Children's Home run by Children & Adolescents Placement Provisions Ltd in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594233 1

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Children and Adolescents Placement Provisions Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered on 12 August 2020 and is approved to care for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted at the same time as the home was registered. Two children were living at the home at the point of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is currently posing to those it regulates. During this visit, the inspector took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. Monitoring of this home was carried out remotely.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was carried out to review the matching processes for children and to explore how staff are meeting the children’s behavioural, educational and emotional needs.

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This monitoring visit

The process of deciding whether children are suitably matched to the home is working well. Each child’s needs are matched alongside the skill set and knowledge base of the staff team. There is no conflict between the children who live together at the home.

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This monitoring visit

When children are feeling anxious or sad, staff recognise this and respond in a way that helps the child. For example, staff may use humour or give a child some space on their own to calm down. Staff are responsive to training and work together well when de-escalating challenging situations.

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This monitoring visit

Communication between staff and parents is good. For example, a parent felt that when they offered staff advice that related to behaviour management, this advice Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594233 2 was listened to and acted on. Equally, feedback from professionals about the care provided to children is positive.

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This monitoring visit

Staff provide children with boundaries and they encourage children to make informed decisions. When a child has a disagreement with a staff member, the staff member takes the lead in repairing the relationship. Children like the staff and are reassured that they are liked and cared about.

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This monitoring visit

Children are cared for by well-trained staff who receive regular supervision. Where children have disabilities that affect their ability to process information, staff understand this and adapt the way that they care to meet the needs of the children. However, risk assessments and behaviour management plans do not always identify how children can progress to being given more independence. Some identified risks are recorded in a way that makes it difficult to determine the progress a child is making. For example, documents are not clear and do not explain why a child needs to have restricted time within the community. Risk assessments are sometimes ambiguous when describing risk. This results in children’s behaviours appearing riskier than intended.

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This monitoring visit

Not all children are receiving formal education, which is having a negative effect on one child’s emotional well-being and placement stability. The registered manager has attempted to advocate for this child, but concerns were not escalated effectively.

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This monitoring visit

When there have been disagreements in relation to care planning, the child’s voice has sometimes not been evident. Although children are supported to make choices, more could be done to empower children to advocate on their own behalf.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594233 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children’s needs are not being met, ensure that appropriate challenge and escalation happens. 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (2)(a)(ii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children being empowered to advocate for themselves wherever appropriate. 28 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594233 4 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children being provided with education that meets their needs. When a suitable educational placement is not provided, appropriate challenge and escalation must happen.

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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 28 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594233 5 promotes their welfare.

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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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s risk assessments and behavioural management plans are specific and progressive.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, if children’s needs are not being met then appropriate challenge and escalation must happen.

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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: Children and Adolescents Placement Provisions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 40 Harpur Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK40 2QT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Barbara Walters-Ennis

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Inspector

Andi Lilley-Tams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2594233 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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