Children's home run by Ivie Lodge Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483881 1

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Ivie Lodge Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and provides care and accommodation for up to five children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since October 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

A monitoring visit was carried out on 24 February 2021 to review concerns relating to the home’s management and the care of children. To improve safeguarding and management systems, two compliance notices were issued following this visit.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review progress on two compliance notices set at the previous monitoring visit. The inspector visited the children’s home. Conversations were held with managers, staff and children. Feedback was sought by email from the placing authorities and independent reviewing officers. The inspector considered a range of documents.

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This monitoring visit

New risk assessment and care planning systems have been implemented. However, these are not yet embedded into practice. As a result, some risk assessments are still not clear or accurate. Not all staff have read or signed new documents. Some staff feel overwhelmed with the volume of new paperwork. They do not feel that they have had time to incorporate new processes into their practice. Poor risk assessments mean that staff may not have a clear understanding of the actions necessary to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

There is little evidence of children reading or being informed of their risk management plans or placement care plans. This undermines the ability of staff to work collaboratively with children to ensure their safety and well-being. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483881 2 Staff have not received regular formal supervision since the previous monitoring visit. Given the serious concerns identified, it is imperative that they receive practice- related supervision. The registered manager has also failed to keep a suitable record of all supervisions. This undermines her ability to have robust management oversight of staff performance and practice issues.

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This monitoring visit

Weaknesses in recruitment checks carried out on agency staff were identified at previous visits. These weaknesses have not been rectified. Significant gaps in employment histories have not been properly explored. Recruitment records lack information on the qualifications, skills and experience of agency staff used. Poor recruitment practice means that unsuitable adults may not be prevented from working at the home. These weaknesses also demonstrate that management oversight of the home is not thorough.

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This monitoring visit

An independent person has visited the home each month. Ofsted has not received reports from recent visits. The registered manager was not sure why the reports had not been sent to Ofsted. This undermines the regulator’s ability to monitor the home and to act on any concerns which may arise from the independent person’s visits.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, a restriction notice was issued to the provider. This prevents the home admitting any more children currently until improvement is demonstrated and new processes are embedded in staff practice.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/06/2019 Full Good 19/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483881 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 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.

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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

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to supporting children to read, sign and comment on relevant care plans and records. 23 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff receiving regular formal supervision to support them in their roles. 23 May 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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483881 4 registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the need for the provider to ensure that full information about training, qualifications and experience of agency staff is consistently sought and considered.

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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

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

This relates to staff understanding and the implementation of each child’s risk assessments, missing protocols and plans, as well as staff training, experience and supervision. 23 May 2021

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (7)(a)) 23 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483881 5

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2nd Floor, 9 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 3BE

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Inspector(s)

Tracy Murty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2483881 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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