monitoring visit to review the actions that leaders and managers take to comply with the requirements of the regulations.

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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. Assurance visit report: 2579887 4

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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

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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly (Regulation 12(1)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff understanding the role they play in protecting children, and the provider ensuring prompt referral of safeguarding concerns and allegations to the designated officer. 19 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard 19 February 2021 Assurance visit report: 2579887 5 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must demonstrate effective, dynamic management and leadership of the home. The registered manager must provide evidence of how regular and robust monitoring, review and evaluation of records and staff practice lead to the development of the home.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 19 February 2021 Assurance visit report: 2579887 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to the registered manager having information and an understanding of a child’s needs before that child moves into the home.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 19 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child (Regulation 19(1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the routine locking of communal rooms as a method of behaviour management. 19 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 19 February 2021 Assurance visit report: 2579887 7 This specifically relates to children’s records being wholly completed and accurately reflecting any actions.

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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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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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)(b)(c)(e)) 19 February 2021

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Dorset Emergency Placement Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5 Lorton Gardens, Weymouth DT3 5FB

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Inspector

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: 2579887 8 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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