Children's home run by Five Rivers Child Care Limited in Wiltshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 1 SC059755

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Five Rivers Child Care Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a national private organisation. The home can care for four boys with emotional and social needs who have experienced early childhood trauma. The children are likely to have acquired attachment disorders.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2019

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was carried out in January 2021. This additional monitoring visit was undertaken because Ofsted received a whistle-blowing complaint. The complaint raised serious concerns that a child living at the home is at significant risk of harm and exploitation. At the time of this monitoring visit, two children were living in the home. This monitoring inspection included a visit to the home to speak with the children and staff and to review records. In response to the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, further review of records and interviews with the child’s social worker and responsible individual took place remotely.

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This monitoring visit

In recent months, one child’s safety, health, well-being and educational attendance have declined significantly. Leaders and managers have not taken effective action to ensure this child is safeguarded from harm and exploitation. Leaders and managers have allowed the child to spend considerable time each day in the local community with groups of individuals who are not known to staff.

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This monitoring visit

Staff told the inspector that they suspect the child is being encouraged by individuals he has met to engage in anti-social, high-risk and criminal activities. Staff have not been able to disrupt these activities.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments, care plans and behaviour management plans are in place for this child and are regularly reviewed. Despite this, these plans do not accurately reflect the severity of the risks, and behaviour management strategies identified for use are Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 2 not effective. As a result, staff are not responding well enough to the child’s changing needs or behaviours. The lack of structure, expectations and boundaries have resulted in the child spending too much unstructured and unsupervised time away from the home.

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This monitoring visit

The child talks openly to staff about his friends and the activities he engages in when out in the local community. Staff have tried but have not been successful in helping the child to understand the dangers and consequences of his actions. Several multi-agency strategy meetings have taken place. However, attendees at these meetings have failed to identify alternative behaviour management approaches that will safeguard the child from continued harm. In addition, leaders and managers have not taken swift and appropriate action to resolve the escalating concerns about the child’s declining engagement with education.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured the child’s basic daily needs have been met. Staff describe the child’s personal hygiene as being poor. Records confirm that his diet is not nutritionally balanced and regularly consists of fast food purchased while away from the home. The child is not receiving the nurturing, safe care and support that he needs.

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This monitoring visit

Three of the 11 recent safeguarding concerns have not been shared with the local authority. In addition, none of these concerns have been notified to Ofsted as required.

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This monitoring visit

A compliance notice has been issued in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, as a result of the concerns identified at this inspection. Ofsted will visit again to review the action taken by the provider in response.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 03/12/2019 Full Good 22/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/08/2018 Full Good 02/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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 and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(ix)) 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 4 In particular, review the free-time arrangements currently in place to ensure children are engaged in age-appropriate activities and that care provided accurately reflects the level of risk and concern about exploitation children are exposed to.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

ensure children are supported to maintain a daily hygiene routine and a nutritionally balanced diet;

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Requirement Due date

identify supporting agencies that will help staff and children to understand the impact and effects of substance misuse. 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 5 *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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are followed;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that when children spend time in the community, staff know where they are and who they are with;

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Requirement Due date

ensure care staff work closely with education staff to promote the attendance and engagement of children in education;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff are able to engage children with effective behaviour management strategies, and that boundaries and expectations are clear and achievable;

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Requirement Due date

ensure staff have the skills to identify and respond effectively if a child is thought to be at risk of harm and/or exploitation. 30 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 30 April 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 6 There is any incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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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 performance of the home following concerns raised about the care of a child

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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: Five Rivers Child Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 47 Bedwin Street, Salisbury SP1 3UT

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Newman

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC059755 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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