Children's Home run by Potton Homes Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 1 SC438764

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Potton Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides long-term placements for up to six children who may have experienced neglect and/or emotional abuse. The provider owns the school that is located on the site.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the post in April 2020. There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of the visit was to establish whether there is effective leadership and management monitoring of practice and recruitment, following concerns being raised to Ofsted. The visit comprised a blended approach of on-site and off-site activity. No serious concerns about children’s care or welfare were identified. However, there are some regulatory shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

There are three children living at the home. No children have moved into the home and no children have left the home since the last monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The staff do not receive regular supervision. Some staff are inexperienced in caring for children. Failure to provide staff with reflective supervision means that the manager lacks oversight and understanding of the staff’s practice. This does not ensure that staff are supported to provide good-quality care for the children.

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This monitoring visit

Some of the staff have not undertaken specialist training to understand the children’s individual needs. Therefore, the staff are not fully equipped to identify warning signs in the children’s behaviours and how to manage them effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s mobile phone use is monitored by the staff. This is to help protect the children from unsafe online activity. Checks of children’s mobile telephones are made by the staff without the children being present. Some of the children have not Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 2 signed mobile telephone acceptable use contracts. Children’s records do not enable the manager to establish which staff have accessed personal information on the children’s telephones. This does not enable the manager to ensure that these arrangements are sufficiently monitored or consistent.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has failed to comply with safe recruitment practice. Some references are not verified to assess suitability. Discrepancies in candidate’s applications are not always fully explored. This lack of due diligence means that the recruitment process as a safeguarding measure is limited.

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This monitoring visit

Staff said that they enjoy working at the home and feel supported. The environment is nicely presented and maintained to a good standard. Changes in the management of the home are beginning to bring about some improvements. The incoming manager has an awareness of the improvements that are needed. She has begun to put in place new systems to address some of the previously identified shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Six requirements were raised at the last monitoring visit in September 2020. These requirements were outside of the scope for this visit and are therefore restated.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/02/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/10/2019 Full Good 03/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 12 March 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child and;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(e))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the staff receive training on how to manage the children’s individual risks;

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Requirement Due date

monitor and review arrangements for staff to check children’s mobile telephones to ensure that there is management oversight and consistent staff practice. 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 4 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 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)) 12 March 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the content of any online forums for staff are monitored effectively and adhere to the home’s policies on privacy, confidentiality and staff conduct. 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, verify references and the reasons that an applicant’s previous employment involving children or vulnerable adults has ended. 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 5 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. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 12 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and

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Requirement Due date

sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provide for liaison and cooperation with any local authority which are, or may be, making a child protection enquiry in relation to a child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

provide for records to be kept of an allegation of abuse or neglect, and the action taken in response. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(d)(e)) 12 March 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 kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 12 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 6

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of the visit was to establish whether there is effective leadership and managerial monitoring of practice and recruitment processes, following concerns being raised to Ofsted.

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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: Potton Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Cresswell Park, Blackheath, London SE3 9RD

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Inspectors

Leemya McKeown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC438764 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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