Children's Home run by Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602558 1

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Enhanced Young Persons Care 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 managed by a private provider. It provides care and accommodation for up to seven children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager and the home registered in August 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the restrictions in place relating to COVID-19 (coronavirus), this visit was carried out off site. The visit was to monitor the provider’s compliance with enforcement action. The visit included review of documents, discussion with the child, staff and relevant professionals.

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This monitoring visit

On 19 January 2021, we carried out a monitoring visit following concerns raised in safeguarding notifications. Consequently, we issued a restriction of accommodation in order to prevent any other children from being admitted into the home. Additionally, three compliance notices were issued under regulations 6, 12 and 13 to address serious concerns relating to the care planning arrangements, protection of children and widespread failings in the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Care planning documents do not have significant information regarding the child’s health needs. Some information recorded is inaccurate. This means that staff are not equipped with the knowledge or guidance that they require to support children’s health needs and to provide safe, consistent care.

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This monitoring visit

Recruitment does not follow safe-caring guidelines; necessary checks are not always in place prior to employment of staff. This exposes the children to a potential risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602558 2 There are significant gaps in between staff’s supervision sessions. A lack of staff supervision means that staff do not have sufficient opportunity to reflect on their practice, to ensure that it is safe to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

Progress has been made in some areas where concern had been identified. The risk assessments identify the children’s vulnerabilities and provide staff with guidance to understand what action they could take to promote children’s safety. However, staff continue to use stigmatising language in risk assessments, which the children could misinterpret. This is not helpful to the children.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have supported the children through the process of enrolment into a new education provision. Staff share information with the children’s education provider to assist a smooth transition. A child commented, ‘I am happy here. My new school is great.’ Education is promoted, which supports the children’s learning and development.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have failed to ensure that there are effective monitoring systems in place to identify shortfalls in practice. A suitable action plan has not been implemented to address some of the shortfalls. These failings highlight continued poor leadership and management practice.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, the restriction of accommodation order will remain in place. The compliance notices previously issued under regulations 6 and 13 are not met. These notices are re-issued. An additional compliance notice is issued under regulation 32 to address shortfalls in recruitment processes. The previously issued requirements under regulations 14, 21 and 40 were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are re-issued.

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602558 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

*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— protect and promote each child’s welfare; provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iv)) 11 April 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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 11 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602558 4 (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h)) 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 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— that arrangements are in place to— ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 28 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 11 April 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. The requirements are that— 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)) 11 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; 11 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602558 5 there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. A notification made under this regulation— must include details of— the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of

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Requirement Due date

the matter— must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2602558 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Enhanced Young Persons Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Fox Street, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE10 0BD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Tague

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2602558 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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